Part-time HUBZone Smart Hands Technician (On-Site Lab Support)

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

We are seeking a Part-time HUBZone Employee for a Smart Hands Technician/Data Center Support opportunity. All applicants must reside within a HUBZone area and able to come into the Leesburg, VA office occasionally. 

Job Summary

The Smart Hands Technician provides critical on-site physical and technical support for data center infrastructure. Acting as the "eyes and ears" for remote engineering teams, this role is responsible for the physical installation, troubleshooting, and maintenance of network, server, and storage hardware, as well as managing physical layer connectivity.

Key Responsibilities

• Hardware Deployment & Maintenance:
  • Rack, stack, and secure servers, network switches, routers, firewalls, and storage arrays.
  • Perform component-level replacements (hot-swappable and cold-swappable drives, RAM, power supplies, fans, and NICs).
  • Handle physical decommissioning and secure disposal preparation of legacy hardware.
• Layer 1 Structured Cabling:
  • Install, route, dress, and label Fiber (Single-mode/Multi-mode) and Copper (Cat5e/Cat6/Cat6A) cabling according to industry standards.
  • Perform cable testing (using Fluke or similar testers), scoping, and cleaning of fiber optic connectors.
  • Troubleshoot physical connectivity issues (e.g., bad patch cables, dirty fiber ports, incorrect port patching).
• Remote Hands Collaboration:
  • Act as the proxy for remote Network and System Engineers via phone, chat, or ticketing systems to execute precise CLI commands or verify physical status indicators.
  • Establish local console sessions (KVM, serial/reverser-SSH connections) to allow remote access to unconfigured or unresponsive devices.
• Infrastructure & Power Management:
  • Deploy and configure basic settings for Intelligent Power Distribution Units (iPDUs) and environmental sensors.
  • Monitor and verify power loads, circuit allocations, and cable management arm clearances to ensure optimal airflow and redundancy.
• Inventory & Site Operations:
  • Maintain meticulous inventory logs of data center assets, spare parts, and consumables.
  • Conduct physical audits of racks, assets, and serial numbers to ensure DCIM (Data Center Infrastructure Management) software accuracy.
  • Escort and supervise external vendors, utility providers, or third-party engineers within the facility.

Technical Qualifications & Experience

• Experience: 1–3 years of hands-on experience working inside a data center, colocation facility, or enterprise network closet environment.
• Certifications (Preferred but not required):
  • CompTIA A+, Network+, or Security+
  • BICSI Installer (Copper/Fiber)
  • Cisco Certified Support Technician (CCST) or CCNA (a plus)
• Hardware Familiarity: Direct experience handling enterprise hardware platforms (e.g., Dell PowerEdge, HPE ProLiant, Cisco Catalyst/Nexus, Juniper, NetApp).
• Tools: Proficiency using basic hand tools, cable testers, label makers, and optical power meters.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift and move heavy equipment (up to 50 lbs unassisted) upon request.
• Comfort working at heights (on ladders) or in tight spaces behind server racks.
• Ability to stand, walk, bend, and kneel for extended periods in a loud, climate-controlled data center environment.

Soft Skills & Professional Attributes

• Exceptional Communication: Clear verbal and written skills are non-negotiable, as you will be the eyes and ears for engineers who cannot see the hardware.
• Methodical Documentation: Strict adherence to ticketing workflows (Jira, ServiceNow, Remedy) and change management procedures.
• High Attention to Detail: Precision in cable routing, labeling convention adherence, and verifying serial numbers.

Must reside within a HUBZone area. Preferably within commute of Leesburg, VA to provide onsite support. 

This position is part-time, on-site.