Lab Ops Engineer

Key Responsibilities

Lab Infrastructure Management

• Manage and maintain network lab facilities, including racks, power systems, cabling, and environmental monitoring.
• Install, configure, and maintain routers, switches, firewalls, storage systems, and servers.
• Ensure lab equipment inventory is accurate and up to date.
• Coordinate hardware deployment, upgrades, repairs, and decommissioning.

Network Operations

• Provision and troubleshoot Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking.
• Configure VLANs, routing protocols, network segmentation, and security policies.
• Monitor network performance, availability, and utilization.
• Diagnose and resolve connectivity, performance, and infrastructure issues.

Lab Support and Service Delivery

• Support engineering teams in setting up test environments and proof-of-concept configurations.
• Manage lab scheduling, resource allocation, and access controls.
• Respond to lab incidents and service requests within defined service levels.
• Provide technical guidance and operational support to internal stakeholders.

Automation and Process Improvement

• Develop automation tools and scripts to streamline lab provisioning and operational tasks.
• Improve lab efficiency through standardization and process optimization.
• Implement monitoring, logging, and reporting solutions.
• Contribute to automation initiatives using Python, Ansible, or other infrastructure management tools.

Documentation and Compliance

• Maintain network diagrams, operational procedures, and lab documentation.
• Ensure compliance with company security and safety standards.
• Create and update asset management and configuration databases.
• Support audits, capacity planning, and operational reviews.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor''s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Electrical Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.

• 5+ years of experience in network operations, lab management, or data center environments.

• Strong knowledge of:

• TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, VPNs

• Ethernet switching and IP routing

• Network troubleshooting tools and methodologies

• Linux and Windows server administration

• Experience with enterprise networking vendors such as Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Dell, or HPE.

• Hands-on experience with network monitoring and management tools.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting engineering development or validation labs.
• Knowledge of automation frameworks and scripting languages such as Python, PowerShell, or Ansible.
• Familiarity with virtualization and container technologies (VMware, Hyper-V, Kubernetes, Docker).
• Experience with cloud networking technologies (Azure, AWS, or Google Cloud).
• Industry certifications such as:
• CCNP / CCIE
• JNCIP / JNCIE
• VMware VCP
• Network+ or equivalent

Key Competencies

• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Customer-focused mindset and ability to support multiple stakeholders.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills.
• Project management and prioritization abilities.
• Continuous improvement and automation mindset.

Typical Success Metrics

• Lab uptime and availability.
• Incident resolution time.
• Resource utilization efficiency.
• Equipment deployment and provisioning speed.
• Customer satisfaction from engineering teams.
• Automation adoption and operational efficiency improvements.