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Optical Switch Engineer

Artech LLC

Menlo Park, CA

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JOB DETAILS
SKILLS
802.1, Acceptance Testing, Ansible, Application Programming Interface (API), Automation, Automation Systems, BGP, Bash Scripting, Bit Error Rate (BER), Capacity Management, Capacity and Performance Management, Commissioning, Communication Skills, Computer Engineering, Computer Networks, Configuration Management, Cross-Functional, DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), DNS (Domain Name System), DOM (Document Object Model), DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing), Data Recovery, Disaster Recovery, Documentation, Domain Names, Electrical Engineering, Engineering, Establish Priorities, Failover, Firewall Administration, Firewalls, Functional Testing, Git, ICMP, IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers), IPsec (IP Security), IPv4, IPv6, ISO (International Organization for Standardization), IXIA, Identify Issues, Industry Standards, International Electro-Technical Commission (IEC), NAT (Network Address Translation), Netflow, Network Access Control (NAC), Network Administration/Management, Network Architecture/Engineering, Network Configuration Management, Network Design, Network Monitoring, Network Operations Center, Network Performance/Analysis, Network Protocols, Network Routing, Object Oriented Programming (OOP), Open Shortest Path First Protocol (OSPF), Operations Planning, Optical Engineering, Optical Networking, Performance Tuning/Optimization, Problem Solving Skills, Python Programming/Scripting Language, QoS (Quality of Service), RPM, Reflectometer, Regression Testing, Regulatory Compliance, Requirements Management, Resource Management, Risk Analysis, Root Cause Analysis, SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol), Scripting (Scripting Languages), Security Monitoring, Security Protocols, Server Architecture, Signal Integrity, Software Configuration Management, Switching Architecture, System Migration, Systems Administration/Management, Team Lead/Manager, Team Player, Telecommunications, Telemetry, Test Equipment, Testing, Time Management, Transceivers, Transportation Engineering, U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Validation Testing
LOCATION
Menlo Park, CA
POSTED
9 days ago
Title : Optical Switch Engineer
Location : Menlo Park, CA - Onsite
Duration : 9+ months

Info:
  • Company: Industry leading global technology company with network operations at a scale far beyond most companies
  • Demonstrate a willingness to learn new systems, tools, and approaches as you will be working with proprietary automation, configuration, and monitoring platforms
  • Experience with hyperscale data centers, or the ability to design, troubleshoot, and optimize for tens of thousands of devices and exabytes of data is a plus
  • Success requires working closely with hardware, software, operations, and capacity planning teams
  • Strong communication and collaboration skills are essential

High level:
  • 5+ years of experience in optical networking or transport engineering.
  • Minimum 2 years of automating network operations and workflows (mandatory)
  • Minimum 1 year of Data Center Network (DCN) Engineering experience (mandatory)
  • Hands-on experience with Fiberspool, PDUs, switches, and other core network products
  • Hands-on Experience with IXIA, Calient and/or Telescent optical switching platforms
  • Repository management experience (e.g., Git or equivalent industry-standard tools for code/config management)
  • Deployment automation experience (e.g., Ansible or equivalents)
  • Proficiency in Python (object-oriented programming) or scripting language used for automation (preferably Go/ Bash)
  • Knowledge of data center fabric architecture and telemetry systems
  • Experience with gNMI-based monitoring technologies.
  • Bachelors degree in electrical engineering, Computer Engineering, Telecommunications, or equivalent experience.
  • Vendor certifications or formal optical training (e.g., Ciena, Infinera, Nokia, Juniper, Cisco).

Detailed:
  • Optical Switch platforms : Experience with IXIA, Calient and/or Telescent optical switching platforms, including configuration, deployment, and troubleshooting. Multi-vendor cabling and optics and should have a strong foundation in physical layer components, testing, and troubleshooting. Key skills include proficiency with fiber cleaning and inspection, knowledge of cabling standards (TIA/EIA, ISO/IEC), hands-on experience with optical test equipment (OTDR, power meters), and understanding transceiver compatibility. Additionally,
  • Automation workflows : Extensive background in software automation, with a demonstrated proficiency in implementing solutions for the above platforms (e.g., scripting, API integration, or workflow automation). Comfortable designing, developing, and deploying automation solutions for network infrastructure. Skilled in integrating APIs, developing scripts, and leveraging configuration management platforms to automate provisioning, monitoring, and troubleshooting of network and optical systems at scale
  • Troubleshooting: Expertise in troubleshooting optical networks using OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer/ light meters) and related diagnostic tools. Must have hands-on experience with DWDM (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) and PON systems, including fault isolation, performance verification, and maintenance of high-capacity optical links. Signal Integrity Troubleshooting: Analyzing optical signal loss, high bit error rates (BER), and transceiver diagnostics (DOM/DDM data) via CLI.
  • Installation and Configuration : Set up network devices with advanced protocols and features including DHCP and supporting both IPv4 and DHCPv6 for IPv6. Configure DNS for resolving domain names to both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. Implement stateful and stateless firewalls in accordance with defined requirements to control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules.
  • Maintenance and Support : Use SNMP/NetFlow/sFlow/ICMP/IPSLA/RPM Probes/syslog for monitoring and managing network performance. Update firewall rules and configurations in accordance with defined requirements to protect against emerging threats. Monitor the old and new network to ensure stability and performance. Provide pre- and post-migration support for old and new network architectures. Troubleshoot to identify root causes and address any complex issues that arise.
  • Performance Optimization : Apply protocols like QoS (Quality of Service) to prioritize network traffic and ensure efficient bandwidth usage. Implement NAT/NAT64 (Network Address Translation) to conserve IPv4 addresses and facilitate secure communication between private and public networks.
  • Disaster Recovery and Backup : Implement ECMP and other disaster recovery protocols to help ensure network continuity and redundancy. Configure backup systems and network failover mechanisms to maintain network availability in case of failure. Implement monitoring and recovery mechanisms that target reduced time to recovery
  • Test, Validation & Commissioning : Use IXIA platforms to validate optical and packet-optical performance, including throughput, latency, loss, and failover behavior. Execute pre-production, acceptance, and regression testing for new optical deployments and upgrades. Execute lab and production acceptance testing for new optical transport systems, PON OLT/ONT platforms, and fiber automation workflows.

Soft Requirements (preferred but not required):
  • Proven ability to design and implement spine-leaf architectures in data center environments
  • Familiarity with SLAAC for IPv6 and IPFIX/Netflow
  • Strong understanding of server and switch architecture
  • Network Design and Planning : Develop detailed network architecture plans incorporating IPv4 and IPv6 addressing schemes to accommodate current and future network requirements, to meet organizational needs and future growth. Using protocols such as BGP/MP-BGP, EVPN VXLAN and OSPF for efficient and scalable network routing.
  • Assessment and Planning : Conduct thorough analysis of the existing networks. Develop detailed migration plans, including timelines, resource allocation, and risk assessment. Create comprehensive documentation for both legacy and new networks. Configure new hardware and software according to the design specifications. Perform rigorous testing to ensure functionality, performance, and compatibility. Execute the migration plan with minimal disruption to ongoing operations. Coordinate with cross-functional teams to manage dependencies and resolve issues promptly.
  • Security Management : Implement security protocols such as MACSEC and IPSec for secure network communications in both IPv4 and IPv6 environments. Employ RADIUS/Pi servers for centralized authentication. Use leading practices, NIST guidelines, and clients internal security partner guidance to help maintain secure network configurations and minimize threats on the network.
  • Compliance and Standards : Help ensure network protocols comply with industry standards, where appropriate and as agreed, such as IEEE 802.1X/MAB for network access control. Adhere to guidelines for the deployment of IPv6 alongside or in place of IPv4.

About the Company

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Artech LLC