Job Description

Job Title: Network Staging Lab Engineer
Location: Remote (DFW Area Required)
Duration: 1 year+ contract
Work Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM CST
Travel: Approximately 10%

About the Opportunity:
Seeking a Network Staging Lab Engineer to support a large-scale global network infrastructure program for a leading enterprise organization. In this role, you will play a critical part in preparing, validating, configuring, and testing network infrastructure prior to deployment into production environments.

The ideal candidate will combine strong network engineering fundamentals with hands-on data center experience and a disciplined approach to validation, documentation, and deployment readiness. This position supports a highly visible global initiative where accuracy, technical depth, and attention to detail are essential.

Although primarily remote, candidates must reside in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and be available for occasional onsite lab activities and travel (10%) when required.

Key Responsibilities:

Network Staging & Deployment Readiness:

-- Configure, validate, and test network infrastructure equipment prior to production deployment.
-- Load and verify operating systems, firmware, software releases, and configuration baselines.
-- Execute deployment readiness testing and pre-deployment validation procedures.
-- Verify routing, switching, security, and management functionality.
-- Document hardware inventories, software versions, configurations, and deployment status.
-- Support equipment packaging, shipment coordination, and deployment logistics.

Network Engineering & Infrastructure Support:

-- Remotely access and configure network devices across enterprise environments.
-- Support network expansion, refresh, migration, and infrastructure deployment initiatives.
-- Perform troubleshooting and issue resolution for hardware, software, and configuration-related problems.
-- Work closely with network engineering, operations, project management, and vendor teams to resolve deployment blockers.
-- Participate in technical discussions, project meetings, and engineering reviews.

Lab Operations:

-- Support network staging lab operations and inventory management.
-- Perform rack-and-stack activities, hardware installation, cabling, and equipment validation as needed.
-- Maintain asset tracking, inventory records, and equipment documentation.
-- Ensure adherence to lab standards, cable management practices, equipment labeling, and operational procedures.
-- Support RMA activities and vendor coordination for failed or defective hardware.

Automation & Process Improvement:

-- Assist with network automation initiatives and deployment optimization efforts.
-- Support automated configuration validation, device provisioning, and deployment workflows.
-- Contribute to process documentation, deployment runbooks, and standard operating procedures.
-- Identify opportunities to reduce manual effort and improve deployment efficiency through automation.

Required Qualifications:

-- 3+ years of hands-on network engineering, network operations, deployment, or infrastructure support experience.
-- Strong understanding of:
       -TCP/IP networking
       - Ethernet switching
       - VLANs
       - Routing fundamentals
       - Network security concepts
-- Experience working in data center environments.
-- Experience supporting physical network infrastructure, including Layer 1 connectivity.
-- Experience configuring and validating enterprise networking equipment.
-- Ability to independently troubleshoot network-related issues.
-- Experience working with one or more major networking platforms such as:
       - Cisco
       - Juniper
       - Arista
       - Palo Alto
       - Fortinet
-- Experience with console access, remote management tools, and network documentation.
-- Ability to lift and install network equipment in accordance with safety guidelines.

Preferred Qualifications:

-- CCNP certification or equivalent hands-on networking expertise.
-- Juniper networking experience.
-- Experience supporting large-scale enterprise, cloud, or global network environments.
-- Experience with:
       - OSPF
       - BGP
       - IS-IS
- Segment Routing (SR-MPLS)
-- Experience with network automation and infrastructure-as-code concepts.
-- Familiarity with:
       - Python
       - Ansible
       - Git
       - NetBox
       - Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP)
-- Experience developing scripts to automate network validation, configuration generation, or data collection.
-- Exposure to AI-assisted operational workflows and automation technologies.

Technical Environment:

-- The successful candidate should be comfortable working within environments that include:
-- Enterprise routing and switching platforms
-- Data center networking infrastructure
-- Network deployment and migration projects
-- Automated provisioning and validation processes
-- Global network operations and engineering teams

What We're Looking For:
This role is best suited for a network engineer who enjoys the operational side of network deployments and takes pride in getting things right before production rollout. The ideal candidate can operate independently, troubleshoot confidently, and possesses the technical depth expected of a mid-to-senior level network engineer.

Candidates do not necessarily need a CCNP certification, but they should be capable of performing at a CCNP level and discussing routing, switching, troubleshooting, and deployment concepts in depth during the interview process.