Datacenter Network Technician
The job description
Tech stack. Network switch hardware installation, fiber optic handling/inspection/cleaning, copper and fiber testing (OTDR, certifiers, light meters), basic CLI (Cisco, Arista), physical-layer link troubleshooting, patch panel and cross-connect management
About the role
You will own the physical network layer at a cloud provider's datacenter: the fiber and copper plant connecting every server, storage array, and appliance to the network fabric. When links flap, degrade, or go dark, you are the first responder with an inspection scope and a cleaning kit, and your fiber hygiene determines network availability as much as any router configuration. You will install, test, document, and troubleshoot the physical plant with a discipline that keeps bit error rates at zero and mean time to repair inside SLA. You will support network capacity expansions, lighting up new fiber runs and verifying every link before it carries production traffic. Your fiber discipline will keep the network running at error rates that monitoring tools can barely measure.
What you will achieve
- Resolve physical-layer network issues within SLA using structured isolation methodology: optic to patch panel to trunk to switch port, identifying the true fault instead of swapping parts blindly.
- Maintain fiber plant quality with inspection and cleaning discipline on every connection touched, keeping link error rates at zero across your areas.
- Deliver new cross-connects and patching exactly to design specifications, with accurate documentation in the cable management system the same day.
- Test and certify every new fiber run with OTDR traces and power meter measurements, rejecting any run outside loss budgets before it carries production traffic.
- Reduce repeat link failures by identifying root causes (contaminated optics, stressed bend radii, failing transceivers, pinched trunks) and fixing them permanently rather than just restoring service.
What you will bring
Must-haves
- 2 to 5 years working with datacenter or enterprise network physical infrastructure.
- Deep familiarity with fiber types (OM3/OM4/OS2), connectors (LC, MPO/MTP), polarity methods, and loss budgets.
- Hands-on skill with fiber inspection scopes, cleaning tools, OTDRs, light source and power meters, and cable certifiers.
- Basic network CLI ability on Cisco or Arista platforms for port status checks and link diagnostics.
- Understanding of TIA structured cabling standards as applied to datacenters.
- High school diploma or equivalent; technical certifications valued.
Nice-to-haves
- CCNA or CompTIA Network+ certification.
- Experience with high-density MPO/MTP trunking and breakout architectures.
- Familiarity with Arista or Cisco datacenter switch hardware installation.
- Knowledge of coherent optics basics for long-haul interconnects.
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