Enterprise Network Lab Engineer - Santa Clara, CA

We are looking for a hands-on Enterprise Network Lab Engineer to own and operate our enterprise network validation lab. This role is the bridge between network architecture and production deployment you will take use cases from concept through rigorous lab validation and deliver complete, production-ready designs backed by test evidence.

You will work closely with network architects, vendors, and engineering teams to validate new technologies, verify platform upgrades, and stress-test configurations before they touch the production network. You are equally comfortable racking gear and writing a Python script to automate test runs.

What You Will Do

• Lab Validation & Testing
• Receive network use cases from architecture, engineering, or business stakeholders and translate them into structured lab test plans covering functional, performance, resiliency, and failure-scenario testing
• Execute high-touch validation of enterprise networking technologies including switching, routing, wireless, SD-WAN, firewalling, and network automation platforms
• Deliver complete validation packages including:
• Logical and physical topology diagrams
• Device configurations (sanitized and version-controlled)
• Step-by-step test procedures and results
• Pass/fail summaries with root cause analysis for failures
• Go/No-Go recommendations with supporting evidence
• Perform rack and stack of lab equipment when required cable management, power sequencing, console access setup, and physical layer verification
• Design & Documentation
• Produce clear, detailed lab reports that can be handed directly to production engineering teams for deployment
• Maintain up-to-date physical and logical topology documentation for all active lab topologies
• Document configurations using version control (Git) so all tested configs are traceable and reusable
• Build and maintain a library of validated reference architectures and design patterns
• Vendor Collaboration
• Partner with network vendors (Cisco, Arista, Juniper, Palo Alto, Aruba, etc.) to conduct joint proof-of-concept testing and feature validation
• Drive vendor-supported test engagements including bug reproduction, feature requests, and interoperability testing
• Evaluate new hardware and software releases against defined acceptance criteria before recommending adoption
• Manage loaner equipment logistics and coordinate lab access for vendor engineers
• Automation & CI/CD
• Write scripts (Python, Bash, Ansible) to automate repetitive lab tasks device provisioning, configuration push, test execution, and results collection
• Build or maintain CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions) for automated configuration validation and regression testing
• Develop test automation frameworks using tools such as pyATS, Robot Framework, Batfish, or NAPALM
• Integrate lab test results into reporting dashboards or ticketing systems to provide traceability from test run to design decision

What You Bring

Required

• 7+ years of handson enterprise network engineering experience
• Deep expertise in at least two of the following domains: campus switching, data center fabric, SDWAN, wireless LAN, network security, WAN/ISP connectivity
• Strong understanding of routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, EIGRP), switching (VLAN, STP, LACP, VXLAN), and overlay technologies (EVPN, VxLAN, LISP)
• Proficiency with network operating systems across multiple vendors (Cisco IOS/NXOS, Arista EOS, Juniper Junos, or equivalent)
• Ability to read, write, and interpret network configurations at a detailed level
• Experience creating professionalgrade topology diagrams (, Visio, Lucidchart) and technical documentation
• Scripting capability in Python or equivalent must be able to write working scripts independently, not just modify existing ones
• Familiarity with Gitbased workflows and versioncontrolled config management
• Physical lab skills: rack and stack, cable management, console cabling, power management, and hardware troubleshooting

Preferred

• Experience with network automation tooling: Ansible, Nornir, NAPALM, pyATS, Batfish, NetBox/Nautobot
• Exposure to CI/CD pipelines (GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, Jenkins) applied to network configuration workflows
• Knowledge of infrastructureascode concepts as applied to networking
• Experience in a dedicated network validation or solutions engineering lab environment
• Certifications: CCNP / CCIE (Enterprise or Data Center), JNCIP, ACE, or equivalent professionallevel certification
• Familiarity with structured test methodology frameworks (RFC 2544, RFC 6349, IETF test standards)
• Experience working directly with vendor presales, SE, or TAC teams in a formal lab engagement

How You Work

• You are methodical and documentation driven you do not consider a test complete until the results are written up and the configs are committed
• You can take a loosely defined use case and independently structure it into a formal test plan without handholding
• You hold yourself to a high bar for accuracy a design that passes your lab should work in production
• You communicate clearly across technical and nontechnical audiences your reports are read by architects, engineers, and managers alike
• You are comfortable pushing back on a vendor if test results do not meet acceptance criteria and can articulate the technical basis for your findings
• You manage your own lab workload, prioritize concurrent test engagements, and communicate schedule risks proactively