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Enterprise Network Lab Engineer

Santa Clara, CA, US • Posted 5 hours ago • Updated 5 hours ago

Full Time

On-site

USD $98,040.00 - 154,800.00 per year

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Job Details

Skills

Network Design
Stress Testing
Writing
Scenario Testing
Routing
Wireless Communication
SD
PASS
Root Cause Analysis
Laboratory Equipment
Physical Layer
Production Engineering
Version Control
Design Patterns
Collaboration
Cisco
Palo Alto
Aruba
Computer Hardware
Logistics
Bash
Provisioning
Test Execution
Regression Testing
Automated Testing
Dashboard
Enterprise Networks
WLAN
Network Security
WAN
ISP
Routing Protocols
Border Gateway Protocol
OSPF
EIGRP
Switches
VLAN
Spanning Tree Protocol
LACP
Lisp
Operating Systems
Cisco IOS
NXOS
Arista
Juniper
Junos
IO
Microsoft Visio
Technical Writing
Python
Git
Configuration Management
Artificial Intelligence
Testing
Cabling
Power Management
Hardware Troubleshooting
Ansible
GitLab
GitHub
Jenkins
Network Administration
Computer Networking
Network
Cisco Certifications
JNCIP
Test Methods
RFC
Presales
TAC
Documentation
Use Cases
Test Plans
Articulate
SAP BASIS
Management
Reporting
Inventory
Software Engineering
Workflow
Scripting
Continuous Integration
Continuous Delivery
Change Management
Forms
Payments
PPO
HMO
Taxes
Professional Development
Life Insurance
Insurance
Law

Summary

About the Role

We are looking for a hands-on Enterprise Network Lab Engineer to own and operate our client'senterprise 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
Able to leverage AI agents / tools to automate some tasks, testing and analysis

Required Skills

5+ 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 professional grade topology diagrams (draw.io, 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 Git based workflows and version-controlled config management
Demonstrated ability to utilize AI agents/tools for the automation of tasks, testing, and analysis.
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 infrastructure-as-code 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 professional level 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

What Success Looks Like

In your first 90 days:

You have stood up at least one end-to-end lab topology independently and delivered a complete validation report
You understand the existing lab inventory, active topologies, and inflight test engagements
You have established working relationships with at least two vendor SE teams

At 6 months:

Validation lab turnaround time is predictable and documented design deliverables are consistently productionready
At least one test workflow is partially or fully automated via scripting or CI/CD pipeline
Your lab reports are used as the primary evidence gate before production deployments go through change management

Salary Range
$98,040.00 - $154,800.00 USD (Salary)

Please note that the salary information provided herein is base pay only (gross); it does not include other forms of compensation which may or may not apply to this specific position, namely, performance-based bonuses, benefits-related payments, or other general incentives - none of which are guaranteed, may be subject to specific eligibility requirements, and are wholly within the discretion of Astreya to remit.
Further, the salary information noted above is a range that consists of a minimum and maximum rate of pay for this specific position. Where an applicant or employee is placed on this range will depend and be contingent on objective, documented work-related considerations like education, experience, certifications, licenses, preferred qualifications, among other factors.

Astreya offers comprehensive benefits to all Regular, Full-Time Employees, including:

Medical provided through UHC (PPO, HSA, Surest options) / Medical provided through Kaiser (HMO option only) for California employees only
Dental provided through UHC
Nationwide Vision provided by UHC
Flexible Spending Account for Health & Dependent Care
Pre-Tax Account for Commuter Benefit/Parking & Transit (location-specific)
Continuing Education and Professional Development via various integrated platforms, e.g. Udemy and Coursera
Corporate Wellness Program provided by Goomi Group
Employee Assistance Program
Wellness Days

401k Plan
Basic and Supplemental Life Insurance
Short Term & Long Term Disability
Critical Illness, Critical Hospital, and Voluntary Accident Insurance
Tuition Reimbursement (available 6 months after start date, capped)
Paid Time Off (accrued and prorated, maximum of 120 hours annually)
Paid Holidays
Any other statutory leaves, paid time, or other ancillary benefits required under state and federal law

Employers have access to artificial intelligence language tools (“AI”) that help generate and enhance job descriptions and AI may have been used to create this description. The position description has been reviewed for accuracy and Dice believes it to correctly reflect the job opportunity.

Dice Id: RTL60519
Position Id: fc94abeb6e3bf9009c2f005bb5aea5
Posted 5 hours ago

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