Data Center Lab Engineer

Netris, Inc.; Santa Clara, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health benefits

401(k)

Job summary

Netris, Inc. is seeking a Data Center Lab Engineer to build, maintain, and improve the physical lab infrastructure used by QA and engineering teams for product development and testing.

This hands-on role covers lab hardware, networking gear, cabling, power, inventory, procurement, and documentation, while partnering with IT, Engineering and vendors to ensure a reliable, organized environment ready for evolving testing needs.

Qualifications

• Hands-on data center or lab infrastructure experience.
• Knowledge of servers, switches, routers, and firewalls.
• Familiar with data center connectivity and fiber optics.
• CCNA level networking knowledge and troubleshooting.
• Experience with vendors, quotes, RMAs, and procurement.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain data center lab infrastructure including servers, switches, routers, and power.
• Plan deployments, upgrades, and equipment refreshes.
• Source and procure hardware based on specs.
• Troubleshoot hardware and coordinate RMAs.
• Maintain hardware inventory, rack layouts, and labeling.
• Improve rack organization, cable management, and capacity planning.
• Prepare systems for QA with OS installation and config.
• Collaborate with IT, Eng, and vendors for lab support.

Skills

Data center experience

Network hardware

CCNA knowledge

Documentation skills

Vendor management

Linux basics

Tools

NetBox

Confluence

Job description

Shape the AI buildout

Join the team shaping the networking foundation behind the world's most demanding AI clouds.

Data Center Lab Engineer

About Netris

Netris is the leading network automation platform for AI clouds. AI is the largest infrastructure buildout in history, and networking is its bottleneck. Netris is the automation and multi-tenancy layer for AI cloud networking, enabling operators to launch GPU clouds in weeks, provision tenants instantly, and maximize GPU utilization. The company experienced 800% ARR growth in the last 12 months, with 35+ live GPU cluster deployments globally and growing, and is backed by Andreessen Horowitz. SDN reinvented data center networking, and Netris is doing it for the AI cloud with NAAM: Network Automation, Abstraction, and Multi-Tenancy.

The role

The Data Center Lab Engineer will build, maintain, and improve the physical lab infrastructure used by Netris QA and engineering teams for product development and testing. This hands‑on role is responsible for lab hardware, networking equipment, cabling, power, inventory, procurement, and documentation, while partnering closely with IT, Engineering, and hardware vendors to keep the environment reliable, organized, and ready for changing testing needs.

What you’ll do

• Build and maintain data center lab infrastructure, including servers, switches, routers, firewalls, racks, cabling, transceivers, and power distribution.
• Plan and execute new lab deployments, hardware upgrades, rack expansions, equipment refreshes, and improvements to existing lab environments.
• Source and procure servers, networking equipment, optics, cables, replacement components, and other hardware based on technical requirements and compatibility.
• Troubleshoot and repair hardware and physical connectivity issues, replace failed components, and coordinate RMAs, warranty repairs, and replacement parts with vendors.
• Maintain accurate hardware inventory, rack layouts, equipment labeling, connectivity information, and operational documentation.
• Manage and improve rack organization, cable management, PDU usage, equipment placement, and capacity planning for space, power, and future growth.
• Prepare systems for QA and engineering use through hardware configuration and operating system installation and basic configuration.
• Partner with IT, Engineering, and external vendors on hardware deployments, infrastructure changes, troubleshooting, and lab support.

What we’re looking for

• Hands‑on experience building, operating, or maintaining a data center, network lab, hardware lab, or similar physical infrastructure environment.
• Strong working knowledge of servers and network equipment, including switches, routers, and firewalls, and the ability to diagnose and replace common hardware components.
• Practical knowledge of data center connectivity, including Ethernet and fiber transceivers, DAC, AOC and breakout cables, and single‑mode and multimode fiber.
• Networking knowledge at approximately the CCNA level, including Ethernet, IP addressing, VLANs, switching, routing, and basic network troubleshooting.
• Experience with rack installation, structured cabling, cable management, equipment labeling, PDUs, and general data center organization.
• Experience selecting and procuring technical hardware and working with vendors on quotes, replacement parts, warranties, and RMAs.
• Strong documentation and organizational skills with close attention to accuracy and physical infrastructure details.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with NetBox or another DCIM, IPAM, asset management, or infrastructure documentation platform.
• Basic Linux administration skills and experience installing and configuring Linux on physical servers; Linux+ or a similar certification is a plus.
• Experience with network or infrastructure monitoring tools.
• Experience with Confluence or a similar technical documentation platform.
• CCNA or higher networking certification.
• Familiarity with macOS environments and endpoint management or MDM platforms.

Compensation, benefits, logistics

• Competitive salary + meaningful equity
• Full time
• On-site in Santa Clara, CA
• Medical, vision, dental, 401(k), disability insurance, flexible PTO (US; benefits vary by location)