Infrastructure Lab Manager

Blue Signal Search; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Blue Signal Search seeks an accomplished Infrastructure Lab Manager to lead strategy, execution, and growth of a hardware qualification organization supporting next-generation compute infrastructure.

You will shape validation roadmaps, oversee lab operations, mentor a high-performing team, and collaborate with engineering, sourcing, deployment, and operations to align testing with business goals. The role offers executive visibility and opportunities to influence infrastructure investments.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading hardware qualification or technical laboratory teams.
• Strong track record in production infrastructure decisions and capital investments.
• Experience building scalable lab environments and validation workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead the infrastructure qualification laboratory across compute, networking, and rack-level hardware.
• Develop and execute strategic validation roadmaps aligned with expansion plans.
• Establish efficient lab operations, equipment planning, and testing workflows.
• Build and mentor a high-performing technical team for hardware evaluation.
• Partner with engineering, sourcing, deployment, and operations to align validation priorities.
• Evaluate vendor technologies and influence product roadmaps with technical input.
• Analyze results and provide executive-level recommendations for fleet standardization.

Skills

Leadership

Hardware qualification

Infrastructure validation

Strategic planning

Lab operations

Vendor management

Cross-functional collaboration

Engineering leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Job description

Our client is seeking an accomplished Infrastructure Lab Manager to lead the strategy, execution, and growth of a mission-critical hardware qualification organization supporting next-generation compute infrastructure. This is a rare opportunity to influence large-scale infrastructure decisions that directly shape future production environments. The ideal candidate will combine technical leadership, operational excellence, and strategic decision making to guide hardware validation efforts that drive reliability, scalability, and long-term infrastructure investments.

This Role Offers

• Highly competitive compensation package with meaningful equity participation.
• Opportunity to influence critical infrastructure investment and hardware standardization decisions.
• Executive visibility with broad strategic impact across engineering and infrastructure operations.
• Access to emerging technologies and collaboration with leading hardware vendors.
• Fast-paced, high-growth environment where innovation and ownership are highly valued.
• Comprehensive health, dental, vision, retirement benefits, and generous paid time off.

Focus

• Lead the organization's infrastructure qualification laboratory, overseeing the evaluation of compute, networking, and rack-level hardware prior to production deployment.
• Develop and execute strategic validation roadmaps that align with infrastructure expansion plans and technology initiatives.
• Establish efficient laboratory operations, including equipment planning, testing capacity, workflow optimization, and operational best practices.
• Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing technical team responsible for hardware evaluation and infrastructure readiness.
• Partner closely with engineering, sourcing, deployment, and operations teams to ensure validation priorities support business objectives.
• Evaluate vendor technologies, manage strategic supplier relationships, and influence product roadmaps through technical collaboration.
• Analyze qualification results and provide executive-level recommendations supporting fleet standardization and infrastructure investment decisions.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance testing quality, operational efficiency, and deployment confidence.
• Maintain rigorous documentation, reporting standards, and technical governance throughout the qualification lifecycle.

Skill Set

• Proven leadership experience managing hardware qualification, systems engineering, infrastructure validation, or technical laboratory organizations.
• Demonstrated ownership of high-impact technical decisions involving production infrastructure, capital investments, or enterprise deployments.
• Experience building and scaling laboratory environments, validation processes, and operational workflows.
• Strong understanding of enterprise compute platforms, networking infrastructure, server technologies, and rack-level systems.
• Ability to build productive partnerships with technology vendors while evaluating emerging hardware platforms.
• Experience translating complex technical findings into clear business recommendations for executive stakeholders.
• Background in GPU platforms, accelerator technologies, new product introduction (NPI), failure analysis, or hyperscale infrastructure environments is highly desirable.
• Excellent leadership, communication, organizational, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline preferred. Equivalent experience will also be considered.