Network Field Engineer

Sharp Brains; King of Prussia (PA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Sharp Brains is seeking a Smart Hands / Network Field Engineer for on-site deployment, verification, troubleshooting, and documentation across multiple sites. You will collaborate with remote engineering teams during deployment windows and perform hands-on installation during scheduled maintenance.

You will stage equipment, rack and stack Cisco devices, verify cabling and connectivity, carry out post-install tests, and assist with decommissioning legacy gear where required.

Qualifications

• Proven Smart Hands or Network Field Engineering experience.
• Hands-on Cisco infrastructure deployments.
• Experience installing Cisco Catalyst 9800 Wireless LAN Controllers.
• Strong rack and stack installation experience.
• Knowledge of structured cabling standards.
• Experience with fiber optic and Ethernet cabling.
• Ability to install and verify SFP modules and network connectivity.
• Experience using console connections for Cisco devices.
• Familiarity with network implementation procedures.
• Strong L1 physical-layer troubleshooting skills.
• Experience supporting remote engineering during implementation windows.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Excellent documentation and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Equipment Staging & Preparation for deployments.
• Stage Cisco equipment prior to scheduled deployment and cutover activities.
• Verify hardware inventory against deployment docs.
• Prepare installation materials, cables, SFPs, mounting accessories.
• Ensure tools and software are ready before on-site arrival.
• Install and rack two Cisco Catalyst 9800 WLCs at each site.
• Perform rack and stack per customer standards.
• Mount equipment with proper rack hardware.
• Organize rack layout with proper airflow and cable management.
• Install power supplies and verify redundancy where applicable.
• Cabling & Connectivity: install and terminate cables and SFPs.
• Complete power and network cross-connects and verify connectivity.
• Verify switch port availability and physical connections.
• Label cables and ensure tidy routing.
• Physical-layer troubleshooting as issues arise.
• Cutover Support: coordinate with remote teams during maintenance windows.
• Provide console access to devices using PuTTY or similar.
• Assist remote engineers during migration and config tasks.
• Support deployment tasks per approved plans.
• Validation & Testing: verify hardware installations and connectivity.
• Confirm controller uplinks and switch connections.
• Report installation status and issues.
• Assist in post-deployment testing and troubleshooting until acceptance.
• Legacy Equipment Decommissioning (40-50% of sites): remove legacy controllers.
• Disconnect and package legacy hardware.
• Label equipment per customer requirements and document assets.
• Prepare hardware for return shipment per logistics procedures.

Skills

Cisco deployments

WLC installation

Rack & stack

Structured cabling

Fiber & Ethernet cabling

SFP module install

Console access

Remote implementation support

Independent work

Documentation & comms

Physical Layer troubleshooting

Site deployment coordination

Tools

PuTTY

TFTP server

Job description

About the Role

This role requires working closely with remote engineering teams during deployment windows while independently performing on-site installation, verification, troubleshooting, and documentation activities. The project includes weekday deployments for standard sites and weekend implementation windows for larger locations.

Responsibilities

• Equipment Staging & Preparation
• Stage Cisco equipment prior to scheduled deployment and cutover activities.
• Verify hardware inventory against deployment documentation.
• Prepare installation materials, cables, SFPs, and mounting accessories.
• Ensure all required tools and software are available before arriving on-site.
• Install and rack two Cisco Catalyst 9800 Wireless LAN Controllers (WLCs) at each site.
• Perform rack and stack activities following customer standards.
• Mount equipment securely using appropriate rack hardware.
• Organize rack layout while maintaining proper airflow and cable management.
• Install required power supplies and verify power redundancy where applicable.
• Cabling & Connectivity
• Install and terminate Ethernet and fiber patch cables.
• Install and connect SFP modules.
• Complete power and network cross-connects.
• Verify switch port availability and physical connectivity.
• Ensure accurate cable labeling and proper cable routing.
• Perform physical layer troubleshooting when connectivity issues arise.
• Cutover Support
• Coordinate with remote implementation and network engineering teams during scheduled maintenance windows.
• Provide console access to Cisco devices using PuTTY or equivalent terminal software.
• Assist remote engineers during migration and configuration activities.
• Support network implementation tasks according to approved deployment plans.
• Validation & Testing
• Verify successful installation of all hardware.
• Confirm physical and network connectivity.
• Validate controller uplinks and switch connections.
• Report installation status and any issues encountered.
• Assist in post-deployment testing and troubleshooting until site acceptance.
• Legacy Equipment Decommissioning (Approximately 40-50% of Sites)
• Remove existing Wireless LAN Controllers.
• Disconnect and safely package legacy hardware.
• Label all equipment according to customer requirements.
• Document serial numbers and asset information.
• Prepare hardware for return shipment following logistics procedures.

Qualifications

• Proven Smart Hands or Network Field Engineering experience.
• Hands-on experience with Cisco infrastructure deployments.
• Experience installing Cisco Catalyst 9800 Wireless LAN Controllers.
• Strong rack and stack installation experience.
• Knowledge of structured cabling standards.
• Experience working with fiber optic and Ethernet cabling.
• Ability to install and verify SFP modules and network connectivity.
• Experience using console connections for Cisco devices.
• Familiarity with network implementation procedures.
• Strong troubleshooting skills at the physical and Layer 1 network level.
• Experience supporting remote engineering teams during implementation windows.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Excellent documentation and communication skills.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with enterprise wireless infrastructure deployments.
• Cisco CCNA or higher certification preferred.
• Experience working in data centers and enterprise network environments.
• Knowledge of Cisco switching, routing, and wireless architecture.
• Experience supporting migration and cutover activities.

Required Tolls:

• Standard installation toolkit
• Laptop with PuTTY installed
• USB-A to USB-B console cable
• Minimum four Ethernet LAN cables
• Cross-over cable
• USB thumb drive containing required Cisco IOS/software files
• TFTP server software configured on laptop
• Wi-Fi dongle or mobile broadband for backup connectivity
• Rack screws, cage nuts, mounting accessories, and cable management tools

This is a dispatch-based, on-demand role, which means there are no fixed working hours or guaranteed daily assignments