Senior Lab Engineer & Lab Operations Lead

GCS Recruitment; San Mateo (FL); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

GCS Recruitment is seeking a Senior Lab Engineer to be onsite in the San Mateo area to maintain and deliver lab environments that support TAC, Engineering, QA, Product Development and Sales teams.

The role requires strong systems engineering with VMware ESXi/vSphere, solid Linux/Windows administration, and foundational Layer 1‑3 networking knowledge, plus hands-on lab and data center operations experience.

Qualifications

• Senior experience in Systems Engineering, Lab Engineering, Data Center Operations, or Infrastructure Support.
• Strong hands-on with VMware ESXi/vSphere, VM provisioning, and Windows/Linux administration.
• Solid networking knowledge including TCP/IP, subnetting, VLANs, and DNS/DHCP.
• Experience deploying and maintaining servers and network-connected infrastructure.
• Ability to troubleshoot infrastructure issues from hardware through network layers.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage the lab support ticket queue, prioritizing requests within SLA targets.
• Build, deploy, and maintain lab environments for TAC, Engineering, QA and Product teams.
• Provision and configure switches, wireless access points, VMs, and lab infrastructure.
• Provide remote access solutions for users needing lab resources.
• Administer and maintain VMware ESXi/vSphere server environments.
• Perform VM provisioning, server builds, upgrades, and lifecycle management.
• Support Windows and Linux operating systems.
• Assist with virtualization technologies including VMware and Linux KVM.
• Configure and troubleshoot network connectivity from L1 to L3.
• Deploy devices into rack environments and configure IP addressing.
• Maintain lab inventories, documentation, and environmental standards.
• Lead projects, mentor technicians, and manage escalations.

Skills

VMware ESXi/vSphere

Linux administration

Windows administration

Networking basics

Layer 1-3 troubleshooting

Lab operations

Data center operations

Mentoring junior technicians

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science / IT / Engineering

Tools

Viavi Traffic Generators

Wireshark

Cisco Firewalls

Job description

We are seeking a Senior Lab Engineer to be onsite; responsible for maintaining and delivering lab environments that support Technical Assistance Center (TAC), Engineering, QA, Product Development, and Sales teams. The ideal candidate will bring strong systems engineering expertise with VMware ESXi/vSphere, solid Linux and Windows administration skills, foundational Layer 1-3 networking knowledge, and hands-on lab/data center operations experience. This individual will serve as the senior technical resource within the lab, leading projects, mentoring junior technicians, managing escalations, and ensuring lab services are delivered within SLA.

Key Responsibilities

Lab Operations & Support

• Own and manage the lab support ticket queue, prioritizing and resolving requests within SLA targets.
• Build, deploy, and maintain lab environments for TAC, Engineering, QA, and Product teams.
• Provision and configure switches, wireless access points, virtual machines, traffic generators, and other lab infrastructure.
• Provide remote access solutions for users requiring lab resources.

Systems Administration & Virtualization

• Administer and maintain VMware ESXi/vSphere server environments.
• Perform VM provisioning, server buildouts, upgrades, troubleshooting, and lifecycle management.
• Support both Windows and Linux operating systems.
• Assist with virtualization technologies including VMware and, ideally, Linux KVM environments.

Network & Infrastructure Support

• Configure and troubleshoot network connectivity from Layers 1 through 3.
• Deploy devices into rack environments and configure subnet, gateway, and IP addressing requirements.
• Support per-rack network configurations and maintain proper documentation.
• Troubleshoot connectivity issues involving physical connections, switching, routing, and addressing.

Data Center & Lab Management

• Perform rack-and-stack activities, cabling, hardware installation, and lab maintenance.
• Maintain lab organization, equipment inventories, environmental standards, and documentation.
• Conduct infrastructure audits and support new environment builds.

Leadership & Escalations

• Serve as the primary escalation point of contact for lab-related issues.
• Lead project execution and coordinate work among three onsite Lab Technicians.
• Provide technical guidance, mentoring, and troubleshooting support to junior team members.
• Partner with the Senior Network Engineer and Lab Manager to ensure operational excellence.
• Proactively resolve issues and contain escalations before management involvement is required.

Required Qualifications

Technical Skills

• Senior experience in Systems Engineering, Lab Engineering, Data Center Operations, or Infrastructure Support.
• Strong hands-on experience with:
• VMware ESXi / vSphere
• Virtual Machine provisioning and administration
• Windows Server and Linux environments
• Solid networking knowledge including:
• TCP/IP
• Subnetting
• VLANs
• Default gateways
• DNS/DHCP
• Layer 1-3 troubleshooting
• Experience deploying and maintaining servers and network-connected infrastructure.
• Ability to troubleshoot infrastructure issues from hardware through network layers.

Data Center & Hardware Experience

• Rack and stack deployment experience.
• Cabling, power management, hardware installation, and inventory management.
• Comfortable working with mechanical tools and hardware components.
• Experience resolving hardware installation challenges, including use of drills, bits, rails, and handling stripped screws.

Leadership Experience

• Experience leading small teams, projects, or technical initiatives.
• Ability to mentor junior technicians and act as a senior technical resource.
• Strong documentation, communication, and escalation management skills.

Other Qualifications

• Experience with Linux KVM virtualization.
• Palo Alto Firewall experience.
• Experience supporting lab environments or data center operations.
• Familiarity with:
• Networking (Switching & Wireless)
• Viavi Traffic Generators
• Wireshark and network testing tools
• VMware, Cisco, Microsoft, AWS, or Azure certifications.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, or equivalent experience.

GCS is acting as an Employment Business in relation to this vacancy.