Sr. Lab Engineer

GCS Recruitment; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

GCS Recruitment is seeking a Senior Lab Engineer to be onsite in Palo Alto, CA. You will maintain and deliver lab environments supporting TAC, Engineering, QA, Product Development, and Sales.

The role requires strong virtualization, server administration, and network skills, and includes mentoring junior technicians and handling escalations. The ideal candidate has hands-on lab/data center experience, VMware ESXi/vSphere proficiency, Linux/Windows administration, and foundational Layer 1‑3

Qualifications

• Experience in systems engineering, lab operations or data center operations.
• Strong hands-on experience with VMware ESXi/vSphere and VM provisioning.
• Windows and Linux administration skills.
• Solid networking knowledge including TCP/IP, VLANs, and DNS/DHCP.
• Experience with hardware rack-and-stack, cabling and lab infrastructure.

Responsibilities

• Own and manage the lab support ticket queue and SLA targets.
• Build, deploy and maintain lab environments for TAC and product teams.
• Provision and configure lab switches, APs, VMs and lab infrastructure.
• Provide remote access solutions for lab resources.
• Lead projects and mentor junior technicians in the lab.

Skills

VMware ESXi/vSphere

Windows Server

Linux environments

Networking TCP/IP

VLANs

Lab Engineering

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IT/Engineering

Tools

Viavi Traffic Generators

Wireshark

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.