Test/Validation Support Engineer - Chantilly, VA - TS/SCI Clearance Required

SOC LLC; Chantilly (VA); On-site; USD 72,000 - 103,000; Full time

Job summary

SOC LLC is seeking a Test/Validation Support Engineer in Chantilly, VA to bridge lab staging and field deployment for enterprise infrastructure. You will rack, stack, cable, and configure multi‑vendor compute, storage, and networking gear in a controlled lab environment to prove readiness before production.

You will perform pre‑deployment tests, validate interoperability across network and container stacks, and author deployment runbooks so field teams can activate systems quickly with minimal

Qualifications

• Security clearance: Active TS/SCI with ability to maintain access.
• Hands-on experience racking, stacking, cabling, and configuring enterprise infrastructure—Cisco/Arista/Palo Alto hardware.
• Server/storage provisioning and out-of-band management (iDRAC/IPMI).
• Kubernetes, container runtimes, and CNI/CSI validation.
• Ability to author clear SOPs and deployment runbooks.
• Physical capability to lift up to 50 lbs.

Responsibilities

• Rack, stack, cable, and physically integrate high-density compute servers, storage, and network appliances.
• Provision multi-vendor devices and apply baseline configurations (iDRAC/IPMI).
• Perform end-to-end pre-deployment functionality tests including network and storage checks.
• Deploy, bootstrap, and validate Kubernetes clusters across bare-metal and virtual nodes.
• Build and refine deployment runbooks for field activations.

Skills

TS/SCI clearance

System integration

Kubernetes

Networking hardware

iDRAC/IPMI

Tools

Cisco hardware

Arista switches

Palo Alto firewalls

Kubernetes tooling

Ansible

Job description

Supporting the Federal Government, contractors and subcontractors by delivering the industry’s best cleared talent and staffing resources.

Added - 11/02/26 Test/Validation Support Engineer - Chantilly, VA - TS/SCI Clearance Required Engineering Chantilly , Virginia | Contract

Test/Validation Support Engineer needed for an opportunity with SOC’s client to work in Chantilly, Virginia. Active Top Secret/SCI Clearance is Required!

Position Overview

The Test & Validation Integration Engineer serves as the critical bridge between lab staging and field deployment, ensuring enterprise-grade infrastructure operates seamlessly before reaching production sites. In this role, you will physically rack, stack, cable, and configure complex, multi-vendor compute, storage, and networking systems within a controlled lab environment.

You will execute rigorous pre-deployment functionality tests, validate interoperability across network and container stacks, and fine-tune staging workflows to guarantee that onsite field teams can bring systems online rapidly with minimal friction. When configuration defects, hardware anomalies, or deployment bottlenecks arise, you will troubleshoot issues down to the component or protocol level, author prescriptive deployment runbooks, and collaborate directly with systems and network architects to ensure repeatable, zero-defect rollouts.

Key Responsibilities & Core Tasks

• Rack, Stack & Physical Integration: Physically assemble, mount, and cable high-density enterprise compute servers, high-performance storage arrays, and network appliances within standard data center racks following structured cabling and thermal best practices.

• Multi-Vendor Device Provisioning: Apply baseline firmware, out-of-band management settings (iDRAC, IPMI, console), and initial configurations across Cisco and Arista switches, Palo Alto firewalls, and enterprise storage systems.

• End-to-End Functionality Testing: Perform comprehensive pre-shipment validation—testing network throughput, VLAN segmentation, routing protocols, firewall policy enforcement, and storage volume availability prior to crating and shipping.

• Container & Platform Validation: Deploy, bootstrap, and validate baseline Kubernetes clusters across bare-metal and virtualized nodes, verifying container runtime health, CNI network plumbing, and persistent storage integration.

• Build & Optimize Deployment Runbooks: Formulate and refine step-by-step staging and commissioning procedures, identifying failure points in the lab so field technicians can execute plug-and-play onsite activations with minimal engineering overhead.

Qualifications & Competencies

Required Qualifications

• Security Clearance: Active TS/SCI clearance with the ability to maintain program access.

• Systems & Network Integration: Hands-on experience racking, stacking, cabling, and configuring enterprise infrastructure—specifically involving Cisco, Arista, and Palo Alto hardware platforms.

• Server & High-Performance Storage: Practical proficiency provisioning enterprise compute (high-density rack servers) and enterprise storage fabrics (SAN/NAS, iSCSI, NVMe-oF, or NFS), including RAID configuration and out-of-band management (iDRAC/IPMI).

• Kubernetes & Container Fundamentals: Practical experience installing, configuring, and verifying Kubernetes environments, container runtimes (containerd), and container networking/storage plugins (CNI/CSI).

• Pre-Deployment Diagnostics & Validation: Demonstrated ability to isolate physical and logical faults across Layer 1 through Layer 4 using CLI diagnostics, optics validation tools, and packet captures.

• Technical Authoring & Process Discipline: Strong documentation skills to write clear, foolproof Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), cabling diagrams, and site activation runbooks tailored for field deployment teams.

• Physical Requirement: Ability to lift up to 50 lbs in a physical lab staging environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Professional Certifications: Intermediate to advanced networking, systems, or security certifications such as Cisco CCNP, Arista ACE, Palo Alto PCNSE, or Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA).

• Automation & Infrastructure as Code: Experience deploying configurations using Ansible, Terraform, Python, or Bash to accelerate repetitive staging workflows and validation suites.

• Advanced Network Architecture: In-depth understanding of leaf-spine architectures, BGP, EVPN-VXLAN, and stateful security inspection policies.

• Linux Systems Administration: Strong command of Linux internals, systemd services, kernel networking parameters, and driver/firmware upgrades.

• Lab & Data Center Operations: Familiarity with power distribution units (ePDU), high-density optic standards (QSFP28/QSFP-DD), and lab asset-tracking tools.

Employment Pre-requisites

The following requirements must be met to be eligible for this position: Successful completion of a background investigation, and drug urinalysis.

SOC, a Day & Zimmermann company, is an Equal Opportunity Employer,EOE AA M/F/Vet/Disability.

Note: Any pay ranges displayed are estimations, which may have been provided by job boards. Actual pay is determined by an applicant’s experience, technical expertise, and other qualifications as listed in the job description.

Estimated Min Rate: $52.50

Estimated Max Rate: $75.00