Office Location: Sophia Antipolis, France 

Language/s: English + French -business level preferred

Network Lab Technician

We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Network Lab Technician to support our engineering team by building, maintaining, and troubleshooting complex network test environments. The ideal candidate is a hands-on problem-solver who excels at translating engineering requirements into functional physical and virtual lab setups.

As part of the Sales department, you will be responsible for the end-to-end setup of our EMEA presale architectures. This includes everything from racking and cabling new hardware to deploying virtual machines and scripting automation solutions. If you like a dynamic, technical environment and enjoy bringing complex systems to life, this is the role for you.

Key Responsibilities

Lab Infrastructure Setup: Physically install, rack, and cable network equipment including switches, firewalls, servers, and specialized test assets. Manage and organize network cabling (copper, multi-mode/single-mode fiber) to ensure a clean, safe, and efficient lab environment. Build complete test topologies from the ground up based on architecture diagrams and engineering specifications. Environment Verification and Support: Perform initial configuration and verification of network devices to ensure connectivity and readiness for engineering tests. Act as the first line of support for lab environment issues, performing root cause analysis and debugging problems related to hardware, cabling, configuration, or connectivity. Collaborate closely with engineers to understand their test requirements and provide a stable, reliable lab environment. Virtualization and Automation: Deploy, configure, and manage Virtual Machines (VMs) and containers on various hypervisors, including VMware ESXi, KVM, and Proxmox. Develop and maintain scripts (e.g., Python, Bash) to automate repetitive tasks such as environment setup, health checks, and configuration management. Assist in the setup and maintenance of virtualized network environments. Lab Management and Tooling: Utilize the Spirent Velocity lab management platform to reserve, provision, and manage lab assets and testbeds. Configure and operate network test equipment, including traffic generators from Spirent and Keysight (BreakingPoint). Maintain an accurate inventory of all lab assets and contribute to documentation of lab procedures and topologies.

Required Qualifications and Skills

Some experience as a lab technician, network technician, or in a similar hands-on IT role. Strong, hands-on experience with racking, stacking, and cabling network hardware in a data center or lab setting. Solid understanding of networking fundamentals (OSI model, TCP/IP, VLANs, subnetting, routing). Familiarity with different types of fiber optic cabling (single-mode, multi-mode), transceivers (SFP, QSFP), and best practices for handling them. Experience deploying and managing VMs on at least one major hypervisor (VMware ESXi, KVM, or Proxmox). Proficiency in a scripting language (e.g., Python, Bash) for automation. Excellent troubleshooting and problem-solving skills with a methodical approach to debugging. Strong organizational skills and exceptional attention to detail.

Nice to have (but not required)

Experience with Spirent and/or Keysight BreakingPoint test equipment. Experience using a lab asset management tool, especially Spirent Velocity. Knowledge of SDN and NFV concepts and environments. Advanced knowledge across multiple hypervisor platforms (ESXi, KVM, Proxmox). Relevant industry certifications (e.g., CompTIA Network+, CCNA, NSE7, FCSS). Experience with Linux system administration.

Education

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.