Lab Engineer, Lab Operations

Meet the Team

Cisco Validated Infrastructure Services (CVIS) establishes and proves the performance of large AI clusters before they are handed over to customers. We deploy each cluster, validate it against performance baselines, and deliver the evidence that it is ready for service.

The platform behind that work is full-stack. It combines workflow and API services, network and infrastructure automation, and the UI used to run validation across labs and customer environments.

Your Impact

As a Lab Engineer you will provide technical expertise and support for Linux, Windows, and Virtual environments operating in advanced engineering labs. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a strong foundation in systems administration, basic networking, and virtualization, coupled with an innovative mindset and passion for solving complex problems. This position involves collaborating within a dynamic, Agile-driven team to deliver high-quality results while maintaining lab environments that are safe, compliant, and aligned with Cisco standards. Some of the core responsibilities include:

• GPU/CPU Cluster and Rack Management: Execute physical deployments and install server hardware for high-performance GPU cluster. Organize racks and structured network cabling to support reliable, efficient operations.
• Environmental Monitoring: Monitor power consumption, cooling performance, and thermal conditions in data center and lab environments. Identify issues that could cause hardware throttling during intensive AI model training.
• Hardware Inventory and Logistics: Track critical equipment and maintain inventory of hardware, optical transceivers, network cabling, and spare components to support timely maintenance and minimize cluster downtime.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors + 2 years of related experience, or Masters + 0 years of related experience, or equivalent related work experience.
• 2 + years of experience working within a Lab environment or Datacenter environment as a Systems Admin, Systems Engineer or Lab Engineer.
• Experience working with Linux or other Linux based operating systems such as RHEL/Ubuntu and Windows operating systems.
• Working experience with auto-mounters and communication protocols: NFS, TFTP, FTP, SSH, SCP, DNS, LISP, NIS+. TCP/IP, subnetting, routing protocols, Ethernet media.
• Experience with LAN switching and configuration of VLAN’s and Spanning Tree Protocol.

Preferred Qualifications

• Cisco certification: CCNA or CCNP, CCIE certification considered a plus.
• Proficient understanding of Active Directory (AD) and the capability to diagnose issues with Linux AD integrations using Vintela.
• Good communication and collaboration skills to work across multiple GLS teams, with local clients and leaders, and with partner organizations (Cisco IT, WPR, Security & Trust Org (STO), etc.)
• Knowledge of KVM, Openstack, Docker and ESXi.
• Knowledge of scripting and web services: Python, Bash Shell, Apache, NGINX
• Knowledge of networking monitoring tools: Nagios, Zabbix, Wireshark

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era - and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks. Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

• 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

• Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

• Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next

• Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.