Hybrid Network Lab Technician bei Fortinet Inc.

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.