Optical Network/Transport Technician

Position: Optical Network/Transport Technician

Location: Ashburn, VA - Data Center

5-days/week Onsite

40-hour work week - possibility of shifts

Experis IT is partnered with a global leader in high-speed networking systems, services, and software, specializing in optical transport, routing, and switching.

Overview

We are looking for Optical Network/Transport Technicians who:

• Have advanced optical troubleshooting knowledge
• Have the ability to read and interpret signal flow
• Understand how optical amplification works
  
  
  

Optical line systems and troubleshooting is a must.

Full Job Description

This role is responsible for hands-on troubleshooting, optical testing, monitoring, and maintenance of fiber optic and DWDM-based infrastructure to ensure high availability and reliable network performance.

The ideal candidate has strong practical knowledge of optical line systems (OLS), understands optical signal flow, amplification, and testing methodologies, and is comfortable diagnosing issues in live production environments. This is a technician-level role focused on execution, validation, and operational support rather than network design.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform hands-on troubleshooting and testing of optical transport networks within a data center environment
• Support and maintain optical line systems (OLS) including amplifiers, mux/demux, ROADMs, and transponders
• Execute and interpret optical tests such as power level measurements, insertion loss, span validation, and signal degradation analysis
• Use optical test equipment (OTDRs, optical power meters, optical spectrum analyzers, light sources) to isolate faults and validate repairs
• Analyze optical signal flow and amplification behavior to identify root cause of service-affecting issues
• Validate fiber and optical paths during turn-ups, maintenance activities, and break/fix events
• Respond to alarms, incidents, and service-impacting events in accordance with SLAs and operational procedures
• Escalate complex issues to engineering with clear test results, findings, and supporting documentation
• Perform fiber patching, labeling, inspections, and documentation updates
• Maintain accurate circuit, test, and network documentation
• Follow change management, safety, and data center operational policies at all times
  
  
  

Required Qualifications:

• 3–5 years of experience supporting optical networks, optical transport systems, or fiber-based infrastructure
• Hands-on experience working with optical line systems (OLS) in a production environment
• Strong experience performing optical testing and validation on live networks
• Solid understanding of:
• Optical signal flow and power budgets
• Optical testing principles and methodologies
• DWDM transport and optical amplification concepts
• Proficiency using optical test tools, including:
• OTDRs
• Optical power meters
• Optical spectrum analyzers
• Ability to interpret test results to troubleshoot and resolve network issues
• Experience reading and understanding optical diagrams, schematics, and signal flow documentation
• Familiarity with data center environments and operational best practices
• Strong troubleshooting, documentation, and communication skills
• Ability to work independently in an onsite, shift-based environment

Preferred / Nice-to-Have Qualifications:

• Experience in data center environments
• Exposure to multi-vendor optical platforms (e.g., Ciena - preferred, Infinera, Cisco, Nokia, Juniper)
• Experience supporting ROADM-based networks
• Tier 2 or Tier 3 network or transport support experience
• Relevant certifications or technical training (fiber optics, optical transport, or networking)