What are the responsibilities and job description for the Data Center Engineer - Santa Clara, CA position at Kelly Science, Engineering, Technology & Telecom?
We are hiring a Data Center Optical Engineer to support a large-scale hyperscale data center environment located in the Santa Clara, CA. The company is a leading provider of enterprise and cloud infrastructure, operating mission-critical facilities that support high-speed optical, IP transport, and data center networking technologies.
This role offers a chance to work directly with cutting-edge optical transport technology at the heart of a hyperscale data center. If you thrive in hands-on environments, enjoy solving complex physical and network-layer problems, and want exposure to 100G optical circuits, advanced testing tools, and enterprise-scale infrastructure, this is a great fit. The team is looking for self-starters who take ownership, enjoy collaborating with customers and engineers, and want to grow their technical depth in a highly structured, high-availability environment. You’ll gain real-world experience that translates across the data center, telecom, and cloud infrastructure space while working alongside experienced engineers who value teamwork and operational excellence.
What You Will Be Doing
This role offers a chance to work directly with cutting-edge optical transport technology at the heart of a hyperscale data center. If you thrive in hands-on environments, enjoy solving complex physical and network-layer problems, and want exposure to 100G optical circuits, advanced testing tools, and enterprise-scale infrastructure, this is a great fit. The team is looking for self-starters who take ownership, enjoy collaborating with customers and engineers, and want to grow their technical depth in a highly structured, high-availability environment. You’ll gain real-world experience that translates across the data center, telecom, and cloud infrastructure space while working alongside experienced engineers who value teamwork and operational excellence.
What You Will Be Doing
- Performing break-fix and troubleshooting for optical and transport equipment
- Providing remote hands support based on MOPs and engineering documentation
- Installing, routing, labeling, terminating, and testing fiber and Ethernet cabling
- Conducting optical circuit turn-ups and testing
- Racking, stacking, and organizing data center hardware
- Supporting decommissioning and secure hardware removal
- Replacing faulty network and IT equipment
- Supporting power management including redundant feeds and ATS
- Conducting site audits and documenting findings
- Overseeing third-party vendor activities on-site
- 3–5 years of experience in data center operations or similar technical environments
- Hands-on experience with break-fix, remote hands, and hardware replacement
- Strong knowledge of optical and IP transport networks
- Experience with fiber and Ethernet cabling (CAT5/6, single-mode, multi-mode)
- Experience interpreting and executing Methods of Procedure (MOPs) and engineering documentation
- Experience with optical testing tools (OTDR, power meter, light source, VFL)
- Knowledge of AC and DC power systems
- Team lead or senior technician experience
- Experience working in hyperscale or large enterprise data centers
- Hands-on experience with transport routers, switches, and servers
- Experience with 100G circuit testing using BERT, RFC2544, Y.1564, iPerf
- Experience overseeing third-party vendors on-site
- Strong customer-facing and communication skills
- Familiarity with proprietary data center or hyperscale ticketing systems
- 40% Optical Transport & Testing
- 25% Fiber & Ethernet Cabling
- 20% Racking, Stacking & Hardware Installation
- 10% Break-Fix / Remote Hands
- 5% Documentation & Audits
- 75% Hands-On Technical Work
- 10% Management / Vendor Oversight
- 15% Team Collaboration & Customer Interaction
- Bonus eligible
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- Vacation Time
- Stock Options