Data Center Infrastructure Architect

Fluidstack • Austin, TX

1d • $200,000 - $300,000

About The Position

The DC Infrastructure Architect (Optical) is responsible for translating logical network topologies into a scalable, resilient, and cost-optimized optical and structured cabling design for hyper-scale data centers. This role owns the end-to-end physical implementation of the data center network (DCN), including fiber plant architecture, transceiver planning, and integration with structured cabling ecosystems.

Requirements

• Proven experience designing hyperscale or cloud provider data center networks (1000+ racks, 100K+ fiber strands).
• Expert in structured cabling systems (Corning, Panduit, CommScope) and MPO/MTP ecosystems.
• Deep knowledge of optical standards (IEEE 802.3, OIF) and transceiver technologies (400G/800G DR4, FR4, LR4, SR8).
• Strong grasp of fiber loss budgets, dispersion, and testing methodologies (OTDR, insertion loss, polarity verification).
• Experience integrating designs into DCIM tools (NetBox, Remedy, custom hyperscaler equivalents).

Responsibilities

• Logical / Physical Mapping
• Break down DCN logical port maps (TOR, spine, super-spine, DCI) into physical cross-connect and patching schedules.
• Automate port-to-fiber mapping at scale (100K+ ports per site).
• Fiber Plant Design
• Define cassette types (MTP/MPO Base-8/12/16), trunk counts, and structured cabling hierarchy.
• Plan cassette placement within racks, rows, and meet-me-rooms.
• Model fiber utilization and overbuild for 2–3 hardware generations.
• Optics / Transceiver Planning
• Select optics (400G/800G DR4, FR4, LR4, SR8, coherent DCI) based on reach and loss budget.
• Validate interoperability across vendors and generations.
• Maintain loss budget and margin models for every link type.
• Structured Cabling & Physical Implementation
• Define patching architectures (direct MPO vs. breakout vs. mid-span).
• Ensure pathways (ladder racks, underfloor, ODFs) scale with fiber density.
• Establish standards for labeling, documentation, and change management.
• Scalability & Lifecycle Management
• Build modular designs for pod/rack growth.
• Anticipate transition to higher-speed optics (e.g., 400G → 800G → 1.6T).
• Integrate with DCIM (NetBox, custom tools) to track strands, ports, and patching.

Benefits

• Competitive total compensation package (salary + equity).
• Retirement or pension plan, in line with local norms.
• Health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous PTO policy, in line with local norms.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed