Sr. Data Center Operations

Nscale•Greensboro, NC

7h•$140,000 - $200,000

About The Position

Nscale is a GPU cloud provider delivering infrastructure for AI start-ups and enterprise customers, with a focus on cost-effective performance, innovation, ownership, accountability, transparency, and environmental responsibility. The Network Operator helps keep Nscale’s network available, fast, and secure around the clock. The role monitors network health, resolves incidents, and safely carries out planned changes. As a senior operator, the employee works independently on most issues, serves as an escalation point and mentor for junior operators, and partners with network engineering on complex problems. The role requires ownership of issues and a focus on achieving effective outcomes. The position monitors and supports LAN, WAN, data center, and cloud network infrastructure; responds to incidents and outages; implements approved network changes; maintains documentation and configurations; and coordinates with internal teams, carriers, and vendors. It also supports security teams and participates in an on-call rotation. Rotating shifts, including night shifts, are required. The stated base salary range is $140–$200 USD. Compensation may vary based on job-related factors, and the role may also be eligible for bonus, equity, and/or commission programs. Nscale may offer medical, dental, vision, flexible paid time off, parental leave, and retirement plan participation.

Requirements

3–5 years of experience in network operations, a NOC, or a similar infrastructure support role.
Solid understanding of TCP/IP, subnetting, VLANs, DNS, DHCP, and NAT.
Hands-on experience with routing protocols such as BGP and OSPF, and switching technologies such as STP, LACP, and trunking.
Working knowledge of firewalls and VPNs from vendors such as Palo Alto, Fortinet, or Cisco ASA.
Experience configuring and troubleshooting enterprise devices from Cisco, Juniper, Arista, or similar vendors using CLI.
Proficiency with network monitoring platforms and diagnostic tools such as ping, traceroute, Wireshark, SNMP, and NetFlow.
Experience with ITIL-style incident, problem, and change processes using a ticketing system such as ServiceNow or Jira.
CCNA, JNCIA, or an equivalent certification, or comparable hands-on experience.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide clear updates during live incidents.
Willingness to work rotating shifts, including night shifts, and participate in on-call rotations.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or a related field.
CCNP, JNCIS, Network+, or a vendor security certification such as PCNSA or NSE.
Scripting or automation experience with Python, Ansible, or Bash for routine tasks and health checks.
Exposure to cloud networking in AWS, Azure, or GCP, including VPCs, transit gateways, and cloud VPN.
Familiarity with SD-WAN, MPLS, data center fabrics such as VXLAN/EVPN, or high-performance networking such as InfiniBand or RoCE.
Experience in a large-scale, high-availability environment such as a data center, ISP, or cloud provider.

Responsibilities

Monitor LAN, WAN, data center, and cloud network infrastructure 24/7 using network monitoring platforms.
Triage, troubleshoot, and resolve Tier 1 and Tier 2 incidents involving routing, switching, firewalls, VPNs, load balancers, and wireless networks.
Escalate complex or high-severity incidents to network engineering or vendors with clear diagnostic details.
Lead responses to service outages during assigned shifts and coordinate with internal teams and carriers until service is restored.
Meet defined SLAs for incident acknowledgment, response, and resolution.
Implement approved network changes during maintenance windows, including configuration updates, firmware upgrades, and device replacements.
Follow change-management processes, including pre-checks, rollback plans, and post-change validation.
Maintain accurate configuration backups and device inventories.
Write incident tickets, root-cause-analysis inputs, and shift handover notes.
Create and update runbooks, standard operating procedures, and network diagrams.
Tune monitoring thresholds and alerts to reduce noise and identify issues earlier.
Identify recurring problems and propose permanent fixes or automation opportunities.
Act as the first escalation point for, and mentor, junior network operators.
Work with ISPs, carriers, and hardware vendors on circuit faults, RMAs, and support cases.
Support security teams by responding to network-related security alerts and applying access-control changes.
Participate in the on-call rotation.