Optical Engineer

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory • Berkeley, CA

3h • Hybrid

About The Position

Berkeley Lab’s (LBNL) Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) Division has an immediate opening for an Optical Engineer to join our team.
In this role, you will serve as a senior optical network engineer within ESnet’s Network Services group, with primary responsibility to apply a wide-range of expertise to the design, deployment, and operation of ESnet’s international DWDM optical transport infrastructure, tightly integrated with ESnet’s IP/MPLS backbone and science services. The position requires strong working knowledge of advanced routing protocols, such as BGP, IS-IS, Segment Routing and IP network services, as well as the ability to perform general network connectivity troubleshooting and end-to-end problem resolution across optical, IP, and application layers in a large-scale production environment. You will work closely with ESnet engineers, operations teams, scientific user sites, Regional Optical Networks (RONs), international partners, vendors, and carriers to deliver reliable, high-performance transport services that support mission-critical science.
The Energy Sciences Network (ESnet) provides high-bandwidth, highly reliable networking that enables scientists at national laboratories, universities, and research institutions to collaborate on some of the world’s most important scientific challenges, including energy, climate science, and fundamental physics. Funded by the DOE Office of Science and operated by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, ESnet connects scientists to unique DOE facilities, large-scale computing resources, and global research partners.
The position involves significant technical ownership, project leadership, and cross-organizational collaboration.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, and 8 years of relevant networking experience, with significant depth in optical transport systems. Or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience designing, deploying, and operating DWDM optical networks in production environments.
• Strong understanding of WAN and LAN technologies and protocols, including IPv4/IPv6, BGP, IS-IS, MPLS, Segment Routing, and related services.
• Experience leading technical projects, including defining scope, schedules, and budgets, and delivering results on time.
• Hands-on experience with optical transport platforms from vendors such as Ciena and Nokia (Infinera)
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a collaborative, service-oriented mindset.
• Experience working in environments that use IT service management and project tracking tools (e.g., Jira, ServiceNow).
• Proficiency in optical system installation, configuration, testing, and troubleshooting in large-scale networks.
• Ability to conduct and interpret network diagnostic tests using optical and IP test equipment.
• Proven ability to write clear, accurate technical documentation, designs, and operational procedures.
• Proven ability to work independently on complex projects while contributing effectively within a team.
• Demonstrated commitment to documentation, operational excellence, and continuous learning.
• Willingness to travel occasionally for installations, upgrades, and strategic planning activities.

Nice To Haves

• Exposure to or experience supporting long-haul and subsea fiber systems, including collaboration with providers on spectrum availability, wet-plant capabilities, and system constraints.
• Experience working with international or inter-domain optical systems and partners.
• Familiarity with large-scale capacity planning across heterogeneous optical infrastructures.
• Experience with, or interest in, Research and Education (R&E) networking and DOE Office of Science programs is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with automation, orchestration, or software-assisted network operations is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy, and operate large-scale DWDM optical transport systems, including link engineering, loss budgets, OSNR analysis, amplifier planning, and ROADM architectures.
• Commission and maintain optical systems using industry best practices, including OTDR analysis, fiber characterization, and performance validation.
• Act as a technical authority for ESnet transport platforms, providing expert guidance on system behavior, limitations, and optimization.
• Integrate optical transport systems with ESnet’s IP/MPLS backbone and advanced network services.
• Provide escalation support for optical-related incidents and participate in an on-call rotation in support of 24×7 operations.
• Troubleshoot complex, end-to-end network issues spanning optical, IP, and application layers across multiple administrative domains.
• Lead transport-related projects from concept through deployment, including scope definition, scheduling, vendor coordination, and implementation.
• Develop optical designs, capacity plans, and cost estimates to support infrastructure planning and procurement.
• Evaluate new transport technologies, platforms, and features; contribute to ESnet’s optical technology roadmap.
• Maintain accurate technical documentation, designs, and operational procedures.
• Network with key contacts outside own area of expertise.
• Determine methods and procedures on new assignments and may coordinate activities of other personnel.
• Exercise judgment in selecting methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for obtaining results.
• Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders including routing, operations, science engagement, software engineering, and business operations teams.
• Coordinate with external partners such as vendors, carriers, and R&E peers to provision, modify, and optimize network services.
• Provide technical mentoring and guidance to less-experienced engineers and contribute to the development of operational processes and training materials.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies and collaborate with experienced professionals
• Professional development and growth opportunities, including training and certification programs
• Flexible work arrangements, including remote work options

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level