Optical Network Engineer
On-site · Seattle, Washington, United States
Job Summary
Optical Network Engineer for a 12-month contract in Seattle focused on design, deployment, operations, and automation of large-scale DWDM optical transport networks in a 24/7 environment. Requires 5+ years with DWDM/optical networking, experience with EDFA/Raman, OSNR, FEC, dispersion and nonlinear effects, planning/design tools, and hands-on troubleshooting (OSA, OTDR, power meters, BERTs). Roles include on-call responsibilities, change management, and collaboration across teams. Nice-to-have scripting/automation skills (Python, Bash, Shell, Perl) and experience with automation workflows (Ansible). The employer emphasizes a candidate who proactively identifies risks and drives long-term operational excellence.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of hands-on DWDM/Optical networking experience
- Direct deployment and operation of high-capacity DWDM systems at scale
- Deep knowledge of optical transport technologies (EDFA, Raman amplifiers, OSNR, FEC HD-FEC/SD-FEC, chromatic dispersion, PMD, nonlinear fiber effects)
- Experience with optical planning and modeling tools and optical link design (span loss, fiber types per ITU-T G.652/G.654/G.655/G.657, connector/splice budgets)
- Hands-on proficiency with network troubleshooting tools (OSA, OTDR, power meters, BERTs, loopbacks)
- Experience in 24/7 operational environments with on-call responsibilities, change management processes
- Strong project and time management skills and ability to balance operational duties with product development
- Solid written and verbal communication skills for cross-team collaboration
- Nice-to-Have: scripting and automation (Python, Bash, Shell, Perl); network design/architecture at scale; automation workflows with Python/Ansible
- Background in telecommunications, ISPs, data center operations, or large-scale enterprise networks
- Ability to identify risks proactively and improve systems
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