Data Center Infrastructure Architect 2

Job Description

Insight Global is seeking a driven, hardworking Data Center Infrastructure Architect to join an AI cloud and infrastructure start-up dispersed across the US. This role can be remote in NYC, SF, Seattle, or Austin. This is a full-time, permanent role with competitive salary and equity package, in addition to bonus and benefits.

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.

Day-to-day 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.

About this company's working style:

Our team is highly motivated, and focused on providing a world class supercomputing experience. We put our customers first in everything we do, working hard to not just win the sale, but to win repeated business and customer referrals.

We hold ourselves and each other to high standards. We expect you to care deeply about the work you do, the products you build, and the experience our customers have in every interaction with us. You must work hard, take ownership from inception to delivery, and approach every problem with an open mind and a positive attitude. We value effectiveness, competence, and a growth mindset.

We are a company committed to creating diverse and inclusive environments where people can bring their full, authentic selves to work every day. We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer that believes everyone matters. Qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment regardless of their race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, marital status, national origin, ancestry, genetic factors, age, disability, protected veteran status, military or uniformed service member status, or any other status or characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations, and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to [email protected] learn more about how we collect, keep, and process your private information, please review Insight Global's Workforce Privacy Policy:

Skills and 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).