Job Title: Data Center Quality Assurance/Quality Control Technician
Reports To: Data Center QA/QC Manager, Data Center Manager, or Data Center Site Superintendent
Department: Technical Services
FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Hourly Rate: $35-45/hr (firm, dependent on experience)
Location: Abilene, TX (must be local or willing to travel to Abilene for 2 weeks at a time)

Smartlink is dedicated to empowering those who are competitive and aim for the win. The company’s core values— Creating Customer Fanatics, Innovate and Create, One Team, We Are All In, and Safety Leads to Success—serves as a guide to our teams and sets the expectations for every member.
These values are the cornerstone that brings us together, consistently reminding us of our mission and guiding all our efforts. We are unabashedly competitive and driven by a relentless pursuit of excellence. Every project, every challenge, and every opportunity is met with discipline, focus, and an uncompromising commitment to succeed.
Our path to excellence begins with it, commitment, and our team’s goal of achieving customer fanatics. At Smartlink, you are empowered to make the right decisions, do your job well and bring something to the table no matter your position. This involves autonomy, responsibility, contribution, support, and growth.
This approach ensures that every team member feels valued and motivated to contribute their best, fostering a collaborative and high-performing environment.

We look forward to having you join our TEAM if this opportunity is a great fit for you!
 

Job Summary:

The Data Center QA/QC Technician is responsible for inspecting, validating, and documenting the quality and performance of fiber-optic infrastructure within hyperscale data center environments. This role ensures that fiber splicing, routing, cabinet installations, and testing activities meet all project specifications, industry standards, and client requirements. The Data Center QA/QC Technician supports commissioning and turnover by confirming that all fiber links are properly installed, terminated, labeled, tested, and performing within approved loss and continuity thresholds.
 

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

Quality Inspection & Compliance

• Inspect fiber-optic installations in ladder tray, basket tray, conduit, racks, and cabinets for workmanship, routing accuracy, and compliance with drawings and standards.
• Verify correct bend radius, strain relief, physical protection, and separation from power systems.
• Confirm proper cable types, fiber counts, labeling, and color coding per project documentation.
• Identify non-conforming work, document findings, and coordinate corrective actions with field supervision.

Fiber Splicing & Testing Verification

• Witness and verify both ribbon and single-fiber splicing for accuracy and installation quality.
• Perform or validate Tier-1 (OLTS) testing, including loss, polarity, and continuity checks.
• Conduct fiber end-face inspections using approved scopes and cleanliness standards.
• Support Tier-2 OTDR testing, including trace review, event analysis, and loss-budget validation.
• Confirm splice loss, connector performance, and end-to-end link results meet project requirements.
• Troubleshoot failed fibers, document root cause, and verify corrective resolutions.

Racks, Cabinets & Cable Infrastructure

• Inspect installation of fiber enclosures, patch panels, cassettes, and cable-management hardware.
• Verify rack and cabinet placement, labeling accuracy, grounding/bonding, and proper physical alignment.
• Confirm correct routing and securing of trunk and distribution cables within pathways and inside cabinets.
• Ensure adherence to hyperscale-level structured cabling best practices.

Documentation, Reporting & Closeout

• Review, record, and organize fiber-test results in approved systems or reporting templates.
• Maintain accurate cable schedules, rack elevations, splice matrices, as-built markups, and test result archives.
• Track punch-list items and verify timely completion of corrective actions.
• Assemble complete QA/QC documentation packages for client turnover and project closeout.

Safety & Operational Compliance

• Follow all site safety requirements, PPE rules, and approved work procedures.
• Support maintenance windows, change-management processes, and Method of Procedure (MOP) execution.
• Immediately report hazards, incidents, or potential quality risks.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Requirements: To perform this position successfully, an individual must be able to perform each duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required

• Hands-on experience with fiber-optic installation, splicing, testing, or QA/QC in data centers, telecom, or other critical-facility environments.
• Strong understanding of fiber-optic systems, including ribbon and single-fiber architectures, splicing methods, and Tier-1/Tier-2 testing standards.
• Working knowledge of structured-cabling standards and fiber-optic testing methodologies.
• Proficiency with OLTS, OTDR, VFL, fiber inspection scopes, and related testing equipment.
• Ability to read and interpret construction drawings, cable schedules, rack elevations, splice documentation, and routing diagrams.
• High attention to detail with strong documentation accuracy and organizational capabilities.
• Ability to work safely in live, energized, or high-security data-center environments under strict procedures.
• Knowledge of environmental concerns, contamination control, and remediation procedures.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to troubleshoot fiber failures and identify root causes.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and digital reporting tools.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple workstreams, and meet tight deadlines.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to give and accept feedback professionally.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, and ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Adaptability to changing project conditions, schedules, and customer requirements.
• Valid driver’s license and the ability to pass all required data-center background checks for site access.

Preferred

• Industry certifications such as FOA CFOT, BICSI Installer/Technician, manufacturer fiber-testing certifications, or similar credentials.
• Experience with fiber-optic cabinets, racks, ODF hardware, and cable-management systems.
• Experience with high-fiber-count ribbon splicing, backbone fiber systems, and hyperscale-level fiber architectures.
• Familiarity with commissioning processes, turnover documentation, and client acceptance workflows.
• Experience using digital QA/QC platforms, test-result management systems, or mobile reporting applications.