Datacenter Fiber Specialist; OTDR

Overview

Title: Datacenter Fiber Specialist (With OTDR)

Location: Milwaukee, WI

Duration: 12+ Months contract with Possibility for extension

Pay Rate Range: $34.69/hr. on W-2

Note: This is a non-travel position so candidates should live within a reasonable commute distance of Milwaukee. Candidate must work on our W2. No third-party candidates.

The Datacenter Fiber Specialist will be responsible for ensuring the integrity, performance, and security of Microsoft s fiber optic network within datacenter operations. This role will focus on fiber delivery, troubleshooting, maintenance, and testing to support critical deployments, fiber-related break-fix operations, and network expansion.

The specialist will provide up to 40 hours per week of expertise during regular business hours, working collaboratively with Microsoft engineering teams, third-party fiber providers, and internal deployment teams to maintain optimal fiber network operations.

• Fiber Management & Maintenance
  • Prevent fiber cuts, degradation, and outages by proactively monitoring and maintaining the fiber infrastructure.
  • Perform regular fiber inspections, cleaning, and testing to ensure operational integrity.
  • Educate and coach Microsoft full-time employees on fiber maintenance and best practices.
  • Collaborate with suppliers, partners, technicians, and customers to coordinate fiber delivery and management.
  • Oversee leased and Microsoft-owned fiber to ensure defect-free and on-time delivery of customer capacity.
  • Plan and manage fiber logistics, infrastructure, and resources required for new data center expansions.
  • Manage vendor/partner relationships, contracts, and service level agreements (SLAs) for fiber-related operations.
  • Provide root cause analysis (RCA), lessons learned, and best practice recommendations to improve fiber operations.
• Fiber Deployment & Testing
  • Conduct end-to-end fiber testing to validate new installations and troubleshoot existing infrastructure.
  • Perform optical loss testing, OTDR analysis, insertion loss measurements, reflectance tests, and return loss evaluations.
  • Ensure all fiber test equipment is calibrated and certified within the past 12 months.
  • Generate detailed reports of fiber test results in raw and PDF formats for Microsoft engineering teams.
  • Conduct fiber splicing activities to support break-fix operations and deployment needs (bulk splicing excluded).
  • Serve as a remote hands expert for Microsoft engineering teams and third-party fiber providers.
• Data Center Hygiene & Compliance
  • Inspect fiber paths, patch panels, racks, and ports for proper cleanliness and organization.
  • Perform remediation tasks such as cable management, labeling updates, and quality assurance measures.
  • Trace optical jumpers along circuit pathways to verify quality and eliminate congestion or potential damage.
  • Ensure adherence to industry safety codes, regulations, and best practices for fiber optic installations.
• Change Management & Troubleshooting
  • Support fiber-related change management activities, including testing and validation of network modifications.
  • Act as a subject matter expert (SME) for fiber-related changes within carrier hotels, meet-me rooms, and leased facilities.
  • Troubleshoot and restore fiber outages, working closely with Microsoft remote engineering teams.
  • Implement disaster recovery procedures for fiber-related incidents in enterprise environments.

• High School Diploma or equivalent with 3+ years of experience supporting fiber optic networks or large-scale deployments.
• Ability to pass Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire and every two years thereafter.
• Strong knowledge of fiber optics, dark and lit fiber networks, OTDR testing, and fiber maintenance.
• Experience in fiber optic splicing, testing, and documentation in field service environments.
• Understanding of data center infrastructure, including servers, networking, and rack enclosures.
• Proficiency with fiber testing tools, such as fusion splicers, OTDRs, power meters, and fiber identifiers.
• Ability to read and interpret fiber optic maps, schematics, and test results.
• Willingness to travel and respond to fiber-related issues as needed.