How to apply for Network Deployment and Maintenance Lead - Data Center Operations

About Anthropic

Anthropic is a frontier AI research and product company focused on building reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. The company posts specific high-impact opportunities, and this role supports the data center operations that underpin their AI infrastructure. Working here means contributing to the physical layer that enables advanced AI research.

About the role

This role leads network deployment and maintenance inside Anthropic's data halls across partner-operated data centers. You will be on site during late-stage construction through network delivery, cabling, integration, turn-up, validation, and acceptance. You also drive the repair program, including break-fix, vendor RMA, sparing policies, and SLAs with operations partners.

A typical day

A typical day might involve being on site at a partner data center during late-stage construction, overseeing network delivery, cabling, and integration. You could also be reviewing break-fix tickets, coordinating vendor RMAs, or updating sparing policies. You will collaborate with operations partners and Anthropic's WAN/Core network team to ensure network health and resolve issues.

Who Anthropic is looking for

• Experience deploying and maintaining data center networks, including cluster, management, telemetry, and accelerator chip back-end networks.
• Hands-on knowledge of cabling, optics, and switching, with the ability to lead structured handover from construction to production operations.
• Familiarity with break-fix ticket flow, vendor RMA processes, sparing policies, and defining SLAs for operations partners.
• Comfortable working on site at partner data centers during late-stage construction and network turn-up, and partnering with WAN/Core network teams on campus/DC core deployments.

Tips for this application

• Highlight specific experience with data center network deployment from construction through acceptance, including cabling, optics, and switching.
• Describe your work with accelerator chip back-end networks and cluster networks, as these are explicitly mentioned in the job description.
• Include details about managing vendor RMA, sparing policies, and SLAs with operations partners in your resume or cover letter.
• Mention any experience partnering with WAN or core network teams on campus or data center core deployments.
• Note your willingness and ability to be on site during late-stage construction and network delivery, as this is a key part of the role.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your direct experience leading network deployment in data halls, from planning through turn-up and validation.', 'Your approach to structured handover of network delivery into production operations.', 'Your track record managing break-fix, vendor RMA, sparing, and SLAs for data center network maintenance.', 'Your ability to collaborate with WAN/Core network teams on core network deployments.']

Research before applying

• Read Anthropic's mission and recent publications to understand their focus on AI safety and reliability.
• Review the 80,000 Hours career review on working at an AI lab to consider the ethical implications mentioned in the job posting.
• Look into Anthropic's data center operations and any public information about their infrastructure scale and partners.
• Understand the difference between cluster networks, management networks, telemetry, and accelerator chip back-end networks in AI data centers.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• Walk through a data center network deployment you led from late-stage construction through acceptance. What was your role?
• How do you handle break-fix and ticket flow for network issues in a partner-operated data center?
• Describe your experience with vendor RMA and sparing policies for network hardware.
• How do you define and enforce SLAs with operations partners for network maintenance?
• What is your experience with accelerator chip back-end networks and how they differ from traditional cluster networks?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Focusing only on general network engineering without addressing data center-specific deployment and maintenance.
• Ignoring the on-site requirement during late-stage construction and network delivery.
• Failing to mention experience with vendor RMA, sparing, or SLAs, which are key parts of the maintenance side.