Research Lab Manager Jobs in Washington, DC (NOW HIRING)

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Vantor is seeking a Lab Manager to own and operate the physical and virtual infrastructure that underpins our customer R&D and testing efforts.

This role is responsible for organizing and maintaining a diverse lab environment consisting of hardware devices, virtual machines, networking infrastructure, and specialized tools. You will enable engineers and operators across multiple teams by building, maintaining, and configuring realistic test and rehearsal environments.

This is a highly hands-on role requiring strong technical breadth across hardware, networking, and systems. While much of the work happens behind the scenes, the impact is mission-critical: you will be the force multiplier that allows the rest of the organization to execute.

Lab Infrastructure & Asset Management

• Organize, track, and maintain a wide range of lab assets, including embedded devices, servers, networking gear, and tooling

• Manage virtualized environments (VMs, images, configurations) to support development and testing workflows

• Maintain inventory, documentation, and configuration baselines across lab systems

Network Architecture & Management

• Design, configure, and maintain lab networking environments (physical and virtual)

• Build isolated, custom network topologies to support testing and operational rehearsal scenarios

• Troubleshoot connectivity, segmentation, and performance issues across complex setups

Rehearsal Range Development

• Create and maintain test environments ("ranges") with specific hardware and network configurations

• Support scenario-based testing with tailored infrastructure setups

• Rapidly adapt environments based on evolving team requirements

Hardware & Firmware Operations

• Interface directly with embedded systems and hardware platforms

• Extract firmware using JTAG, UART, SPI, or similar interfaces

• Re-flash or recover devices, including those in non-functional ("bricked") states

• Perform low-level hardware work such as chip removal/de-soldering when required

Cross-Team Support & Coordination

• Serve as a shared resource across multiple teams (Platform Section, C Troop, E Troop)

• Gather requirements, prioritize competing needs, and communicate timelines clearly

• Act as the primary point of contact for lab capabilities and constraints

• Current/active TS/SCI clearance.

• Bachelors degree.

• 5 years experience.

• Hands-on experience with lab environments, hardware systems, or R&D infrastructure

• Strong understanding of networking fundamentals (routing, switching, VLANs, segmentation)

• Experience with virtualization platforms (e.g., VMware, Proxmox, VirtualBox, etc.)

• Familiarity with embedded systems and low-level hardware interfaces (JTAG, UART, SPI, etc.)

• Ability to troubleshoot across hardware, software, and network layers

• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage many parallel requests

• Must be willing to work on-site in Annapolis Junction, MD.

• Experience extracting or modifying firmware from embedded devices

• Background in hardware reverse engineering or device recovery

• Experience with soldering, rework, or chip-off techniques

• Familiarity with range-building, cyber test environments, or simulation infrastructure

• Prior experience supporting multiple technical teams in a shared services role

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Pay Transparency: In support of pay transparency at Vantor, we disclose salary ranges on all U.S. job postings. The successful candidate's starting pay will fall within the salary range provided below and is determined based on job-related factors, including, but not limited to, the experience, qualifications, knowledge, skills, geographic work location, and market conditions. Candidates with the minimum necessary experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skillsets for the position should not expect to receive the upper end of the pay range.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, health and welfare insurance, and 401(k) to eligible employees. You can find more information on our benefits at:https://www.vantor.com/careers

The application window is three days from the date the job is posted and will remain posted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire. If the job is reposted regardless of reason, it will remain posted three days from the date the job is reposted and will remain reposted until a qualified candidate has been identified for hire.

The date of posting can be found on Vantor's Career page at the top of each job posting.

To apply, submit your application via Vantor's Career page.

Vantor values diversity in the workplace and is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law.