Company Description:
Nexthop AI is a team of industry-leading professionals with deep hardware and software expertise spanning silicon, systems, network operations, and cloud development, dedicated to building innovative, bleeding-edge solutions for large-scale AI deployments. Our team culture thrives on collaboration, creativity, and fun while delivering foundational technologies for next-generation AI infrastructure.
Role Summary
As an Early Career / New Grad Customer Support Engineer at Nexthop AI, you will be on the front lines of supporting cutting-edge AI networking infrastructure. You will work side-by-side with seasoned hardware, and software engineers, gaining hands-on experience in complex data center environments. This role is designed for ambitious graduates with a strong foundation in networking and computer science who are eager to accelerate their technical growth, solve challenging system-level problems, and deliver outstanding customer experiences.
Job Responsibilities
- Technical Support & Case Management: Assist customers in diagnosing and resolving technical issues across communication channels in a timely, empathetic, and professional manner.
- Guided Troubleshooting: Diagnose network performance, configuration, and connectivity issues across dynamic customer environments with mentorship from senior engineers.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Software and Hardware Engineering teams to reproduce technical issues in lab environments, propose workarounds, and verify bug fixes.
- Product Mastery: Continuously develop deep domain knowledge in Nexthop AI's product offerings, cloud networking stack, and customer usage patterns.
- Documentation & KB Creation: Maintain detailed documentation of customer issues, create internal troubleshooting guides, and contribute to knowledge base articles.
- 24/7 Operations & On-Call: Participate in a scheduled on-call rotation (following comprehensive onboarding and training) to ensure high-availability support coverage.
- Continuous Learning: Track support metrics, participate in post-incident reviews, and proactively suggest process improvements.
Qualifications: We're seeking individuals who thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative startup and possess exceptional problem-solving skills and a strong aptitude for taking initiative and learning. Additionally we value individuals who practice and instill customer empathy. The following skills are essential for this role:
- Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Network Engineering, or a related field (Graduated within the last 0–2 years, or currently enrolled for internship/co-op roles).
- Networking Fundamentals & Protocols: Solid understanding of core networking principles (TCP/IP model, OSI layers, IP routing, VLANs, Subnetting, ARP, DNS) and data center technologies. Hands-on or academic experience with protocols such as BGP, OSPF, and VxLAN.
- OS & Hands-On Skills: Basic proficiency in Linux environments (command line, log analysis, shell scripting). Familiarity with network operating systems (such as Cisco IOS, Junos, Arista EOS) through coursework, labs, or certifications.
- Open Source & AI Infrastructure: Familiarity with SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud) or open-source NOS projects is highly desirable. Interest in AI infrastructure, GPU networking, or high-performance interconnects.
- Soft Skills: Strong customer empathy, excellent written and verbal communication skills, high curiosity, and a demonstrated ability to take initiative and learn quickly.
Why Us:
Our company bolsters all the advantages of working at a startup with the expertise of a seasoned team who have successfully built startups into thriving companies. Here you’ll have the unique opportunity to collaborate and learn from top-tier engineers, while still working on mission critical projects. If you are excited to learn, solve hard problems at the forefront of computer systems, and be a part of shaping a burgeoning company, this is the place for you.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Network Engineering, or a related field
- Graduated within the last 0-2 years, or currently enrolled for internship/co-op roles
- Solid understanding of networking fundamentals, including TCP/IP, OSI layers, IP routing, VLANs, subnetting, ARP, DNS, and data center technologies
- Hands-on or academic experience with BGP, OSPF, and VxLAN
- Basic proficiency in Linux environments, including command-line use, log analysis, and shell scripting
- Familiarity with network operating systems such as Cisco IOS, Junos, or Arista EOS
- Strong customer empathy and excellent written and verbal communication skills
- High curiosity, initiative, problem-solving ability, and capacity to learn quickly
- Familiarity with SONiC or other open-source network operating system projects
- Interest in AI infrastructure, GPU networking, or high-performance interconnects
What We Do
Nexthop AI is an infrastructure startup building the most efficient Al infrastructure for the world's largest cloud operators. We are a cohesive team of seasoned industry experts, who through their collaborative product design as well as system and network engineering capabilities are leading the charge on disruptive technical innovation for AI and Cloud networking.
