New Grad / Early Career Customer Support Engineer

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 AIs 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: Were 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.