SDN Network Engineer - 3456002

Fintech seeks a Lead SDN Network engineer.

An ideal candidate will be experienced working in a large Data Center environment, have core routing and switching skills, strong SDN experience, and automation. Experience with Arista and/or OpenShift is preferred but not required.

This is a permanent direct hire opportunity. Compensation targeted in the 150-170k +/- range, + bonus + equity and comprehensive benefits.

This is a US based position that has a hybrid schedule that can also potentially be remote.

The Lead SDN Network Engineer serves as a senior technical expert specializing in programmable networking, network automation, and software-defined infrastructure. This role combines deep knowledge of traditional network engineering with modern DevNetOps, API-based architectures, and cloud-native technologies. The position focuses on advancing network operations from manual processes to fully automated, code-driven environments, while mentoring teams in automation best practices and DevNetOps adoption.

Responsibilities

• DevNetOps Integration: Implement Infrastructure as Code (IaC) practices for network provisioning, configuration management, and deployment automation using GitHub workflows and CI/CD pipelines.
• Arista Network Automation: Design, deploy, and maintain Arista switching and routing infrastructure with emphasis on automation using Arista`s eAPI, CloudVision Portal (CVP), and Internal Automation tools.
• SDN Architecture & Implementation: Lead Software-Defined Network initiatives, implement controller-based architectures, and optimize network programmability through API-driven network management.
• Advanced Network Troubleshooting: Automate, troubleshoot, consult with, and resolve highly complex network-related issues using programmatic approaches and data-driven analysis.
• OpenShift Virtualization Edge Deployment: Design and implement network architectures for OpenShift Virtualization at edge locations, including distributed network function virtualization, edge-to-core connectivity patterns, and automated network service provisioning across geographically dispersed edge computing nodes with emphasis on low-latency networking and bandwidth optimization.
• Technology Research & Evaluation: Research and conduct technical studies/evaluations on vendor products, emerging SDN technologies, and network automation tools; recommend appropriate investments in programmable network infrastructure.
• Standards & Best Practices Development: Develop automation frameworks, CI/CD methodologies, API standards, security requirements, and DevNetOps best practices to maintain and enhance network infrastructure.
• Technical Leadership: Lead and mentor others in peer technical design reviews, providing advanced technical advice in network automation, SDN architecture, and DevNetOps practices.

Required Qualifications

• DevNetOps Experience: 5+ years implementing DevNetOps practices, including Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD pipelines for network deployments, and version control systems (GitHub/GitLab)
• Arista Expertise: 3+ years of hands-on experience with Arista switches and routers, including eAPI automation, CloudVision Portal management, and Arista-specific scripting
• Network Engineering Foundation: 8-10 years of network engineering experience in large datacenter environments with a deep understanding of routing protocols (BGP, EIGRP), switching technologies (STP, VPC, MLAG), and WAN connectivity solutions
• SDN Implementation: 3+ years implementing Software-Defined Network solutions, network controllers, and programmable network architectures
• Programming & Automation: Advanced scripting abilities in Python, with additional experience in Go, JavaScript, or similar languages; proficiency with network automation frameworks (Ansible, NAPALM, Nornir)
• Version Control & Collaboration: Expert-level Git/GitHub usage, including branching strategies, pull request workflows, and collaborative development practices
• Infrastructure as Code: Experience with IaC tools (Terraform, Ansible) for network infrastructure provisioning and configuration management
• Monitoring & Observability: Knowledge of network telemetry, streaming protocols, and modern monitoring solutions with API integration
• Container Platforms & Hybrid Virtualization: 5+ years experience with container networking, Kubernetes cluster networking, and OpenShift platform management with emphasis on OpenShift Virtualization for hybrid workloads and network policies, and cloud networking concepts in containerized and traditional virtualized environments
• OpenShift Virtualization Edge Computing: 5+ years of experience deploying and managing OpenShift Virtualization at edge locations, including edge networking architectures, distributed network functions, WAN optimization, and automated provisioning of network services across geographically distributed edge computing environments