Engineer 5, Product Development Engineering - Principal Network Engineer

• Lead network architecture and design efforts across large-scale service provider environments, including Commercial Edge, Backbone, Transit (Metro and Backbone), and CORE networks.
• Research, evaluate, and develop state-of-the-art technology solutions that support long-term business strategy and operational excellence.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, joint ventures, third-party vendors, and Product and Marketing teams to deliver high‑quality products on schedule that meet defined requirements.
• Participate in the full product lifecycle, contributing to or developing technical requirements, detailed design documentation, and operational procedures, including transaction flows, capacity models, and bandwidth planning.
• Ensure smooth project intake, timely execution, and seamless transition of deliverables into Quality Assurance and Operations teams.
• Provide technical leadership and accountability for the performance, resiliency, and reliability of cross‑platform network applications and services.
• Drive certification programs for network hardware and software, including test planning, lab execution, failure analysis, documentation, and release readiness.
• Evaluate and recommend hardware platforms, NOS upgrades, and architectural improvements based on performance, lifecycle status, scalability, resiliency, and operational impacts.
• Support network resiliency best practices, including redundancy strategies, failure domain management, and capacity planning.
• Restore system failures rapidly and ensure root-cause issues are addressed through design improvements or operational enhancements.
• Present complex technical information clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders, influencing alignment across multiple teams.
• Recommend strategic courses of action, technology directions, and long‑term architecture vision to support company growth and innovation.
• Regularly exercise independent judgment and discretion on matters of significance.
• Maintain regular, consistent, and punctual attendance, including nights, weekends, and variable schedules as needed.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Operating Principles

Employees at all levels are expected to:

• Understand and apply our Operating Principles in daily work.
• Own the customer experience and champion seamless digital interactions.
• Demonstrate deep knowledge of our technology, products, and digital tools.
• Win as a team by collaborating, being open to new ideas, and driving aligned outcomes.
• Participate actively in the Net Promoter System through huddles, callbacks, and elevating customer feedback.
• Drive measurable results and support company growth.
• Foster an inclusive culture in all interactions.
• Act with integrity for customers, colleagues, investors, and communities.

Required Qualifications

• Proven experience leading network architecture and design for large-scale service provider networks.
• Strong expertise in Commercial Edge, Backbone, Transit (Metro and Backbone), and CORE network architectures.
• Deep understanding of IP networking and troubleshooting in multi-protocol environments.
• Strong knowledge of transport technologies and fiber plant design.
• Demonstrated experience running hardware/software certification programs, including lab testing and documentation.
• Ability to assess and recommend hardware platforms and NOS upgrades based on performance, resiliency, lifecycle, and operational needs.
• Strong cross-functional leadership and ability to influence technical and non‑technical stakeholders.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to present complex concepts clearly.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with automated network test and certification systems (e.g., CI/CD-style validation, automated reporting, telemetry-driven testing).
• Experience managing vendors and partners, including roadmap discussions and platform negotiations.
• Familiarity with network resiliency frameworks and best practices, including HA design, redundancy methods, and failure domain architecture.