Network Automation Engineer

La Fosse; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 111,000 - 166,000; Full time

Job summary

La Fosse is seeking a Private Cloud Network Automation Engineer to join a greenfield on-premises private cloud based on OpenStack. You will design, build and operate automation of networking services across Neutron, OVN and ML2, integrating with IPAM and platform systems.

The role sits at the intersection of network engineering and software development, driving zero-touch provisioning, automated validation, and scalable network provisioning workflows with CI/CD pipelines.

Qualifications

• Hands-on with OpenStack networking services (Neutron/OVN/ML2).
• Strong data-centre networking knowledge (BGP, EVPN, VXLAN, Leaf-Spine).
• Automating switches (NX-OS/EOS) and network services.
• Proficient in Python, Ansible and Terraform for SDN automation.
• Experience with REST APIs and IaC principles.
• Git-based development and CI/CD tooling.

Responsibilities

• Design, deploy and operate an on-prem OpenStack-based private cloud.
• Develop automation modules for networking provisioning and config.
• Build CI/CD pipelines for network changes and testing.
• Ensure version control, peer review and auditable changes.
• Integrate network automation with IPAM, inventory, and platforms.
• Develop telemetry, observability dashboards and drift detection.
• Collaborate with Compute, Storage and Kubernetes teams on end-to-end workflows.

Skills

OpenStack Networking

BGP EVPN VXLAN

Network Automation

Python

Ansible

Terraform

REST APIs

Git CI/CD

NX-OS/EOS Automation

Tools

Terraform

Ansible

Git

OpenStack

Job description

Contract: 6 months

IR35: Inside IR35

The Opportunity

We are looking for a Private Cloud Network Automation Engineer to join a newly formed Private Cloud team, responsible for designing, deploying and operating a new greenfield on-premises private cloud based on OpenStack.

You will develop the software, automation and Infrastructure as Code that will seamlessly provision networking capabilities across the OpenStack platform and underlying network fabric.

Sitting at the intersection of network engineering and software development, you will help establish a highly automated, scalable and consistent approach to network provisioning and day-one operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Build reusable automation modules using Python, Ansible, APIs and Terraform to automate the provisioning, configuration and integration of OpenStack networking services including Neutron, OVN and ML2.
• Help establish zero-touch provisioning and automated network lifecycle management.
• Develop CI/CD pipelines for network configuration and changes, including automated testing and validation.
• Ensure network changes are version controlled, peer reviewed, tested and fully auditable.
• Integrate network automation with source control, IPAM, inventory and wider platform systems.
• Develop automated configuration compliance and network drift detection.
• Build telemetry and observability integrations and dashboards to support troubleshooting, optimisation and performance tuning.
• Work closely with Compute, Storage and Kubernetes engineers to automate end-to-end network workflows.

Required Skills & Experience

• Understanding of OpenStack networking services including Neutron, OVN and ML2.
• Strong understanding of data-centre networking principles including BGP, EVPN, VXLAN and Leaf-Spine architectures.
• Strong network engineering background with hands-on experience automating Cisco NX-OS, Arista EOS or equivalent platforms.
• Proven hands-on experience with Python, Ansible and Terraform, building repeatable Software Defined Network automation.
• Experience working with REST APIs and Infrastructure as Code principles.
• Experience with Git-based development and CI/CD tools and pipelines.

Nice to Have

• Experience building automation for large-scale HPC or cloud infrastructure.
• Experience with NetBox or similar source-of-truth/IPAM platforms.
• Experience with Cisco Nexus and/or Arista CloudVision APIs.
• Experience with automated network testing frameworks.
• Knowledge of Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry or similar observability technologies.
• Experience with automated network compliance and configuration validation.