Distinguished Network Architect — VNF & DC Connectivity

Equinix, Inc; New York (NY); On-site; USD 224,000 - 403,000; Full time

Job summary

Equinix is seeking a Distinguished Engineer to serve as the definitive technical authority for network architecture across the Network Edge product line. The role shapes long-term strategy, translates it into engineering direction for product teams, and owns designs underpinning Equinix's VNF platform.

You will bridge product engineering with Network Architecture and Operations, mentor engineers, and provide expert guidance to strategic customers while driving key initiatives such as

Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in network engineering and high-performance architectures.
• Proven ability to influence technical direction at company level.
• Experience engaging with enterprise or carrier-grade customers as advisor or escalation point.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the multi-year network architecture vision for Network Edge.
• Lead architecture and design for high-throughput VNFs and dual-Data Center connectivity.
• Establish design patterns, reference architectures, and standards for VNFs and related networking.
• Identify and resolve architectural gaps across Network Edge, unblock engineering teams.
• Drive performance engineering for VNFs (DPDK, SR-IOV, CPU pinning).

Skills

Network architecture

Leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Mentorship

Education

CS/EE degree

CCIE or equivalent

Tools

Kubernetes networking

SDN/NFV

Job description

Equinix is seeking a Distinguished Engineer to serve as the definitive technical authority for network architecture across the Network Edge product line. The role shapes long-term strategy, translates it into engineering direction for product teams, and owns designs underpinning Equinix's VNF platform.

You will bridge product engineering with Network Architecture and Operations, mentor engineers, and provide expert guidance to strategic customers while driving key initiatives such as