DNS Engineer - SRE

Optimum; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Optimum is seeking a DNS Engineer – SRE to own the architecture, scalability, and reliability of our mission‑critical DNS infra powering ISP and core network services. You will prioritize automation, observability, and self‑healing systems, balancing privacy standards with ultra‑reliable performance for millions of users.

You will lead cross‑functional initiatives with Product, Security, and Service Assurance to deliver a carrier‑grade DNS ecosystem.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS/telecommunications or equivalent practical experience.
• 2–3+ years in networking or systems engineering with SRE practices in production.
• Hands-on DNS configuration with BIND, Unbound, PowerDNS, Route53, or Azure DNS.
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP and DNSSEC; knowledge of DoH/DoT is a plus.
• Proficient Linux/Unix administration and scripting.

Responsibilities

• Architectural ownership: lead design and evolution of global DNS architectures with high availability.
• Strategic vendor relations: engage with DNS vendors to align roadmaps with reliability goals.
• Lifecycle & capacity management: oversee deployments, hardware refreshes, and capacity planning.
• Standardization & policy: define DNS record management standards and traffic policies.
• Reliability engineering: define SLOs and error budgets for core services.
• Protocol management: manage UDP/TCP port 53, recursion vs iteration, and DNS record types.
• Observability: monitor using Prometheus, Grafana, and DNS tooling.

Skills

SRE principles

DNS fundamentals

Automation

Linux/Unix

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

BIND

Unbound

PowerDNS

DNSSEC

AWS Route 53

Grafana

Prometheus

dnstap

Job description

Requisition ID12392-Posted -Telecom & Internet-Telecommunications-USA.NY.Bethpage-1111 Stewart More (1)

Are you looking to Optimize your life? Start your exciting path to a rewarding career today!

We are Optimum, a leader in the fast-paced world of connectivity, and we're seeking driven and enthusiastic professionals to join our team, empower lives, fuel businesses, and drive innovation. Connectivity is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. A career at Optimum means you'll be enabling progress and enhancing lives by providing reliable, high-speed connectivity solutions that keep the world connected. Our successes, now and in the future, are powered by our amazing product, a commitment to our people and culture, and the connections we make in our communities.

If you are resourceful, collaborative, and passionate about delivering consistent excellence, Optimum is for you!

Job Summary

The Role DNS Engineer – SRE is a high-impact role responsible for the architecture, scalability, and reliability of the mission-critical DNS infrastructure powering our ISP and core network services. This position is designed for an engineer who views infrastructure through the lens of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) prioritizing automation, observability, and self‑healing systems over manual intervention. You will combine deep IP networking and DNS expertise with modern security protocols to ensure our platforms remain resilient against evolving threats and perform at the highest level for millions of users.

The Impact This is a collaborative and influential role. Beyond core engineering, you will serve as a technical authority, leading cross‑functional initiatives with Product, Security, and Service Assurance teams. Your goal is to deliver a carrier‑grade DNS ecosystem that balances cutting‑edge privacy standards (DoH/DoT) with the uncompromising availability required by Tier‑1 network operations.

Responsibilities

Core Platform Strategy & Leadership

• Architectural Ownership: Lead the design and evolution of global DNS architectures, ensuring high availability through Anycast routing, multi-provider redundancy, and automated failover mechanisms.
• Strategic Vendor Relations: Act as the primary technical authority in engagements with DNS and infrastructure vendors, driving roadmaps that align with our long‑term reliability and security goals.
• Lifecycle & Capacity Management: Oversee the full lifecycle of DNS platforms—including automated software deployments, hardware refreshes, and proactive capacity planning—to stay ahead of traffic growth.
• Standardization & Policy: Optimize, Define and enforce organization‑wide standards for DNS record management, security protocols (DNSSEC), and traffic steering policies to optimize user latency.
• Reliability Engineering: Convert "Strategic Design" into "Operational Reality" by defining Service Level Objectives (SLOs) and Error Budgets for all core name services.

Cross-Domain DNS Operations & SRE

• Protocol Management: Manage the nuances of UDP/TCP port 53, recursion vs. iteration, and complex record types (A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, SRV).
• Security & Mitigation: Implement and manage DNSSEC to prevent cache poisoning; act as a subject matter expert in mitigating DDoS and DNS amplification attacks.
• Automation (Eliminating Toil): Replace manual updates and "pool" management with automated workflows using Python, Go, Ansible, or Terraform.
• Performance Tuning: Perform Linux kernel tuning for high‑performance network throughput and conduct deep‑Dive log analysis on systems like BIND, Unbound, or PowerDNS.
• Observability: Utilize Prometheus, Grafana, and dnstap to monitor query rates and latency, providing actionable insights into error codes (NXDOMAIN, SERVFAIL).

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Telecommunications, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience in networking and security).
• Experience: 2-3+ years in a networking or systems engineering role, with a focus on SRE principles (automation, reliability, and monitoring) in production environments.
• DNS Fundamentals: Hands‑on experience configuring and maintaining at least two of the following: BIND, Unbound, PowerDNS, AWS Route 53, or Azure DNS.
• Networking Protocols: Functional understanding of TCP/IP (IPv4/v6) and DNS‑specific protocols including DNSSEC and encrypted transport (DoH/DoT).
• Systems & Automation: Strong Linux/Unix administration skills