Lead Network Automation Engineer - Hybrid (Denver)

Lumen; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 111,000 - 144,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Life insurance

Wellbeing programs

Job summary

Lumen in Denver seeks a Lead Network Engineer to design and maintain automation platforms for large-scale network infrastructure. This role blends deep networking with software engineering to deploy scalable automation, test reliability, and improve operational efficiency.

Collaborate across Network Engineering, Architecture, Operations, Security, and IT to modernize workflows, develop testing frameworks, and drive IaC and DevOps practices across the organization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technology, Network Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of network engineering experience with strong understanding of enterprise or service provider networking technologies.
• 4+ years of software development or infrastructure automation experience.
• Experience validating solutions across Cisco, Ciena, Adtran, ADVA, Nokia, Juniper, Axon, and other networking platforms.
• Strong programming skills in Python, including experience developing production-quality applications and automation frameworks.
• Experience with network automation frameworks and tools such as Ansible, Nornir, Netmiko, PyATS, or similar technologies.
• Solid understanding of Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking concepts, including: BGP, OSPF and/or IS-IS, MPLS, VLANs and VXLAN, TCP/IP, Routing and switching.
• Experience consuming and developing REST APIs, JSON, YAML, and data models.
• Experience with network programmability technologies including gNMI, OpenConfig, gRPC, and model-driven telemetry.
• Experience building event-driven automation solutions using Apache Pulsar, Apache Kafka, or similar streaming platforms.
• Proficiency with Git, version control systems, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience with Linux environments and software deployment practices.
• Strong troubleshooting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent technical documentation and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain network automation solutions using modern software engineering practices.
• Build and support tools, APIs, and platforms that automate network provisioning, configuration management, compliance validation, and operational workflows.
• Develop Python-based applications, services, and automation frameworks that integrate with network devices, controllers, cloud platforms, and enterprise systems.
• Create and maintain Infrastructure as Code solutions using technologies such as Ansible, Terraform, Git, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Develop automated testing, validation, and deployment processes to improve network reliability and reduce operational risk.
• Collaborate with network engineers to translate manual operational procedures into scalable automated workflows.
• Integrate telemetry, monitoring, and data analytics solutions to improve visibility and operational decision-making.
• Design and implement REST APIs and data models to support automation and orchestration platforms.
• Troubleshoot complex network and software issues across multi-vendor environments.
• Create technical documentation, coding standards, and operational procedures for automation solutions.
• Mentor team members on automation best practices, software development methodologies, and network programmability technologies.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that reduce operational overhead and accelerate service delivery.

Skills

Python

Networking

Linux

Git

CI/CD

Ansible

Nornir

Netmiko

PyATS

REST APIs

Education

Bachelor's degree (CS/SE/IT/Network Eng)

Tools

Ansible

Terraform

Git

Job description

Lumen in Denver seeks a Lead Network Engineer to design and maintain automation platforms for large-scale network infrastructure. This role blends deep networking with software engineering to deploy scalable automation, test reliability, and improve operational efficiency.

Collaborate across Network Engineering, Architecture, Operations, Security, and IT to modernize workflows, develop testing frameworks, and drive IaC and DevOps practices across the organization.