Lead Network Engineer - Backbone Engineering

Salesforce; McLean (VA); On-site; USD 172,500 - 260,100; Full time

Job summary

Salesforce is seeking a Lead Network Engineer in McLean, Virginia, to support its Infrastructure Strategy and Data Center Operations team. The role involves collaboration with various teams to deliver innovative solutions in an agile environment.

Ideal candidates will have a strong background in network management, including project management and experience with Cisco routers. The position offers a competitive salary range of $172,500 - $260,100 annually.

Qualifications

• Minimum 7 years in production network environments.
• Proven project management skills.
• Experience with telecommunications vendors.

Responsibilities

• Act as a liaison with the vendor sourcing team.
• Help develop and maintain metrics on capacity vendors.
• Project manage new capacity installs with sourcing and field engineering teams.

Skills

Network project management

Python coding

Experience with Cisco routers

BGP and IS-IS routing protocols

Network automation tools

Unix/Linux operating systems

Education

Related technical degree

Tools

Ansible

Git

Job description

Job Category

Enterprise Technology & Infrastructure

About Salesforce

Salesforce is the #1 AI CRM, where humans with agents drive customer success together. The world of work as we know it is changing and we're looking for Trailblazers who are passionate about bettering business and the world through AI, driving innovation, and keeping Salesforce's core values at the heart of it all.

As a Lead Network Engineer, you will be part of the Infrastructure Strategy and Data Center Operations team, delivering and supporting technology infrastructure in the Salesforce Global Network. You will collaborate with field teams, vendor sourcing teams, Global Network Operations teams, and application owners to build innovative solutions in an agile environment. Your role will demonstrate deep knowledge across multiple areas of IT to support a SaaS infrastructure and contribute to standards, processes, and automation for operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Act as a liaison with the vendor sourcing team
• Help develop and maintain metrics on capacity vendors
• Project manage new capacity installs with sourcing and field engineering teams
• Update network and associated datastores for capacity additions and decommissions
• Work with various teams to provide feedback, document, and implement new network designs
• Develop network configuration automation in Python and Ansible
• Coordinate with connectivity partners and customer engagement teams for troubleshooting
• Help with BGP peering relationship management and peering network design
• Handle backbone router migrations, grooming, and decommissions
• Oversee network design life cycles, documentation, and approvals
• Maintain Network Data SoTs

Required Experience and Competencies

• Minimum 7 years in production network environments, or comparable experience
• Proven project management skills
• Experience working with telecommunications vendors
• Experience with Cisco and Juniper carrier‑class routers (e.g., ASR9K, CRS, MX960, PTX, MX2K)
• Experience with Cisco Nexus‑based switches
• Knowledge of routing protocols such as BGP and IS‑IS
• Fundamental understanding of WDM technologies
• Strong Python coding skills
• Good understanding of Unix/Linux‑based operating systems
• Experience developing and maintaining network automation tools (e.g., Ansible)
• Experience with Git or other version control systems
• Ability to self‑manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Understanding of AI, machine learning, LLMs, MCP, etc.
• Related technical degree required

Preferred Experience

• Experience managing co‑located infrastructure
• Experience with DWDM platforms, preferably Ciena and Cisco DCI
• Experience with MACSec encryption
• Extensive network troubleshooting and monitoring skills
• Hands‑on experience with production hardware life‑cycle management
• Experience with Puppet, Terraform, Containers, or K8S
• Familiarity with CI/CD principles
• Previous experience with lift and shift backbone router migrations
• Experience administering global, web‑scale IP address allocations
• Understanding of transit, public peering, and SFI spaces
• Experience writing prompts against public AI chatbots (e.g., ChatGPT, Gemini)
• Experience with AI‑assisted coding tools (e.g., Cursor, VSCode with AI plugins)
• Prior experience with the Salesforce core application, either in a developer or support role

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary range for this position is $172,500 - $260,100 annually. In select cities within the San Francisco and New York City metropolitan area, the range is $207,800 - $285,800 annually. The range represents base salary only and does not include company bonus, equity, or benefits. For more information about benefits, see https://www.salesforcebenefits.com.

EEO Statement

Salesforce is an equal opportunity employer and maintains a policy of non‑discrimination with all employees and applicants for employment. No hiring decision is made on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, disability, veteran, or marital status, among other protected categories. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruiting, hiring, promotion, compensation, benefits, and other decisions.