Network Hardware Engineer

CloudFlare; Austin, Northern (TX, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cloudflare is seeking a Network Hardware Engineer in Austin to lead the NPI process for network devices used in Cloudflare's Global Network. You will drive device selection, validation testing, and production readiness, while developing automated tests aligned with operational needs.

The role emphasizes collaboration across engineering and operations, plus hands-on validation of hardware performance, scripting in Python, and familiarity with AI tools to optimize testing workflows.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience.

Responsibilities

• You will be involved in every stage of the New Product Introduction (NPI) process, including requirements gathering, device selection, Device Validation Testing (DVT), Production Validation Testing (PVT), and Operational Acceptance.

Skills

BS/MS/PhD in CE/EE/CS

Hardware evaluation & testing

Networking hardware architecture

Data center routing protocols

Project ownership

OEM/ODM collaboration

Python scripting

AI tools familiarity

Education

BS/MS/PhD in CE/EE/CS

Tools

Spirent/Ixia

Open source network OS platforms

Job description

At Cloudflare, we are on a mission to help build a better Internet. Today the company runs one of the world’s largest networks that powers millions of websites and other Internet properties for customers ranging from individual bloggers to SMBs to Fortune 500 companies. Cloudflare protects and accelerates any Internet application online without adding hardware, installing software, or changing a line of code. Internet properties powered by Cloudflare all have web traffic routed through its intelligent global network, which gets smarter with every request. As a result, they see significant improvement in performance and a decrease in spam and other attacks. Cloudflare was named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Company Cultures list and ranked among the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.

At Cloudflare, we’re not looking for people who wait for a polished roadmap; we’re looking for the builders who see the cracks in the Internet that everyone else has simply learned to live with. We value candidates who have the instinct to spot a "normalized" problem and the AI-native curiosity to create a solution using the latest tools. Our culture is built on iteration, leveraging AI to ship faster today to make it better tomorrow, while ensuring that every improvement, no matter how small, is shared across the team to lift everyone up. If you’re the type of person who values curiosity over bureaucracy, and that AI is a partner in solving tough problems to keep the Internet moving forward, you’ll fit right in.

Available Location:Austin, TX

Job Title

Network Hardware Engineer

Role Summary

As a pivotal technical contributor within the Network Hardware Engineering (NetHW) team, you will drive the selection and qualification process for network devices used in Cloudflare's Global Network. The NetHW team manages the New Product Introduction (NPI) process for all network devices. Our responsibilities also include the evaluation and qualification of new production network operating system images and versions. Furthermore, we provide essential support by reproducing bugs to assist Operations with TAC cases and testing new features and major configuration updates.

Role Responsibilities

You will be involved in every stage of the New Product Introduction (NPI) process, including requirements gathering, device selection, Device Validation Testing (DVT), Production Validation Testing (PVT), and Operational Acceptance. Furthermore, you will be responsible for creating and automating test plans that align with both operational needs and hardware limitations, as well as driving efforts to improve testing efficiency.

Network Hardware Systems Engineering Responsibilities:

• Product Lifecycle Management: Lead the introduction of new network hardware systems, including detailed engineering validation in lab environments
• Qualification & Validation: Gather requirements, contribute to network architecture, and execute hardware design and product validation
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Network Engineering & Operations, Datacenter Engineering & Operations, and other operational teams to make network hardware decisions
• Automation & Performance Testing: Develop tools and automation to effectively evaluate network hardware performance
• Operational Support: Assist operational engineers by troubleshooting, reproducing, and resolving network hardware issues
• Communication: Document and share results and updates via blog/wiki posts, ticketing systems, and internal presentations

Role Requirements (Must-Have Skills)

Must-Have Skills

• BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience
• Proven ability to conduct thorough evaluation and experimentation, including testing, measurement, and/or simulation of hardware performance
• Extensive experience with networking hardware architecture, validation, performance benchmarking, debugging, and deployment
• Deep knowledge of network engineering and protocols used in data center switching and routing as well as Internet routing
• Track record of driving engineering projects from idea to experiment to implementation
• Demonstrated success in working with OEM/ODMs and technology vendors
• Professional-level proficiency in Python or similar programming and/or scripting languages
• Familiarity with various coding agents and other AI tools and technologies

NIce-to-Have Skills

• Adept at automating traffic generation equipment (Spirent/Ixia) and test cases
• In-depth hardware knowledge of platforms (ASICs, TCAMs, Packet-Pipelines, etc)
• Experience with Optical Line Systems and troubleshooting transceiver issues
• Familiarity with different network operating systems such as Junos, IOS-XR, EOS, SONiC, and ArcOS
• Experience with white-box network switches and open source projects
• Proficient in using observability and monitoring tools like Prometheus and Grafana, with the ability to analyze and observe trends over time.
• Hands-on experience with configuring and validating RoCEv2 (RDMA over Converged Ethernet) fabrics, specifically implementing Priority Flow Control (PFC) and Explicit Congestion Notification (ECN) on network devices.

What Makes Cloudflare Special?

We’re not just a highly ambitious, large-scale technology company. We’re a highly ambitious, large-scale technology company with a soul. Fundamental to our mission to help build a better Internet is protecting the free and open Internet.

Project Galileo : Since 2014, we've equipped more than 2,400 journalism and civil society organizations in 111 countries with powerful tools to defend themselves against attacks that would otherwise censor their work, technology already used by Cloudflare’s enterprise customers--at no cost.

Athenian Project : In 2017, we created the Athenian Project to ensure that state and local governments have the highest level of protection and reliability for free, so that their constituents have access to election information and voter registration. Since the project, we've provided services to more than 425 local government election websites in 33 states.

1.1.1.1 : We released 1.1.1.1 to help fix the foundation of the Internet by building a faster, more secure and privacy‑centric public DNS resolver. This is available publicly for everyone to use - it is the first consumer‑focused service Cloudflare has ever released. Here’s the deal - we don’t store client IP addresses never, ever. We will continue to abide by our privacy commitment and ensure that no user data is sold to advertisers or used to target consumers.

Sound like something you’d like to be a part of? We’d love to hear from you!

Please note that applicants who progress to the offer stage of the interview process may be asked to attend an in-person interview within one of the Cloudflare Offices or Cloudflare Hubs. More details about this will be available at that stage of the interview process.

This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations. Please note that any offer of employment may be conditioned on your authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export laws without sponsorship for an export license.

Cloudflare is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and place great value in both diversity and inclusiveness. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to their, or any other person's, perceived or actual race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law. We are an AA/Veterans/Disabled Employer.

Cloudflare provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job. Examples of reasonable accommodations include, but are not limited to, changing the application process, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment. If you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job, please contact us via e‑mail at [e-mail] or via mail at 101 Townsend St. San Francisco, CA 94107.