Principal Network Engineer

Cedar Cares, Inc; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 163,625 - 240,625; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and incentive packages

Generous paid time off

Health, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) match

Paid tuition assistance

On-site gyms and fitness discounts

Job summary

Cboe Global Markets in Chicago is seeking a Principal Network Engineer to lead the design and evolution of low-latency network infrastructure. You will work with global teams to implement cutting-edge architectural solutions while owning complex problems and mentoring fellow engineers.

Ideal candidates should have over 10 years of experience in networking, profound knowledge of routing protocols, and a background in Python automation. This position includes competitive benefits and opportunities for professional growth.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of network engineering experience in mission-critical environments.
• Deep expertise in latency-sensitive network design.
• Experience with hybrid cloud connectivity.

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve low-latency network architecture.
• Lead advanced routing design in global environments.
• Conduct pre-implementation testing and validation.

Skills

Network engineering experience

Low-latency design expertise

Routing protocols knowledge

Python automation

Observability concepts

Education

Certifications in Cisco CCIE or AWS Advanced Networking

Tools

Prometheus

Grafana

Job description

Job Description Overview

Building trusted markets — powered by our people. At Cboe Global Markets, we inspire our people to solve complex challenges together because what we do matters. We provide the financial infrastructure that powers the global economy. As a leading provider of market infrastructure and tradable products, Cboe delivers cutting‑edge trading, clearing and investment solutions to market participants around the world. We’re building meaningful ways to support professional and personal development while strengthening the trust we’ve earned as a global market leader. Our teams are empowered to share ideas, actively pursue them and bring on a challenge. As champions of internal mobility and access to opportunity, we encourage our people to “go for it” and equip our managers with the training to coach their teams to the next level. We strive to provide employees a safe space to network, share ideas and create opportunities.

Location Overview

Cboe HQ is located in the historic Old Post Office district, a landmark that blends classic architecture with modern amenities. The building features expansive spaces with high ceilings and large windows, offering an abundance of natural light and panoramic views of the city skyline and the Chicago River. With its prime location in the heart of downtown, the OPO Building provides easy access to major transportation hubs, including Union Station and multiple CTA lines, making it convenient for commuters. The building is home to a variety of amenities, including restaurants, a fitness center, and collaborative workspaces, creating a vibrant and dynamic work environment in one of Chicago's most iconic areas.

Role Overview

Cboe Global Markets is seeking a Principal Network Engineer to serve as a deep technical anchor for our global network infrastructure. This role is responsible for shaping the design, scalability, and long‑term evolution of highly distributed, latency‑sensitive trading networks across on‑prem and cloud environments. The Principal Engineer brings expert‑level knowledge of deterministic packet forwarding, advanced routing design, and ultra‑low latency architecture, combined with the ability to operate independently and own complex problems end‑to‑end. The individual partners closely with Network Engineering leadership and cross‑functional architecture teams to lead high‑complexity initiatives, conduct rigorous pre‑implementation testing and validation, and establish best practices that drive consistency and reliability across the environment. They function as a technical leader without formal authority—mentoring senior engineers, influencing design decisions, and raising the overall engineering bar across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve low‑latency, highly resilient network architecture across global data center, co‑location, and cloud‑connected environments, with a focus on deterministic packet forwarding, scalability, and operational consistency.
• Lead advanced routing design and implementation across complex global environments, including BGP, OSPF, MPLS, multicast, hybrid cloud connectivity, traffic engineering, and high‑availability network patterns.
• Conduct deep technical research, lab validation, and pre‑implementation testing for major network initiatives, working closely with engineering and software development teams to evaluate hardware capabilities, identify design constraints, and optimize exchange performance based on findings.
• Lead high‑complexity strategic projects from design through execution, producing detailed technical designs, migration runbooks, capacity plans, and implementation guidance for large‑scale network changes.
• Develop and maintain Python‑based network automation to support configuration management, change validation, testing, and operational efficiency, with direct experience using both API‑driven and SSH‑based automation approaches.
• Partner across infrastructure, security, application, and business teams to align network design and delivery with technical requirements, operational goals, and broader organizational priorities, including support for budgeting and planning related to network hardware and software investments.
• Serve as a senior technical leader and mentor across the engineering organization, driving architecture reviews, design standards, knowledge sharing, and technical development for other engineers.
• Operate effectively in a fast‑moving, dynamic environment where priorities can shift, balancing long‑term architectural direction with immediate engineering and operational needs.
• Contribute to monitoring and telemetry strategy by helping define meaningful visibility requirements and supporting the use of tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, or similar platforms where they improve operational insight and troubleshooting.
• Support the development of technical standards, design documentation, and regulatory or audit‑facing materials when needed, including documentation that may be used to support SEC or other regulatory review processes.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of hands‑on network engineering experience in mission‑critical, low‑latency environments, with a strong track record of operating and evolving high‑performance network infrastructure.
• Deep expertise in low‑latency and deterministic network design, including practical experience analyzing latency, jitter, and end‑to‑end traffic behavior in production environments.
• Advanced knowledge of routing protocols at scale, including BGP, OSPF, MPLS, and multicast (PIM‑SM/SSM), with proven experience designing resilient, highly available global networks.
• Strong understanding of network hardware and platform capabilities across major vendors, with the ability to evaluate limitations and optimize design decisions through hands‑on research and lab validation.
• Experience designing and supporting hybrid cloud connectivity, including AWS networking constructs such as Direct Connect, Transit Gateway, VPCs, and route integration.
• Proven experience building and maintaining Python‑based network automation, including API‑driven and SSH‑based approaches for configuration management, testing, and operational efficiency.
• Working knowledge of observability and telemetry concepts, with exposure to platforms such as Prometheus, Grafana, or similar tools for network visibility and performance analysis.
• Strong background in leading technical research, proof‑of‑concept validation, and pre‑implementation design for large‑scale network initiatives.
• Solid understanding of network security fundamentals, including segmentation, access control, and zero‑trust principles as they apply to network design.
• Experience operating in fast‑paced, highly dynamic environments, with the ability to adapt to changing priorities while maintaining a strong focus on execution and delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers, influence technical direction, and contribute to engineering standards and best practices across an organization.
• Experience contributing to technical documentation, design standards, or materials supporting regulatory or audit processes is a plus.
• Preferred certifications: Cisco CCIE (Routing & Switching or Data Center) or near‑equivalent experience, AWS Advanced Networking Specialty or similar, Arista, Juniper, or other advanced vendor certifications.

Benefits and Perks

• Fair and competitive salary and incentive compensation packages with an upside for overachievement.
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, personal days, sick days and annual community service days.
• Health, dental and vision benefits, including access to telemedicine and mental health services.
• 2:1 401(k) match, up to 8% match immediately upon hire.
• Discounted Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• Tax Savings Accounts for health, dependent and transportation.
• Employee referral bonus program.
• Volunteer opportunities to help you give back to your communities.
• Complimentary lunch, snacks and coffee in any Cboe office.
• Paid tuition assistance and education opportunities.
• Generous charitable giving company match.
• Paid parental leave and fertility benefits.
• On‑site gyms and discounts to other fitness centers.
• Paid Time Off #LI-CJ.

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employer sponsorship now or in the future.

Salary Ranges (applicable for US locations only): The anticipated base salary range for this role is $163,625–$240,625, with actual compensation determined by job‑related factors such as skills, relevant experience, education, internal alignment, and location. This role may also be eligible for annual incentive compensation and, where applicable, participation in CBOE’s long‑term equity programs.

Cboe Global Markets is an Equal Opportunity Employer.