Principal Network Engineer

Cboe Global Markets; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 163,625 - 240,625; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous paid time off

Health, dental and vision benefits

Paid tuition assistance

On-site gyms and fitness discounts

Job summary

Cboe Global Markets is seeking a Principal Network Engineer in Chicago. This role involves shaping scalable, low-latency trading networks and requires expertise in advanced routing protocols and network automation.

Candidates should have over 10 years of experience in network engineering and a strong understanding of cloud connectivity. The position offers competitive salary, benefits, and opportunities for career growth.

Qualifications

• Expertise in deterministic network design and latency analysis.
• Proven record in building scalable, high-performance networks.
• Experience in hybrid cloud connectivity and data center networking.

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve low-latency network architecture globally.
• Lead routing design and implementation across global environments.
• Develop Python-based automation for network configuration management.

Skills

Low-latency network design

Routing protocols (BGP, OSPF, MPLS)

Network automation with Python

Networking security fundamentals

Observability and telemetry tools

Education

10+ years of network engineering experience

Cisco CCIE or equivalent experience

AWS Advanced Networking Specialty

Tools

Prometheus

Grafana

Job description

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.

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 natural light and panoramic views of the city skyline and the Chicago River. With its prime location in downtown, the OPO Building provides easy access to major transportation hubs, including Union Station and CTA lines. Amenities include restaurants, a fitness center, and collaborative workspaces.

Role Overview

The Principal Network Engineer will be the 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, with the ability to operate independently and own complex problems end‑to‑end.

This 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.

Your Responsibilities

• Design and evolve low‑latency, highly resilient network architecture across global data center, co‑location, and cloud‑connected environments, focusing 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, evaluating hardware capabilities, design constraints, and optimizing exchange performance.
• Lead 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, using API‑driven and SSH‑based approaches.
• Partner across infrastructure, security, application, and business teams to align network design with technical requirements, operational goals, and broader priorities, including budgeting and planning of hardware and software investments.
• Serve as a senior technical leader and mentor, driving architecture reviews, design standards, knowledge sharing, and technical development for other engineers.
• Operate effectively in a fast‑moving, dynamic environment, balancing long‑term architectural direction with immediate engineering and operational needs.
• Contribute to monitoring and telemetry strategy by defining visibility requirements and supporting tools such as Prometheus or Grafana to improve operational insight and troubleshooting.
• Support development of technical standards, design documentation, and regulatory or audit‑facing materials when needed, including documentation for SEC or other regulatory review processes.

Ideal Candidate

• 10+ years of hands‑on network engineering experience in mission‑critical, low‑latency environments with a strong track record of evolving high‑performance network infrastructure.
• Deep expertise in low‑latency and deterministic network design, with 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), and 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 research and lab validation.
• Experience designing and supporting hybrid cloud connectivity, including AWS 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 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, adapting 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.
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, personal days, sick days, and annual community service days.
• Health, dental and vision benefits, including 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 give back to 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.

Eligibility

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

At Cboe, we are committed to providing a competitive, transparent, and market‑informed total rewards program. 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.

Additional information about Cboe’s total rewards program, including benefits and other compensation components, can be found at Total Rewards at CBOE.

Recruiting

Any communication from Cboe regarding this position will only come from a Cboe recruiter who has a @cboe.com email or via LinkedIn Recruiter. Cboe does not use any other third‑party communication tools for recruiting purposes.