Senior Network Automation Engineer — Remote Platform Engineer

Vaco; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Vaco/Highspring seeks a Senior Network Automation Engineer to design and extend a production-grade Python backend and multi-cloud platform. You will own telemetry, observability, and network integrations across Cisco, Juniper, Arista, and Nokia ecosystems, while improving the Vue3 frontend and IAM controls.

Senior level role requiring deep software and networking expertise, with end-to-end delivery ownership in a remote setting. Strong Kafka, Redis, and PostgreSQL skills are needed.

Qualifications

• Production Python services development experience.
• Strong background in async frameworks and ORM-based data access.
• Experience with event-driven architectures and Kafka.
• Proficiency in PostgreSQL and data modeling.
• Frontend familiarity with JavaScript and Vue3 preferred.
• Identity and access tooling: OAuth2/OIDC, RBAC, Auth0, Azure Entra ID.
• Infrastructure as code in cloud environments; Crossplane or Terraform.
• Git, CI/CD, containerized deployments with Docker and Kubernetes.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain Python backend services (FastAPI, Pydantic, SQLAlchemy).
• Build event-driven integrations using Kafka and Redis for caching/state.
• Extend integrations with network platforms (Cisco, Juniper, Arista, Nokia).
• Develop telemetry pipelines and observability dashboards (Azure Data Explorer, Grafana).
• Maintain Vue3 frontend tooling and multi-cloud infrastructure with Crossplane.
• Collaborate with network engineers to translate requirements into platform features.
• Own deliverables across design, implementation, testing, deployment, and docs.

Skills

Production Python

Async frameworks

Event-driven

Kafka

PostgreSQL

JavaScript

Vue3

RBAC

OAuth2/OIDC

Cloud IaC

Git/CI-CD

Docker/Kubernetes

Tools

FastAPI

Pydantic

SQLAlchemy

Kafka

Redis

PostgreSQL

Vue3

Crossplane

Terraform

Docker

Kubernetes

Auth0

Azure Entra ID

Job description

Senior Network Automation Engineer

Employment Type: Contract-to-Hire

Location: Fully Remote

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Network Automation Engineer to join a platform technology team in a senior individual contributor role focused on network automation.

This position is responsible for the development, extension, and ongoing support of a production-grade network automation platform that spans multiple network domains and cloud environments.

The platform is built on a modern Python backend stack, including FastAPI, async/multi-process services, Kafka, Redis, and PostgreSQL. It integrates with Azure Data Explorer for telemetry and observability and provides operational interfaces through a Vue3 single-page application.

Infrastructure is deployed across multiple clouds using Crossplane, and the network layer includes Cisco SD-WAN, Cisco Meraki, Webex, Adtran nCommand, Juniper, Arista, and Nokia (NFM-P/NFM-T).

Identity and access management is handled through Auth0, Azure Entra ID, and a role-based access control (RBAC) model.

This is a senior-level role requiring genuine depth in both software engineering and network technologies. The ideal candidate will bring professional experience developing production Python services alongside meaningful hands-on knowledge of enterprise or service provider networking.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain Python backend services using FastAPI, Pydantic, and SQLAlchemy, including async and multi-process service patterns
• Build and maintain event-driven integrations using Kafka
• Leverage Redis for caching and state management
• Develop and extend integrations with network management systems, including:
  • Cisco SD-WAN
  • Cisco Meraki
  • Webex
  • Adtran nCommand
  • Juniper
  • Arista
  • Nokia NFM-P/NFM-T
• Contribute to telemetry data pipelines and observability tooling using Azure Data Explorer, Grafana, and custom dashboards
• Maintain and extend the Vue3 front end for operational and engineering tooling
• Manage infrastructure-as-code using Crossplane across multi-cloud environments
• Work within and extend the platform's identity and access control model using Auth0, Azure Entra ID, and RBAC
• Collaborate with network engineers and operations teams to translate domain requirements into platform capabilities
• Take ownership of deliverables across the full development lifecycle, including design, implementation, testing, deployment, and documentation

Required Qualifications

Software Engineering

• Demonstrated professional experience developing production Python services
• Experience with async frameworks, ORM-based data access, and service-oriented design patterns
• Experience building or working within event-driven architectures
• Hands-on Kafka experience is a strong plus
• Proficiency with PostgreSQL, including schema design and query optimization
• Working knowledge of JavaScript and front-end development
• Experience with Vue3 or a comparable modern front-end framework preferred
• Familiarity with OAuth2/OIDC, RBAC, and enterprise identity providers, including Auth0, Azure Entra ID, or equivalent
• Experience with infrastructure-as-code in cloud environments
• Crossplane or Terraform experience preferred
• Proficiency with Git, CI/CD pipelines, and containerized application deployment
• Experience with Docker and Kubernetes

Networking

• Meaningful hands-on experience in enterprise or service provider network environments, including design, operations, or engineering
• Strong working knowledge of BGP, OSPF, MPLS, SD-WAN, and network security fundamentals
• Familiarity with one or more of the following vendor platforms:
  • Cisco SD-WAN
  • Cisco Meraki
  • Webex
  • Juniper
  • Arista
  • Nokia
  • Adtran
• Ability to read and interpret device configurations and network telemetry data
• Advanced networking certification strongly preferred, including CCNP or higher, or equivalent certification from Juniper, Arista, or Nokia
• CCIE or equivalent is a significant differentiator

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Azure Data Explorer, including KQL and telemetry ingestion pipelines
• Familiarity with streaming telemetry, including gNMI/gNMIc and model-driven telemetry from Cisco, Juniper, or Nokia platforms
• Experience with Nokia NFM-P/NFM-T or comparable OSS/NMS platforms
• Background in telco, service provider, or carrier-grade network environments
• Experience integrating network automation platforms with ITSM or OSS/BSS systems

What You'll Be Working With

Software & Development:

Python, FastAPI, Pydantic, SQLAlchemy, JavaScript, Vue3

Data & Messaging:

PostgreSQL, Kafka, Redis, Azure Data Explorer, KQL

Cloud & Infrastructure:

Multi-cloud environments, Crossplane, Terraform, Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD

Networking:

Cisco SD-WAN, Cisco Meraki, Webex, Adtran nCommand, Juniper, Arista, Nokia NFM-P/NFM-T

Identity & Access:

Auth0, Azure Entra ID, OAuth2/OIDC, RBAC

Observability:

Azure Data Explorer, Grafana, network telemetry, custom dashboards

Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco/Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to the individual’s skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, office location and other geographic considerations, as well as other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law in geographies that require salary range disclosure, Vaco/Highspring notes the salary range for the role is noted in this job posting. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses, and can participate in medical, dental, and vision benefits as well as the company’s 401(k) retirement plan. Additional disclaimer: Unless otherwise noted in the job description, the position Vaco/Highspring is filing for is occupied. Please note, however, that Vaco/Highspring is regularly asked to provide talent to other organizations. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. Submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase within Vaco/Highspring will be otherwise assessed by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco/Highspring does not have knowledge of the tools used by its clients in making final hiring decisions and cannot opine on their use of AI products.