Senior Network Engineer I

DigitalOcean; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 128,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

DigitalOcean is seeking a Senior Network Engineer to help build and operate large-scale networks from the Internet edge through hypervisor connections. You’ll join a fast-paced team responsible for scalable architectures, high availability, and performance for hundreds of thousands of users.

You’ll lead design reviews, automate provisioning with Python and Salt, and work with BGP/ISIS/MPLS, VxLAN, and SR to improve connectivity.

Qualifications

• BA/BS in Computer Science or equivalent degree.
• Expertise with Linux and networking fundamentals.
• Experience with Juniper hardware and Junos OS.
• Background in CI/CD, containers and virtualization.
• Hands-on in observability with Prometheus, Grafana or ELK.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose complex network issues with packet analysis and monitoring tools.
• Develop Python, Go and Salt scripts to automate provisioning and config tasks.
• Design scalable network solutions using BGP/ISIS/MPLS/VxLAN/SR across data centers.
• Assist capacity planning, forecast growth, and optimize QoS and routing.
• Create network docs, topology diagrams, SOPs and runbooks.
• Evaluate new networking tech, run PoCs, and advise leadership on adoption.
• Plan maintenance windows and coordinate upgrades with cross-functional teams.
• Serve as escalation point for critical network incidents and post-incident reviews.

Skills

Go

Python

Linux

Networking concepts

BGP/IS-IS/MPLS

Education

BA/BS in Computer Science or equivalent degree

Tools

Juniper MX/QFX/EX/SRX

Nokia hardware

Arista hardware

Ciena hardware

Salt automation

Prometheus Grafana ELK

Git

CI/CD pipelines

MPLS

Job description

Dive in and do the best work of your career at DigitalOcean. Journey alongside a strong community of top talent who are relentless in their drive to build the simplest scalable cloud. If you have a growth mindset, naturally like to think big and bold, and are energized by the fast-paced environment of a true industry disruptor, you’ll find your place here. We value winning together—while learning, having fun, and making a profound difference for the dreamers and builders in the world.

We are looking for a Senior Network Engineer who is passionate about building large scale networks on the Internet.

As a Senior Network Engineer at DigitalOcean, you will join a dynamic team dedicated to revolutionizing cloud computing and AI. Reporting to the Manager of Network Infra, the Senior Network Engineer will be part of a team that is designing, implementing and maintaining the DigitalOcean network from the Internet edge to the hypervisor connections. Our networks need to be massively scalable, and enable systems agility, while providing our hundreds of thousands of customers with the most stable platform. We work with other infrastructure and engineering teams to ensure new products and features have scalable network architectures and will provide the performance our customers require.

What You’ll Do

• Diagnose complex network issues using packet analysis, flow data, and monitoring tools. Perform root cause analysis and implement permanent fixes to maintain organizational SLA compliance and high availability.
• Develop scripts and workflows using Python, Golang and Salt to automate provisioning, configuration changes, and compliance auditing across the DigitalOcean network infrastructure.
• Develop scalable network solutions for data center and cloud connectivity using protocols such as BGP, ISIS, MPLS, VxLAN, and SR (Segment Routing) across the network environment.
• Help in capacity planning and availability by analyzing traffic patterns, forecast growth and recommend hardware/bandwidth upgrades, implement and fine tune QoS policies and routing to optimize throughput and latency to ensure our customers have the best experience.
• Provide technical guidance to team members, conduct design and architecture reviews, and create network documentation including topology diagrams, Standard Operating Procedures and runbooks.
• Research emerging networking solutions, conduct proof-of-concept deployments and testing, and make recommendations to leadership on technology adoption; work with vendors to help validate designs and network hardware.
• Plan maintenance windows, draft change requests with rollback procedures, and lead cross-functional communication during upgrades, migrations and cutovers.
• Serve as a Senior escalation point for the mission critical network. Coordinate with the CloudOps during outages and conduct post-incident reviews and drive continuous improvement.
• Develop comprehensive documentation, including bills of materials, scopes of work, and deployment procedures for the network hardware and software installation in new Points of Presence (POPs) and Data Centers (DCs).

What You’ll Add To DigitalOcean

• BA/BS in Computer Science or equivalent degree
• Knowledge of and demonstrated ability in at least one of the following languages: Go, Python
• Expertise with Linux
• Expertise working with Juniper hardware (e.g., MX, QFX, EX, SRX) and the Junos operating system
• Experience with CI/CD, containers and/or virtualization, web servers, and databases
• Hands-on experience with observability tools such as Prometheus, Grafana, or the ELK stack
• Experience with automation frameworks (Salt preferred)
• Good knowledge of code versioning tools such as Git, and accustomed to multi-branches development
• Experience working on, building, and troubleshooting large-scale datacenter networks
• Experience working on, building, and troubleshooting global backbone networks
• Experience working with Nokia, Arista, and Ciena
• Experience working with typical layer-2 and -3 protocols such (e.g., BGP, OSPF, VRRP, IS-IS ,LACP,MC-LAG)
• Experience working with MPLS, including BGP-LU (RSVP-TE experience a plus)

Compensation Range

• $128,000 - $160,000
• This is a hybrid role

Why You’ll Like Working for DigitalOcean

• We innovate with purpose. You’ll be a part of a cutting-edge technology company with a high-growth trajectory, who are proud to simplify cloud and AI so builders can spend more time creating software that changes the world. As part of our team, you’ll embody our "Shark" mindset: bold, ambitious, and scrappy. You'll lead with a bias for action and take true ownership of our products, customer success, and team culture.
• We prioritize career development. At DigitalOcean, you’ll do the best work of your career. You will join a community of exceptional talent, collaborating closely with some of the brightest and most interesting people in the industry. We are a high-performance and fast-paced organization that will always challenge you to think big. Our talent development team prioritizes your professional development and provides resources to support your growth. We provide employees with reimbursement for relevant conferences, training, and education, subject to company policy.
• We care about your well-being. We take a comprehensive approach to our total rewards packages because we know different things drive different people. Our benefits are designed to support you and may include flexible time off, local team meetups, and mental health and well being support. Our benefits philosophy is consistent globally, but specific benefits and eligibility vary by location to reflect local needs and regulations.
• We reward our employees. The salary range for this position is based on market data, relevant years of experience, and skills. Eligible employees may also receive equity compensation, which may include a new hire equity grant and, in participating countries, the opportunity to participate in our Employee Stock Purchase Program. Equity awards are subject to approval and the terms of the applicable plan.
  • Non-sales roles: In addition to base salary, this role is eligible to participate in DigitalOcean’s annual bonus plan and may be eligible for a new hire equity grant, subject to plan terms and local eligibility. Bonus amounts depend on company and individual performance.
  • Sales roles (sales compensation eligible): In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible to earn incentive compensation under the applicable sales compensation plan and may be eligible for a new hire equity grant, subject to plan terms and local eligibility.
• DigitalOcean is an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.