Senior Network Engineer II

Activision Blizzard, Inc.; United States; On-site; USD 146,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision (benefits)

401(k) with company match

Paid holidays and vacation

Mental health programs

Job summary

Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., a division of Activision Blizzard, is seeking a Senior Network Engineer II to join the Backbone team. You will design and operate Blizzard’s global gaming backbone, co-owning architecture, delivery, and reliability with peers.

The role emphasizes scalable IP/MPLS, automation, and strong cross‑domain collaboration to reduce high‑impact production issues and improve reliability. You will participate in on‑call rotations and mentor teammates.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in designing, deploying and troubleshooting large production networks.
• Hands-on multi-vendor experience (Cisco, Juniper, Arista).
• Proficiency with Python scripting for automation and tooling.

Responsibilities

• Co-own backbone architecture, capacity planning and global footprint.
• Deliver high-quality designs, diagrams, test plans and roadmaps.
• Own designs from concept through production, including rollout and ops support.
• Design, evolve, and standardize IP/MPLS networks for scalability and resiliency.
• Lead complex deliveries with peers to ensure safe execution and production readiness.
• Drive cross-domain problem solving and reliability improvements with reduced blast radius.
• Evaluate network equipment vendors and balance performance, lifecycle, and fit.
• Collaborate with telecom providers, IXs, peering partners, and vendors.

Skills

BGP

IS-IS MPLS

L3VPN

Multi-vendor networks

Network automation

Python scripting

MPLS design

Architecture artifacts

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS or equivalent

Job description

Team Name:

Job Title:

Senior Network Engineer II

Requisition ID:

R026870

Job Description:

We are looking for a Senior II Network Engineer to join our Backbone team, responsible for designing, operating, and evolving Blizzard’s global gaming backbone, which supports multiple game studios and live production environments. This role operates in a peer-based ownership model, where senior engineers collaborate as equals to co‑own architecture, delivery, and reliability outcomes. The focus is on strong design, scalable operations, automation, and measurable reliability improvements.

Responsibilities:

• Co‑own the architecture, capacity planning, and global footprint of the Blizzard backbone network alongside other senior engineers.
• Deliver high‑quality technical designs, including architecture diagrams, high‑level designs and test plans.
• Own designs from concept through production, including implementation, testing, rollout, and operational support.
• Design, evolve, and standardize IP/MPLS network to improve scalability, resiliency, and operational clarity.
• Lead complex deliveries and major changes, working collaboratively with peers to ensure safe execution and production readiness.
• Drive cross‑domain problem solving, including migrations and reliability improvements, with a focus on reducing high‑impact production issues and blast radius.
• Evaluate and select network equipment vendors, balancing performance, reliability, lifecycle, and operational fit.
• Work closely with telecom providers, IXs, peering partners, and vendors, representing the team in technical discussions.
• Produce and maintain clear documentation, standards, and SOPs, and enable peers through knowledge sharing and mentorship.
• Participate in the backbone on‑call rotation, contributing to a culture of shared operational ownership.

Requirements:

• Strong routing and switching expertise, including BGP, IS‑IS MPLS(LDP/RSVP), L3VPN.
• Proven experience designing, scaling, and operating overlay networks (MPLS preferred).
• Demonstrated ability to produce architecture artifacts (HLDs, test plans, roadmaps) and drive them through delivery.
• Experience designing, scaling, and troubleshooting large, production BGP environments.
• Hands‑on experience in multi‑vendor network environments (e.g., Cisco, Juniper, Arista).
• Experience delivering at scale using network automation tools such as Ansible and Salt.
• Ability to script network configuration and tooling, preferably in Python.
• 13+ years of experience across multiple technical disciplines, including designing, deploying, and troubleshooting internet‑facing services.
• Experience with peering relationships.
• Strong troubleshooting skills and comfort operating in complex production environments.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to co‑own decisions and outcomes with peers at the same level.

Desired qualifications:

• Expert‑level certifications such as CCIE SP or JNCIE SP.
• Experience building internal tooling and automation frameworks that improve reliability and operational efficiency.
• Experience with DDoS detection and mitigation methodologies.
• Knowledge of edge services such as edge proxy platforms, or CDNs.
• Experience with public cloud networking and connectivity models (AWS, Azure, GCP).
• Bachelor’s degree in computer science or equivalent practical experience.

Your Platform

Best known for iconic video game universes including Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, and StarCraft®, Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. (www.blizzard.com), a division of Activision Blizzard, which was acquired by Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), is a premier developer and publisher of entertainment experiences. Blizzard Entertainment has created some of the industry’s most critically acclaimed and genre‑defining games over the last 30 years, with a track record that includes multiple Game of the Year awards. Blizzard Entertainment engages tens of millions of players around the world with titles available on PC via Battle.net®, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android.

Our World

Activision Blizzard, Inc., is one of the world’s largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Our ability to build immersive and innovative worlds is only enhanced by diverse teams working in an inclusive environment. We aspire to have a culture where everyone can thrive in order to connect and engage the world through epic entertainment. We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well‑being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered!

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast‑paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under‑represent‑ed groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do!

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request to [e-mail]. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well‑being for ‘Every World’ - we’ve got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
• 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
• Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
• Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
• If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full‑time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $146,000.00 - $270,004.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role’s range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.