Senior Network Systems Engineer

NetApp; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 148,000 - 220,000; Full time

Job summary

NetApp seeks a Senior Network Systems Engineer to join our Global Network Services team, engineering the enterprise network underpinning NetApp worldwide. This is a deep, technical role for experts in Cisco routing, SD-WAN, and campus networking who can own complex infrastructure end to end—from design and deployment through day-two ops and escalated troubleshooting across a global estate.

The team moves toward cloud-first, automation-led operations; candidates should bring or build automation

Qualifications

• 8+ years in enterprise network engineering or senior technical roles.
• ownership of complex, high-impact network infrastructure across regions.

Responsibilities

• Own global enterprise routing design, implementation, and operation.
• Engineer and operate Cisco SD-WAN environment including site onboarding.
• Lead campus networking across global offices with reliable connectivity.
• Resolve escalated incidents (Tier 3/4) with root-cause analysis.
• Deliver site builds, migrations, and cutover plans with vendors.
• Drive changes with testing, validation, and rollback.
• Maintain observability with monitoring and telemetry tools.
• Contribute to standards, runbooks, and documentation.
• Mentor junior engineers and share expertise.
• Support automation and infrastructure-as-code modernization.

Skills

Routing

BGP/OSPF/EIGRP

Cisco IOS-XE/ASR/ISR/Catalyst 8000

Internet edge design

SD-WAN (Viptela/Catalyst)

SD-WAN policy design

Campus networking

Cisco Wireless (WLC/Meraki/Juniper)

Network access control (ISE, 802.1X)

Automation / IaC

Python / Ansible

Terraform

Git / CI-CD for network

Observability / Telemetry

Cloud networking (AWS/Azure/OCI)

SRE concepts (SLOs, toil)

Security (ASA/Firepower, Palo Alto)

Tools

n8n

Terraform

Git

Python

Ansible

ThousandEyes

Job description

Own Every Moment at NetApp

At NetApp, your ideas power innovation. We lead in intelligent data infrastructure—delivering unified storage, integrated data services, and solutions that help organizations unlock the full potential of their data, from AI to multicloud.

Ready to innovate and contribute to our path to $10B? Here, you'll collaborate with passionate teams, tackle real-world challenges, and see your impact in how customers transform and grow. If you're ready to bring curiosity, creativity, and drive to every moment, NetApp is where your journey begins. Join teams that innovate to elevate, drive results, and excel together across every function.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Senior Network Systems Engineer to join our Global Network Services team, operating and engineering the enterprise network that underpins NetApp worldwide. This is a deep technical role for an expert in Cisco routing, SD-WAN, and campus networking who can own complex infrastructure end to end — from design and deployment through day‑two operations and escalated troubleshooting — across a global, multi‑region estate.

The team is evolving toward a cloud‑first, automation‑led operating model. While this role is anchored in deep networking expertise, the ideal candidate brings — or is eager to build — automation and infrastructure‑as‑code skills, and will help modernise how we operate: replacing manual, repetitive work with codified, repeatable engineering. You will be a senior technical voice on the team, mentoring others and setting the standard for engineering quality.

Job Responsibilites

• Own routing across the global routing estate — design, implement, and operate enterprise routing (BGP, OSPF,) including internet edge, WAN, and inter‑site connectivity.
• Engineer and operate the Cisco SD‑WAN environment (Catalyst SD‑WAN / Viptela) — policy design, template management, onboarding new sites, and troubleshooting overlay/underlay issues.
• Lead campus networking across the global office and lab footprint — access/distribution/core, wireless, and network access — delivering reliable, secure, high‑performance connectivity.
• Resolve escalated operational issues (Tier 3/4) — act as the senior escalation point for complex incidents, driving root‑cause analysis and permanent resolution.
• Deliver new site builds, refreshes, and migrations — produce designs, interconnect matrices, and cutover plans; coordinate with vendors and installation partners through delivery.
• Drive network changes through structured change control — plan, risk‑assess, and execute changes with appropriate testing, validation, and rollback.
• Maintain operational health through observability — use network monitoring and telemetry tooling to detect, diagnose, and pre‑empt issues before they impact users.
• Contribute to standards, runbooks, and documentation — raise the quality bar for how the team designs, operates, and hands off work.
• Mentor junior engineers and share expertise — act as a technical mentor and multiplier across the team.
• Support automation and modernisation — partner with automation/SRE colleagues to codify recurring tasks, moving the team from manual operations toward infrastructure as code.

Job Requirements

• Routing
• Expert‑level knowledge of enterprise routing: BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, route redistribution, path selection, and policy‑based routing.
• Hands‑on experience operating routing on Cisco platforms (IOS‑XE, ASR/ISR, Catalyst 8000) at enterprise scale.
• Strong grasp of internet edge, WAN, and DIA circuit design, including working with service providers on connectivity and troubleshooting.

SD‑WAN

• Deep expertise in Cisco SD‑WAN (Catalyst SD‑WAN / Viptela): control, management, and data plane; vManage/Catalyst Manager, vBond, vSmart.
• Proven experience with SD‑WAN policy design, template configuration, site onboarding, and overlay/underlay troubleshooting.
• Understanding of transport‑independent design across MPLS, broadband, and cellular, with application‑aware routing and QoS.

Networking

• Expert knowledge of campus LAN architecture: access/distribution/core, Layer 2/Layer 3 design, spanning tree, VLANs, and first‑hop redundancy (HSRP/VRRP).
• Strong experience with Cisco campus switching (Catalyst 9000 series) or Juniper Switching.
• Expertise in enterprise wireless — design, deployment, and troubleshooting of Cisco wireless (WLC, Catalyst/Meraki or Juniper Mist access points), RF planning, and roaming.
• Familiarity with network access control and segmentation (Cisco ISE, 802.1X, TACACS+/RADIUS).

General

• Significant hands‑on experience (typically 8+ years) in enterprise network engineering and operations, including a senior or lead technical role.
• Demonstrated ownership of complex, high‑impact network infrastructure in a global environment.
• Strong troubleshooting discipline and structured incident‑resolution skills under pressure.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work across regions and mentor others.

Nice to Have

• The following are not required, but will distinguish a strong candidate — particularly the automation and cloud capabilities that align with where the team is heading.
• Scripting and automation experience — Python, Ansible, or similar — applied to network configuration or operations.
• Exposure to infrastructure as code (Terraform) and network‑as‑code approaches.
• Experience with workflow automation and orchestration platforms such as n8n — building automated workflows that connect network tooling, APIs, and operational processes.
• Familiarity with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and AI‑agent integration — connecting AI assistants to network tools, data sources, and operational systems.
• Familiarity with Git‑based workflows and CI/CD concepts for network change.
• Experience with network observability and telemetry platforms (e.g. ThousandEyes, NetScout, SolarWinds, LiveAction, streaming telemetry).
• Cloud networking exposure across AWS, Azure, or OCI (transit, peering, cloud connectivity).
• Interest in AIOps or AI‑assisted operations — using modern tooling to reduce toil and improve reliability.
• Understanding of SRE practices: SLOs, error budgets, and toil reduction.
• Firewall and security exposure (Cisco ASA/Firepower, Palo Alto).
• Relevant certifications: CCNP / CCIE (Enterprise Infrastructure), Cisco SD‑WAN specialisation, or equivalent.
• Experience with data‑centre networking (Nexus, ACI) and load balancing / GSLB.

Compensation

The target salary range for this position is 147,900 - 220,000 USD. The salary offered will be determined by the candidate's location, qualifications, experience, and education and may be outside of this range. The range is based on 'On Target Earnings’ (OTE) representing the total potential earnings, which is the sum of the base salary and potential commission earned when performance targets are achieved. Final compensation packages are competitive and in line with industry standards, reflecting a variety of factors, and include a comprehensive benefits package. This may cover Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Retirement or Pension Plans, Paid Time Off, various Leave options, employee stock purchase plan, and/or restricted stocks (RSU’s). These offerings are subject to regional variations and governed by local laws, regulations, and company policies. We will provide detailed information about the specific benefits for your region during the recruitment process.

At NetApp, we embrace a hybrid working environment designed to strengthen connection, collaboration, and culture for all employees. This means that most roles will have some level of in‑office and/or in‑person expectations, which will be shared during the recruitment process.

Equal Opportunity Employer

NetApp is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information, pregnancy, protected veteran status, and any other protected classification.

Why You'll Thrive at NetApp

At NetApp, you won't wait for the perfect moment—you'll make it. The early planning, the extra thought, the bold idea that turns good into great: That's how our people operate and how we continue to push the boundaries of data infrastructure.

NetApp is the trusted partner for organizations transforming data into opportunity. As the only enterprise‑grade storage service natively embedded in Google Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure, we empower customers to run everything from traditional workloads to enterprise AI with unmatched performance, resilience, and security.

Our culture

We celebrate mold breakers, bold thinkers, and problem solvers. We reward initiative, impact, and ownership. We provide flexibility so you can balance professional ambition with your personal life. Here, differences are not just welcomed—they drive everything we do.

AI Disclosure

For select roles, some stages of our hiring process may use artificial intelligence tools to help evaluate applications and candidate selection. These tools support—rather than replace—human decision‑making.