Senior Networking Software Engineer – Data Plane & SDN

Opplane; United States; On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Opplane is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Networking Software Engineer with a strong focus on transport connectivity and networking products. As a key member of our team, you will design, develop, and deploy enterprise-grade networking appliances, contributing to impactful, large-scale systems in a fast-paced environment.

Opplane is looking for leadership, end-to-end feature ownership, and collaboration in a startup-like environment in the United States.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience building enterprise-grade appliances or similar systems.
• 3+ years delivering complex features independently.
• Strong embedded software development skills in C/C++ (Python is a plus).
• Expertise in VPP, DPDK or similar open-source data plane / fast path stacks.
• Good understanding of DPDK-based traffic generators (e.g., TRex) - development experience is a strong plus.
• Strong knowledge of L2-L4 networking and protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, ARP, DHCP, DNS, NAT, Firewall).
• Experience with security protocols (IPsec, SSL/TLS), authentication, and authorization.
• Hands-on experience with Software Defined Networking (SDN) and distributed systems.
• Familiarity with overlays and tunneling technologies.
• Excellent software engineering fundamentals and clean coding practices.
• Hands-on experience with containerization technologies (e.g., Docker) and container orchestration platforms such as Kubernetes.
• Proven ability to succeed in collaborative, startup-like environments.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop high-performance networking features for enterprise-grade appliances.
• Work on open-source data plane / fast path stacks (VPP, DPDK).
• Lead technical initiatives and mentor team members.
• Own features end-to-end, delivering independently and at scale.
• Collaborate cross-functionally and promote knowledge sharing.
• Communicate architecture decisions and design trade-offs effectively, including at senior levels.
• Manage competing priorities with urgency, accountability, and strong ownership.

Skills

C/C++

Python

VPP/DPDK

DPDK-based traffic generators

TRex

L2-L4 networking

TCP/IP

IPsec/SSL/TLS

SDN

Docker

Kubernetes

Security protocols

Overlays & tunneling

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/EE

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

Job description

Opplane is seeking a highly skilled and experienced Senior Networking Software Engineer with a strong focus on transport connectivity and networking products. As a key member of our team, you will design, develop, and deploy enterprise-grade networking appliances, contributing to impactful, large-scale systems in a fast-paced environment.

Opplane is looking for leadership, end-to-end feature ownership, and collaboration in a startup-like environment in the United States.