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Job Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled & motivated Staff Engineer to join our Network Platform Engineering (NPE) team. In this role, you will support the certification and validation of Network Operating Systems (NOS), Fabric interconnection/IX features & new product features before production deployment. You will build and maintain staging topologies, execute structured test plans, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure network reliability and performance.

This is an individual contributor role at the intersection of Network infrastructure & software engineering. You will work closely with Senior Staff and Principal Engineers, as well as Product, Engineering, Operations, and Observability teams, to contribute to the velocity and quality of network certification and deployment pipelines.

This role requires solid networking fundamentals, hands-on lab experience, willingness to own technical problems end-to-end, and a continuous drive to develop in depth network technologies and automation.

Responsibilities

• NOS & Feature Certification: Execute and document test plans to certify new NOS releases, Fabric interconnection & new product features before production deployment under the guidance of senior engineers

• Lab Environment Management: Build and maintain staging environments that replicate service provider and data center topologies for testing purposes

• Regression & Scale/Performance Testing: Conduct interoperability, scalability, and high-availability testing across multi-vendor environments

• Vendor Liaison: Collaborate with network vendors to track and validate software bug fixes, validate hotfixes, escalating complex issues to senior team members

• Production Readiness: Contribute to deployment playbooks and rollback strategies alongside production engineering teams

• Feature Research & Evaluation: Assist in evaluating emerging network technologies and vendor features ahead of production integration

Network Engineering & Automation

• Contribute to the design and implementation of network infrastructure solutions spanning Layers 1–3, in a scalable and reliable manner

• Develop and execute test plans to validate architectural designs, NOS features, and customer use cases in lab environment

• Demonstrate solid understanding of service provider and DC networking technologies including BGP (iBGP/eBGP, policies, RR), MPLS, EVPN, IS-IS, OSPF, and Segment Routing, QoS in multi-vendor environments

• Working knowledge of technologies such as VXLAN, EPL, EVPL, EPLAN, EVPLAN, ETREE in multi-vendor environments

• Configure, operate, and troubleshoot hardware and NOS platforms including Nokia, Juniper, Cisco, and Arrcus

• Develop and maintain automation scripts and tools to improve efficiency of certification and test workflows

Qualifications

Required Expertise

• 5+ years of experience in Network Engineering and Automation

• Solid understanding of OSI layers; hands-on experience with routing and switching in multi-vendor environments (Required)

• Proficiency in service provider and data center networking protocols​

• Routing: BGP (iBGP/eBGP, route policies, communities), OSPF, IS-IS

• MPLS: LDP, RSVP-TE, Segment Routing (SR-MPLS, SRv6)

• Overlay/Underlay: VXLAN, EVPN, L3VPN, L2VPN

• Network virtualization: CNF, VNF, SR-IOV, DPDK

• Networking Vendors: Nokia, Juniper, Cisco, Arrcus

• Familiarity with network test equipment and traffic generators (e.g., Spirent, Keysight/Ixia, IPerf, TRex)

• Good programming proficiency in network automation tools (e.g., Python, Ansible, Netmiko, REST API) and programmatic interfaces (NETCONF, RESTCONF, gNMI)

• Familiarity with deploying, testing, and troubleshooting network features within Docker container and Kubernetes (K8s) clusters

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines (e.g., GitHub, GitHub Actions, Jenkins) and DevOps best practices

• Basic familiarity with hybrid cloud architecture and AWS networking services (VPC, Transit Gateway, Direct Connect) is a plus

• Exposure to AI/ML tools and LLMs for test automation, log analysis, or anomaly detection is a plus

• Relevant industry certifications (e.g., Cisco CCNA/CCNP, Juniper JNCIP, AWS SA) are a plus

The targeted pay range for this position in the following location is / locations are:

United States - Dallas Infomart Office DAI : 118,000 - 176,000 USD / Annual

Our pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum target for new hire pay for the full-time position determined by role, level, and location.The pay range shown is based on our compensation structure in place at the time of posting and may be updated periodically based on business needs. Individual pay is based on additional factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education and/or training.

The targeted pay range listed reflects the base pay only and does not include bonus, equity, or benefits. Employees are eligible for bonus, and equity may be offered depending on the position.

Equinix Benefits

As an employee, you become important to Equinix’s success. We ensure all your benefits are in line with our core values: competitive, inclusive, sustainable, connected and efficient. We keep them competitive within the current marketplace to ensure we’re providing you with the best package possible. So, wherever you are in your career and life, you’ll be able to enhance your experience and bring your whole self to work.

Employee Assistance Program: An Employee Assistance program is available to all employees.

US Benefits: - Insurance: You may enroll in health, life, disability and voluntary plans that are designed for you and your eligible family members. - Retirement: You and Equinix may contribute to a retirement plan to help you plan for your financial future. - Paid Time Off (PTO) and Paid Holidays: You will receive an accrued amount of PTO each pay period along with various paid holidays for you to rest and recharge. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific plan or program terms.

Equinix is committed to ensuring that our employment process is open to all individuals, including those with a disability.  If you are a qualified candidate and need assistance or an accommodation, please let us know by completing this form.

Equinix is an Equal Employment Opportunity and, in the U.S., an Affirmative Action employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to unlawful consideration of race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, place of birth, citizenship, sex, pregnancy / childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic partnership status, age, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, political / organizational affiliation, status as a victim or family member of a victim of crime or abuse, or any other status protected by applicable law. 

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This posting is a new position within our organization.