Staff Engineer, Network Infrastructure

DigitalOcean

. Design and build network automation and orchestration systems for DigitalOcean's global network infrastructure .

Posted 9/21/2026full-timeRemote • California • United StatesLead💰 $191,200 - $239,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in designing and building scalable network automation and orchestration systems, with strong programming skills in Go, Python, or C++. Proficient in network engineering principles, including TCP/IP, BGP, and network telemetry, while providing technical leadership and effective communication across engineering teams.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Network Automation DevelopmentSoftware Engineering FundamentalsProgramming in Go, Python, or C++Network Engineering ExpertiseTechnical Writing Skills

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Network ProvisioningConfiguration ManagementDevice Lifecycle ManagementDistributed SystemsAPI DesignConcurrencyTestingObservabilitySystem ReliabilityAutomation Frameworks

Soft Skills

Strong Communication SkillsTechnical LeadershipMentoring EngineersInfluencing Technical DecisionsProblem-Solving

Tools & Technologies

DPUsSmartNICsProgrammable Network InfrastructureNetwork TelemetryEBPFP4

Industry Keywords

Network InfrastructureOrchestrationInfrastructure PlatformsProduction EnvironmentsRFCsTechnical Proposals

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Distributed SystemsPythonSwitchingTCP/IPC++Go

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Design and build network automation and orchestration systems for DigitalOcean's global network infrastructure
Develop software for network provisioning, configuration management, device lifecycle management, validation, monitoring, and automated remediation
Build software integrating with DPUs, SmartNICs, and programmable network infrastructure
Develop automation for large-scale datacenter and Point of Presence deployments, hardware, network fabrics, routing infrastructure, and vendor integrations
Build abstractions across network vendors and hardware implementations while maintaining safety and reliability
Create diagnostic tools and automate operational workflows
Convert manual, repetitive, or error-prone infrastructure operations into scalable software solutions
Partner with network engineers and infrastructure architects on maintainable software architectures
Establish engineering standards for infrastructure software development, testing, observability, and operational readiness
Lead projects from technical design through implementation, deployment, and long-term operation
Establish technical direction and make architectural decisions
Author RFCs, architecture and design documents, technical proposals, project plans, and technical documentation
Identify systemic infrastructure problems and solutions spanning multiple teams and infrastructure layers
Evaluate emerging hardware and software technologies
Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership across the engineering organization
Use AI tooling to accelerate development, debugging, testing, documentation, and technical exploration
Build platforms, abstractions, and automation that enable other engineers to move faster
Build partnerships across Network Infrastructure, Compute, Storage, Availability, Security, and Hardware/Platform Engineering

Requirements

What you’ll need

Significant experience designing and building production software systems at scale
Strong software engineering fundamentals, including distributed systems, API design, concurrency, testing, observability, and system reliability
Strong programming experience in one or more languages such as Go, Python, or C++
Experience building automation, orchestration, or infrastructure platforms
Strong understanding of networking, including TCP/IP, BGP, EVPN/VXLAN, VLANs, routing, switching, and network telemetry
Experience working with network devices, network automation frameworks, APIs, or vendor SDKs
Experience designing systems that operate safely in highly available, production environments
Ability to understand complex infrastructure problems and simplify them into scalable software architectures
Strong technical writing skills, including RFCs, architecture/design documents, technical proposals, project plans, and related documentation
Ability to turn ambiguous problems into technical proposals, documented requirements, architectural decisions, and implementation plans
Strong communication skills and ability to influence technical decisions across engineering teams
Demonstrated ability to operate as a technical leader without relying on organizational authority
Experience with DPUs, SmartNICs, or programmable network infrastructure is particularly valuable
Experience with programmable data planes, eBPF, P4, or similar technologies is particularly valuable

Benefits

Comp & perks

Reimbursement for relevant conferences, training, and education
Access to LinkedIn Learning's 10,000+ courses
Employee Assistance Program
Local Employee Meetups
Flexible time off policy
Competitive benefits varying based on local regulations and preferences
Bonus eligibility based on company and individual performance
Equity compensation, including equity grants upon hire
Employee Stock Purchase Program
Equal-opportunity employment