Senior Principal Engineer, Network Software

Senior Principal Engineer, Network Software Equinix paid time off, paid holidays, retirement plan United States, California, Redwood City 1 Lagoon Drive (Show on map) Apr 10, 2026 Who are we? Equinix is the world's digital infrastructure company, shortening the path to connectivity to enable the innovations that enrich our work, life and planet. A place where tech thinkers and future builders turn bold ideas into breakthrough experiences, we welcome your unique perspective. Help us challenge assumptions, uncover bias, and remove barriers-because progress starts with fresh ideas. You'll find belonging, purpose, and a team that welcomes you-because when you feel valued, you're empowered to do your best work. Job Summary Responsible for driving innovative architectures in line with the latest network technology trends, and completeness of architectural changes that meet Product Management and/or Network and Systems Engineering requirements Maintains relationships with senior leadership and collaborates with a broad range of stakeholders globally Establishes key performance metrics Drives a culture of innovation, excellence & collaboration with other business functions Provides strategic direction in planning/execution Within Equinix, the Network Platform Engineering (NPE) team is chartered with: Designing, implementing, deploying and operating the company's global network infrastructure to deliver the best possible performance and experience to customers and internal users Evaluating next-generation networking technologies and developing an evolution roadmap and target architectures for the network technology stack (spanning optical, routing, switching, software networking) Delivering industry thought leadership and building closer engagement with the developer community in areas relevant to networking We are looking for a Senior Principal Engineer to help design, develop and evaluate next-generation networking capabilities and architectures that will help shape the evolution of Equinix's network and infrastructure stack. We are looking for someone with a passion for developing modern, world-class networking solutions that are scalable, reliable, and programmable through software. You will provide network design and engineering expertise and technical leadership across critical and pivotal initiatives focusing on scaling, modernizing, and automating Equinix's global network infrastructure. You will have the flexibility to work on different projects to utilize new technologies as we continue to explore new areas and drive innovation across the infrastructure space. It presents a great opportunity for a passionate, technical leader to make a tangible impact to the future-state technology stack of Equinix' global networks and infrastructure. If you believe in the power of technology to change the world, and if you value creativity, work comfortably in a fast-paced environment and are eager to learn new technologies, we would like to talk to you. Responsibilities Provide senior thought leadership and significant technical contributions to help develop target software defined network architectures and recommendations, for the evolution of the network technology stack at Equinix, in close collaboration with stakeholders Drive cross-stakeholder alignment on network requirements and design trade-offs Help identify technical debt and drive continual improvement by partnering with associate organizations Provide in-depth technical expertise to identify and evaluate innovations in networking and assess their impact on the network infrastructure of future at Equinix Contribute to next-generation networking proof-of-concept projects to deliver tangible outcomes that guide new technology investments and implementation decisions to evolve the network technology stack Serve as an orchestrator of thinking internally and externally, including in interactions with customers, partners, forums, and open-source/developer communities Qualifications 15+ years of relevant experience Demonstrable, extensive experience in developing next generation networking technologies and architectures implemented in large-scale, critically important deployments.

Examples include:

a proven background in network infrastructure design, engineering, DevOps/operations, security, tooling, networking products/solutions Top-tier relevant network design or network engineering leadership with software-defined, cloud-native networking technologies and ecosystems is essential with detailed knowledge across layers 2-3 control and network data planes and ideally networking operating systems as well Substantive knowledge of network (function) disaggregation, including merchant silicon and ODM solutions Expert level knowledge with service provider networking technologies and protocols, including BGP, IS-IS, MPLS, Segment Routing, RSVP, QoS, EVPN, VXLAN, traffic engineering (backbone & edge) Passionate about infrastructure automation through software, together with solid hands-on experience of network automation Experience of engineering with programming languages (such as C, C++, Go, Python, Rust) for network automation Experience with network configuration tools such as Netconf, yang Experience with open networking technologies and ecosystems, such as Routing Daemons (FRR, Bird, GoBGP), Linux Networking (eBPF, VPP, XDP), and SONiC, or other Linux-based open Network Operating Systems Involvement with modern observability platforms (Prometheus/PromQL, Grafana, gNMI, etc) Experience with network flow export (Netflow, IPFIX, sFlow) and analysis Solid understanding of full networking stack (routing, switching and optical networking), including key protocols & standards, Linux networking and open-source solutions, vendor ecosystems and implementation best practices Excellent written and verbal communications skills, for interacting with both engineers and executive leadership Excellent collaboration and people skills Experience working on hybrid distributed teams Experience recruiting and coaching/mentoring engineers at all levels The targeted pay range for this position in the following location is / locations are: United States

• CA Bay Area :

  240,000
• 360,000 USD / Annual United States

• CA Non-Bay Area, AK, CT, DC, IL, MD, MA, NJ, NY, VA, WA :

  220,000
• 330,000 USD / Annual United States
• Other posted locations not specifically listed : 200,000
• 300,000 USD / Annual United States

• Frisco Office DAF :

  200,000
• 300,000 USD / Annual United States

• Redwood City Office GHQ :

  240,000
• 360,000 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. We use artificial intelligence in our hiring process. Learn more here. This posting is for a backfill position, meaning it is to fill an existing vacancy within our organization.