Director, Network Planning & Architecture

About the Role

As Director of Network Planning, you will lead the strategy, planning, and evolution of Digital Realty’s global network infrastructure. You will collaborate with Technical Program Managers, Network Engineers, Design and Infrastructure Engineers, Field Engineers, and external vendors to define scalable network strategies, strengthen architecture standards, and drive successful business outcomes. Your goal is to ensure the network is reliable, scalable, cost-effective, and ready for future growth, supporting customers and partners across a global platform of data centers and interconnection points.

Responsibilities

• Lead global network planning strategy, including long-range capacity planning, infrastructure prioritization, and investment alignment to support business growth and customer demand.
• Drive network capacity deployment planning to ensure timely and scalable infrastructure delivery in key markets.
• Partner with product, sales, finance, and deployment teams to evaluate demand signals, define requirements, and prioritize new market expansion.
• Align network planning, architecture, and deployment with product roadmaps, service requirements, and customer experience goals.
• Establish and govern network architecture standards, design principles, and planning frameworks for scalable, resilient, and cost-effective infrastructure.
• Develop repeatable planning and deployment models for global network expansion.
• Own the roadmap for planning automation, data-driven workflows, and process standardization to improve efficiency and consistency.
• Drive strategic use of AI tools to automate planning, analysis, and design workflows, enhancing decision-making and engineering productivity.
• Align network strategy with service requirements, financial targets, operational readiness, and customer commitments across teams.
• Build and evolve governance, business processes, and performance measures for network planning, including topology standards, hardware lifecycle, capacity targets, and risk management.

Requirements

• Experience leading network planning, architecture, or infrastructure strategy for large-scale Layer 1, Layer 2, or Layer 3 environments.
• Experience defining architecture standards, design principles, and implementation models across optical, transport, routing, and data center networking.
• Experience in long-range capacity planning, investment prioritization, and infrastructure roadmap development in telecommunications, hyperscale, data center, or colocation environments.
• Experience leading network capacity deployment, market expansion planning, and infrastructure readiness for new metros, products, or services.
• Experience advancing AI-enabled automation using Python, APIs, data-driven workflows, and AI tools to streamline network engineering processes.
• Knowledge of fiber types, transport systems, routing infrastructure, and scalable network architecture principles.
• Experience establishing governance, business processes, and operating models for consistency and scalability.
• Experience leading cross-functional programs and aligning stakeholders around strategic network priorities.
• Excellent communication, executive presentation, and decision-making skills.

Pay

Compensation range: $170,000 – $190,000. This range represents the Company’s good faith belief for base salary at the time of posting. Individual pay is based on factors including job-related skills, experience, and education.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, life, and AD&D insurance
• 401k match
• Disability benefits
• Wellness and education benefits
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Paid time off and holidays