Distinguished Engineer – Data Center Network Architecture & Engineering

Position Description

As a Distinguished Engineer, you will establish the technical vision and engineering strategy for GEICO's data center network infrastructure. You will lead the architecture and development of highly scalable Layer 3 Clos fabrics, software-defined networking platforms, cloud networking services, and network automation frameworks that enable self-service infrastructure at enterprise scale. You will work closely with cloud, compute, storage, security, and platform engineering teams to build a unified infrastructure architecture focused on resilience, automation, observability, and developer productivity.

Position Responsibilities

• Architecture & Strategy

• Define the long-term architectural vision for GEICO's data center network infrastructure.
• Establish standards and reference architectures for data center fabrics, cloud networking, hybrid connectivity, and network security.
• Drive technical roadmaps for network modernization, automation, and software-defined infrastructure initiatives.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends to guide strategic investments and platform evolution.

• Data Center Networking

• Architect highly available network services supporting multi-site and multi-region deployments.
• Define resiliency, redundancy, and disaster recovery strategies for mission-critical infrastructure.

• Software-Defined Networking & Automation

• Lead the design and implementation of software-defined networking capabilities across private cloud and hybrid cloud environments.
• Build automated network provisioning and lifecycle management platforms utilizing APIs, Infrastructure-as-Code, and GitOps methodologies.
• Develop frameworks for automated network validation, configuration management, compliance enforcement, and operational remediation.
• Drive adoption of programmable networking using SmartNICs, DPUs, and open hardware abstraction technologies.

• Cloud & Platform Integration

• Partner with OpenStack, Kubernetes, Storage, and Platform Engineering teams to deliver integrated cloud networking solutions.
• Architect networking solutions supporting Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), AI/ML platforms, and emerging cloud services.
• Define connectivity patterns between on-premises infrastructure and public cloud providers.
• Enable secure, scalable multi-tenant networking capabilities across cloud platforms.

• Performance, Security & Reliability

• Lead network performance engineering initiatives to improve throughput, latency, availability, and operational efficiency.
• Define observability standards leveraging telemetry, analytics, monitoring, and automated diagnostics.
• Partner with cybersecurity teams to implement Zero Trust architectures, segmentation strategies, and cloud-native security controls.
• Drive continuous improvement through operational excellence, automation, and resilience engineering.

• Technical Leadership

• Serve as the organization's most senior technical authority for network architecture and design.
• Mentor Principal, Senior Staff, and Staff Engineers across multiple organizations.
• Lead architecture reviews, technical design decisions, and engineering strategy discussions.
• Build strong partnerships across Infrastructure, Security, Cloud, and Engineering leadership teams.

Minimum Qualifications

• Technical Expertise

• Deep expertise in modern data center networking architectures and large-scale network design.
• Advanced understanding of Layer 2/Layer 3 protocols including: BGP, EVPN, VXLAN, ECMP, MPLS, OSPF.
• Experience designing and operating leaf-spine and Clos network fabrics.
• Strong understanding of software-defined networking architectures and network virtualization technologies.
• Cloud & Infrastructure Experience designing networking solutions for private, hybrid, and public cloud environments.
• Understanding of Kubernetes networking, container networking, and cloud-native networking models.
• Familiarity with OpenStack networking services including Neutron and related networking components.
• Experience supporting large-scale virtualized and bare metal environments.

• Software Engineering

• Strong software development skills in one or more of the following: Go, Python, C/C++, Rust, Java.
• Experience building automation platforms, APIs, and infrastructure services.
• Strong knowledge of Linux system architecture and distributed systems.

• Operational Excellence

• Proven ability to troubleshoot complex network performance, availability, and scaling challenges.
• Strong understanding of observability, telemetry, monitoring, and incident response practices.
• Excellent analytical and systems-thinking capabilities.

• Leadership

• Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction across multiple engineering organizations.
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills.
• Proven track record mentoring senior technical talent and driving organization-wide engineering initiatives.

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years of networking, infrastructure, or cloud engineering experience.
• 10+ years designing enterprise or hyperscale network architectures.
• Experience with open networking technologies and disaggregated network operating systems.
• Experience with SmartNICs, DPUs, programmable switches, and hardware acceleration technologies.
• Familiarity with Open Compute Project (OCP) networking technologies and Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI).
• Experience with large-scale cloud providers or cloud service architectures.
• Experience supporting AI/ML, GPU, or high-performance computing networking environments.
• Experience implementing Infrastructure-as-Code and GitOps operating models.
• Knowledge of Zero Trust networking and network security architectures.

Annual Salary

$140,000.00 - $300,000.00