Staff Engineer, Software

About the role

We are seeking an experienced network automation script specialist to drive innovative test transformation. Your mission is to create an automation script framework that enables the development of new automation scripts that can seamlessly integrate into existing software development pipelines to intelligently verify PR code changes. This person will analyze existing network automation scripts and develop a list of automation script enhancements to optimize the verification phase of the product SDLC process. This includes using AI to design, develop, and enhance new and existing automation scripts. Experience with integrating agentic AI workflows into automation scripts to provide test failure problem determination and suggest possible remediations is a must.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and implementation of a robust, automation script framework that enables AI to quickly create new automation scripts that will run within a confederation of Automation Testbeds.
• Maintain and enhance existing automation scripts to maintain hardened execution reliability.
• Integrate agentic AI workflows to automate resolution of script failures.
• Analyze script failures to identify software components that are below accepted reliability standards.
• Work closely with DevTestOps and software development teams to ensure the control center provides services to engineers to assist with debugging and retesting updated scripts.
• Understand and apply network protocol proficiency, hands-on experience with high-performance traffic generators, familiarity with high-performance networking environments, and familiarity with using and configuring IXIA, network switches, and network servers.
• Mastery of Python (the industry standard for network automation) and its testing frameworks (PyTest, Robot Framework).
• Experience integrating automation scripts into Azure DevOps or BitBucket Pipelines.
• Ability to move beyond "linear scripts" to build modular, reusable automation scripting framework that can evolve with AI advancements.
• Advanced knowledge of SPyTest and Python-based automation.
• Familiarity with rapid software development using AI tools such as Claude Code.
• Advanced experience with GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps or Jenkins, and containerization (Docker/Kubernetes).

Requirements

• Expert Development: Proven experience building complex automation script frameworks using extensive sets of common libraries.
• Testing Infrastructure: In-depth experience running, triaging, and debugging automation scripts.
• Networking & Hardware Context: Familiarity with high-performance networking environments, specifically SONiC, OpenBMC, and data center hardware management.
• AI/ML Application: Practical experience integrating AI agents or LLM-based workflows into software applications to automate decision-making and analysis.
• Engineering Rigor: Deep understanding of test-driven development (TDD), CI/CD pipelines, and robust software engineering practices.
• Systems Thinking: Ability to bridge the gap between cloud-hosted software and physical hardware distributed across global sites.

Qualifications

• Architect & Design: Lead the design and implementation of a robust, automation script framework that enables AI to quickly create new automation scripts that will run within a confederation of Automation Testbeds.
• Full-Stack Development: Maintain and enhance existing automation scripts to maintain hardened execution reliability.
• AI Integration: Integrate agentic AI workflows to automate resolution of script failures.
• End-to-End Visibility: Analyze script failures to identify software components that are below accepted reliability standards.
• Collaboration: Work closely with DevTestOps and software development teams to ensure the control center provides services to engineers to assist with debugging and retesting updated scripts.
• Network Automation & Hardware: Network Protocol Proficiency: Understanding of L2/L3 protocols (STP, BGP, OSPF, VLANs, VXLAN), port features (LLDP, MLAG, and ACLs), network services (SNMP, DHCP, DNS), and network security (SSL, DoS).
• Traffic Generation: Hands-on experience with high-performance traffic generators, specifically IXIA (IxNetwork/IxLoad) or Spirent.
• Hardware Use Experience: Familiarity with using and configuring IXIA, network switches, and network servers.
• Software Engineering & SDLC: Advanced Scripting: Mastery of Python (the industry standard for network automation) and its testing frameworks (PyTest, Robot Framework).
• CI/CD Integration: Experience integrating automation scripts into Azure DevOps or BitBucket Pipelines.
• Framework Architecture: Ability to move beyond "linear scripts" to build modular, reusable automation scripting framework that can evolve with AI advancements.
• Soft Skills: Analytical Transformation: The ability to audit legacy scripts and identify specific "technical debt" to be replaced by AI-driven optimizations.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to speak the "language" of both hardware network engineers and cloud software developers.
• Strategic Vision: Capacity to see the "Test Automation Control Center" as a holistic product rather than a collection of isolated scripts.
• REST API & Webhooks: To connect cloud-hosted control applications with on-prem physical hardware.
• Cloud Infrastructure: Familiarity with hosting automation controllers in environments like AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Linux Systems: Advanced knowledge of Linux environments for switch management and script execution.

Skills

• Infrastructure & SDLC Integration: Architect & Design, Full-Stack Development, AI Integration, End-to-End Visibility, Collaboration.
• Network Automation & Hardware: Network Protocol Proficiency, Traffic Generation, Hardware Use Experience.
• Software Engineering & SDLC: Advanced Scripting, CI/CD Integration, Framework Architecture.
• Soft Skills: Analytical Transformation, Cross-Functional Collaboration, Strategic Vision.
• Hard Skills: REST API & Webhooks, Cloud Infrastructure, Linux Systems.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package offered in addition to salary and STI compensation.

Pay

118K - 184K

Schedule

Remote Employee US, NH, US

Qualifications

• 10 to 15 years typical experience.
• Bachelor degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Notes

This job description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities of the position. Employees are held accountable for all duties of the job. Job duties and the % of time identified for any function are subject to change at any time.