Staff Network Engineer

As a Staff Network Engineer at Lambda, your primary responsibilities will revolve around scaling our high-performance cloud network and contributing to the design and development of software-defined networks. You'll be managing Spine and Leaf networks, ensuring high availability through effective monitoring and redundancy, while also deploying and maintaining network monitoring tools to provide robust networking solutions.

To qualify for the Staff Network Engineer role at Lambda, candidates should possess over 15 years of experience in building and managing complex networks, including leading production-scale networking projects. Expertise in Spine and Leaf network topology, SDNs, and a strong understanding of the Linux networking stack are essential. Candidates should also be comfortable with Python programming and ideally have experience with tools like OpenStack or Terraform.

Lambda is committed to fostering professional development for its Staff Network Engineers. We provide access to cutting-edge research opportunities and collaboration with a talented team of over 350 AI engineers. Our flexible work environment and continuous learning attitude ensure that you can grow your skills and advance your career while contributing to innovative AI solutions.

At Lambda, we pride ourselves on maintaining a collaborative and inclusive work culture that values diverse backgrounds and experiences. As a Staff Network Engineer, you'll be part of a supportive team environment where creativity and innovation are encouraged. We believe in work-life balance, offering flexible paid time off and a focus on employee well-being.

Lambda offers a comprehensive benefits package for its Staff Network Engineers, including competitive cash and equity compensation, health, dental, and vision coverage, a 401k plan with a company match, and stipends for remote work. Our flexible paid time off policy allows you to take the necessary time to recharge and maintain work-life balance.

In answering this question, focus on specific projects where you implemented or managed Spine and Leaf architectures. Highlight your strategic approach, the challenges you faced, and the outcomes achieved, demonstrating your deep understanding of this topology's benefits in optimizing network performance.

When discussing high availability, emphasize your experience with redundancy, failover strategies, and monitoring tools. Mention specific tools you've used and how they contributed to maintaining network uptime, ensuring that you can safeguard against failures effectively.

In your response, discuss how you've utilized Python for automating network configurations, deploying tools, or analyzing network performance. Bring up any projects where your programming skills led to increased efficiency in network management processes.

When tackling this question, explain your design process, the considerations you take into account, and any frameworks or methodologies you've employed. Discuss how you ensure that your SDN solutions align with organizational goals and are scalable for future needs.

Share a specific case study where you led a networking project, detailing the project's scope, the technologies used, and your leadership role. Highlight the key learnings and metrics that showcase the project's success and impact on the organization.

Discuss your proactive approach to staying updated, such as attending industry conferences, engaging with online communities, or pursuing certifications. Highlight your enthusiasm for learning and how it influences your work as a Staff Network Engineer at Lambda.

Provide a list of monitoring tools you've used—like Datadog, Prometheus, or Grafana—and explain how you utilized them in past projects to monitor network performance, troubleshoot issues, and improve overall network reliability.

Illustrate your systematic approach to troubleshooting and resolving network failures. Discuss the tools you would use, how you would diagnose the issue, and how your response plan prioritizes minimal downtime while ensuring effective communication with stakeholders.

In your answer, discuss your experience with location-aware strategies, load balancing, and technologies that facilitate efficient data transfer across data centers. Highlight specific examples of how you've implemented these strategies to ensure optimal performance.

Describe your experience working with diverse teams, emphasizing effective communication and understanding of the various roles involved in network implementation projects. Share practices that help bridge gaps and ensure everyone is aligned with the project goals.