Principal Cloud Networking Engineer

As a Principal Cloud Networking Engineer at Toast, your primary responsibilities include designing and implementing software-defined networks, cloud landing zones, and VPCs. Additionally, you will oversee cloud security, application and network firewalls, and ingress and egress controls to ensure PCI compliant networks. Collaborating with cross-functional teams, you will focus on providing robust cloud infrastructure that enables teams to work efficiently.

To qualify for the Principal Cloud Networking Engineer role at Toast, candidates should possess a minimum of 15 years of experience in developing distributed systems, with at least 10 years working in AWS cloud environments. Moreover, hands-on experience with edge networking products, IaC tools like Terraform or Cloudformation, and container orchestration platforms like ECS or Kubernetes is essential for successful applicants.

Candidates for the Principal Cloud Networking Engineer position at Toast should have a strong background in building internal and edge network infrastructure in cloud environments. Experience with technologies such as DNS, BGP, VPC Peering, and tools for edge/CDN networking, as well as a solid understanding of cloud-native systems and service mesh architectures, is highly preferred.

In the Principal Cloud Networking Engineer role at Toast, collaboration is prioritized through a hybrid work model. You will work closely with product teams and other platform engineering groups, fostering an environment where internal customer service and shared goals drive the engineering processes. This culture encourages open communication and teamwork across departments.

At Toast, the Principal Cloud Networking Engineer has numerous opportunities for professional growth. You will be positioned as a technical leader and cloud architect, allowing you to influence technical decisions and lead teams. By collaborating with the Chief Architect and Software Systems Architects, you can expand your knowledge base and further develop your leadership skills within a dynamic tech environment.

When answering this question, focus on outlining a project where you played a crucial role from inception to completion. Highlight challenges you faced, the solutions you implemented, and the technologies you used. This shows your hands-on experience and leadership capabilities while providing insight into your problem-solving skills.

Discuss your methodology for creating secure cloud networks, including considerations such as access controls, monitoring tools, and compliance requirements like PCI. Providing specific examples of how you've implemented security measures in past roles will demonstrate your expertise and foresight in cloud security.

In your response, elaborate on the IaC tools you’ve utilized, such as Terraform or CloudFormation. Illustrate a project where IaC significantly improved deployment speed and reduced errors, thus showcasing your understanding of modern infrastructure practices.

Share a concrete example of a project where you worked closely with product, development, or other engineering teams. Emphasize the communication and collaboration strategies you used to align different stakeholders towards a common goal, which will highlight your interpersonal skills.

List the networking protocols relevant to the role, such as BGP, DNS, or VPNs, and explain how you've applied them in previous projects. Demonstrating familiarity with these protocols will help establish your technical credibility.

Outline the methods you use to keep up-to-date with cloud technologies, such as attending industry conferences, networking with other professionals in the field, or following relevant publications. This conveys your dedication to lifelong learning and staying ahead in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Discuss any practical experience you have with platforms like ECS or Kubernetes, including projects where you utilized these tools to manage microservices. Highlight specific challenges and how you overcame them, showcasing your expertise in container management.

Describe your criteria for evaluating cloud networking designs, which may include scalability, security, cost efficiency, and ease of management. Providing a framework for evaluation will illustrate your systematic approach to engineering challenges.

Identify key skills such as technical leadership, deep cloud understanding, ability to innovate, and strong communication capabilities. This helps the interviewer understand how your skill set aligns with their job expectations.

Share your troubleshooting approach, including the tools you use to diagnose issues and the processes you follow to resolve them. Providing examples of challenges you've faced can reinforce your problem-solving skills and adaptability under pressure.