Staff Engineer-Sonic Networking and Security

Position summary:

We are seeking an experienced Staff Engineer with expertise in SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud), Networking, Security, and Linux. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of data plane and control plane networking, security mechanisms, and open-source networking stacks. You will play a crucial role in designing, developing, and optimizing high-performance networking solutions based on SONiC, working on switch OS internals, and ensuring security at all levels.

Key Roles & Responsibilities:

  • Design, develop, and optimize SONiC-based networking solutions for data center and cloud environments.
  • Contribute to SONiC’s Control Plane, Data Plane, SAI (Switch Abstraction Interface), and integration with ASICs.
  • Develop and enhance network security mechanisms, including ACLs, firewall rules, and secure communication protocols.
  • Work with Linux kernel networking stack, DPDK, eBPF, and other high-performance packet processing frameworks.
  • Integrate and optimize FRR (Free Range Routing), BGP, OSPF, and other routing protocols within SONiC.
  • Collaborate with ASIC vendors to integrate new chipsets with SONiC through SAI API development.
  • Drive software development using C, C++, Python, and Go for various networking and security features.
  • Optimize Netfilter, iptables, nftables, and XDP/eBPF for security and performance enhancements.
  • Design and implement Zero Trust Security models for networking and cloud infrastructure.
  • Work on containerized networking (CNI), Kubernetes networking, and SDN solutions.
  • Debug and troubleshoot networking and security issues using tcpdump, Wireshark, gdb, strace, and perf tools.
  • Contribute to open-source networking projects and work with the SONiC community.

Basic Qualifications:

  • A Bachelors or Master’s degree in computer science, electronics engineering or a related field
  • 8-12 years of experience in networking software development, security, and Linux systems programming.
  • Strong expertise in SONiC architecture, SAI, and open networking platforms.
  • Proficiency in L2/L3 networking protocols (BGP, OSPF, MPLS, VXLAN, EVPN, etc.).
  • Strong knowledge of network security concepts, including firewalling, VPNs, and DDoS mitigation.
  • Experience with Linux networking internals, Netfilter, iptables, nftables, XDP, and eBPF.
  • Proficiency in C, C++, Python, and Go for networking software development.
  • Strong debugging skills using tcpdump, Wireshark, gdb, strace, perf, and ASAN.
  • Experience working with network ASICs, Broadcom, Mellanox, Marvell, or Intel-based chipsets.
  • Good understanding of container networking, Kubernetes CNI, and SDN concepts.
  • Hands-on experience with CI/CD, Git, Jenkins, and automated testing frameworks.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience in DPDK, P4 programming, and FPGA-based networking solutions.
  • Contributions to open-source networking projects (SONiC, FRR, Linux kernel, etc.).
  • Knowledge of TLS, IPSec, MACsec, and secure boot mechanisms.
  • Experience working with public cloud networking (AWS, Azure, GCP).