# Staff Software Engineer - Integrated Network Strategy **Company**: Cloudflare **Location**: Hybrid **Work arrangement**: hybrid **Experience**: staff **Job type**: full-time **Category**: Engineering **Industry**: Technology **Apply**: https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/cloudflare/jobs/8157281?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply **Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/jobs/job_06013101-a52 ## Description ## Job Overview We are seeking a Staff Software Engineer to join our Integrated Network Strategy team at Cloudflare. You will lead the design, evolution, and operational excellence of our global network infrastructure. ## Responsibilities ### Network Architecture & Design - Design and evolve the architecture of Cloudflare's global network, including core infrastructure patterns, interconnection strategies, and edge deployment models. - Establish and maintain design standards that enable consistency, reliability, and defensibility across heterogeneous deployments. - Lead architectural reviews; anticipate technical debt and recommend major evolution initiatives, working across teams. ### Capacity Planning & Systems Design - Own the design and continuous improvement of capacity management processes and systems used across infrastructure teams. - Develop methodologies for forecasting demand, modeling growth scenarios, and optimizing resource utilization. - Build tools, dashboards, and automated systems that make capacity planning visible, transparent, and actionable. ### Hardware & Network Evolution - Drive the evolution of network hardware and platform strategies, evaluating new platforms, vendors, and architectures. - Lead technical evaluations of emerging technologies (silicon, switching architectures, routing protocols, optical transport, etc.). - Work with procurement, supply chain, and engineering teams to transition the network to next-generation platforms. ### Next-Generation Planning & Research - Conceive and plan multi-year technical roadmaps for network infrastructure, anticipating growth patterns and industry dynamics. - Conduct research into emerging infrastructure trends and translate insights into strategic recommendations. - Lead architectural exploration and validation projects that de-risk future directions before large-scale commitment. ### Collaboration & Organizational Impact - Partner with infrastructure teams to translate architectural visions into operational realities. - Work with finance and operations to understand cost implications and optimize infrastructure spend. - Mentor and elevate the technical decision-making capability of engineering teams across the organization. ## Requirements - 10+ years designing, operating, or planning large-scale network infrastructure at hyperscale (or equivalent). - Proven track record building greenfield network architectures and evolving them as business needs change. - Deep, hands-on expertise with modern routing protocols (BGP, ISIS, RSVP-TE, QoS, traffic engineering). - Strong experience with software-defined networking, overlay networks, and programmable forwarding. - Expert-level understanding of network economics: cost drivers, capacity planning, peering strategy, and trade-offs between performance, redundancy, and capital efficiency. - Track record automating complex network operations and building extensible frameworks that scale across large teams. - Experience designing and implementing DDoS mitigation strategies, firewall policies, and network security at scale. - Ability to design intent-based systems that reduce operational complexity while maintaining flexibility. - Strong systems-level understanding across the full stack: from hardware platforms and protocols through software-defined networking to application-level routing decisions. - Experience leading network design, planning, budgeting, and sourcing decisions for large deployments. - Ability to think 3–5 years ahead while shipping solutions today. - Proven ability to influence without direct authority; comfortable presenting technical recommendations to senior leadership and non-technical stakeholders. - Strong writing and documentation skills; able to articulate complex technical decisions and trade-offs clearly. - Experience mentoring junior engineers or leading teams through major architectural transitions. - Comfortable working in a matrix environment with multiple stakeholders (product, operations, procurement, finance) and driving alignment. ## Nice to Have - Experience at a hyperscaler or large infrastructure platform (Meta, Google, Netflix, Amazon, Microsoft, etc.). - Background designing and implementing network automation frameworks. - Experience with network telemetry, Netflow data analysis, and observability at scale. - Track record driving significant cost optimization through network design and peering strategy. - Experience with IPv6 deployment and evolution at scale. - Knowledge of SDN platforms, hardware abstractions, and vendor-agnostic network design. - Familiarity with Cloudflare's products, network, or competitive landscape. ## What We Offer - The opportunity to work on cutting-edge technology that impacts millions of users worldwide. - A dynamic and supportive work environment. - Flexible working arrangements. - Access to professional development opportunities. ## Equal Opportunity Employer Cloudflare is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates. ## Skills ### Required - BGP - ISIS - RSVP-TE - QoS - traffic engineering - software-defined networking - overlay networks - programmable forwarding - network economics - DDoS mitigation - firewall policies - network security ### Nice to have - hyperscaler experience - network automation frameworks - network telemetry - Netflow data analysis - observability at scale - IPv6 deployment - SDN platforms - hardware abstractions - vendor-agnostic network design --- Source: [Apply at job-boards.greenhouse.io](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/cloudflare/jobs/8157281?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)