Staff Engineer - Software Development (Cloud Networking & Network Security)

WHO WE ARE:

Aviatrix is pioneering the Cloud Native Security Fabric - the architecture the Containment Era requires. The Cloud Native Security Fabric governs every workload communication path across every cloud, every VPC, every Kubernetes cluster, and every serverless function, from a single policy plane. One rule. Universal propagation. Enforced at the workload, not at a chokepoint. Trusted by more than 500 of the world's leading enterprises. For more information, visit aviatrix.ai

About the Role - Staff Engineer, Cloud Networking & Network Security

We are seeking a Staff Engineer - Cloud Networking & Network Security to design, build, and evolve cloud-native networking and security capabilities across multi-cloud environments. This role is intended for a strong hands-on networking engineer with deep experience in routing, NAT, traffic forwarding, and firewall data planes. You will work on complex, production-grade networking systems and contribute to architecture and design decisions within your domain, while partnering closely with senior engineers and architects.

You will be responsible for delivering robust networking functionality-from detailed design and implementation through production rollout, scale, and operational maturity.

Key Responsibilities

Networking Design & Implementation

• Design and implement networking components for cloud networking and security products, spanning both control plane and data plane.
• Contribute to architectural designs for routing, NAT, traffic steering, and firewall enforcement within defined product areas.
• Own medium-to-large technical problem areas and drive them from design through production.

Cloud Networking Platforms

• Design and work with cloud networking topologies, including:
• VPC/VNet segmentation and routing architectures
• Hub-and-spoke and transit networking models
• Hybrid and multi-cloud connectivity patterns
• Work hands-on with cloud-native networking constructs such as:
• Gateways, routing tables, NAT gateways
• Managed and custom firewall services
• Ensure implementations align with security best practices and zero-trust principles.

Routing, NAT & Traffic Engineering

• Design and implement routing-centric features, including:
• Dynamic routing using BGP
• Policy-based routing and traffic steering
• Route summarization, convergence, and failure handling
• Implement and scale NAT functionality, including:
• SNAT, DNAT, and bidirectional NAT
• Centralized vs distributed NAT designs
• Capacity planning, port exhaustion handling, and resiliency
• Develop a strong understanding of packet-level behavior across gateways, firewalls, and load balancers.

Firewall & Data-Plane Systems

• Contribute to the design and implementation of firewall data planes, including:
• Policy evaluation and enforcement pipelines
• Stateful vs stateless inspection models
• Work on performance-sensitive packet processing paths with a focus on correctness and scalability.
• Debug complex scenarios involving asymmetric routing, NAT traversal, and multi-path traffic.

Execution & Collaboration

• Deliver features from design to production with a strong focus on quality, scalability, and operability.
• Participate actively in technical design reviews, providing feedback on networking correctness and performance.
• Collaborate closely with product management, QA, and operations teams to deliver reliable, shippable solutions.
• Mentor junior engineers on networking fundamentals, packet flows, and troubleshooting techniques.

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Networking, or a related field.
• 6+ years of experience building networking-intensive systems or cloud networking features.
• Hands-on experience developing or operating cloud networking or network security products.
• Strong understanding of IP networking fundamentals, including:
• TCP/IP, ARP, ICMP
• Subnetting, CIDR planning, and IP address management
• Solid experience with routing, including:
• BGP fundamentals (design, policy control, troubleshooting)
• Static vs dynamic routing models
• ECMP and failover concepts
• Strong hands-on experience with NAT, including:
• SNAT and DNAT behavior
• Common corner cases and failure scenarios
• Interaction of NAT with routing and firewalls
• Experience working with firewall and network security technologies, such as:
• Policy-based rule engines
• Stateful and stateless firewalls
• NGFW or cloud-native firewall services
• Proficiency in Python and/or Go (Golang) for building control-plane services, tooling, or automation.
• Good understanding of distributed systems concepts as applied to networking control planes.
• Familiarity with Kubernetes networking concepts, including CNI and service networking.
• Hands-on experience with one or more public cloud networking stacks (AWS, Azure, GCP, OCI).

Nice to Have

• Experience with virtual routers, SDN controllers, or network operating systems.
• Exposure to high-performance packet processing technologies (eBPF, DPDK, XDP).
• Experience working on high-scale or latency-sensitive networking systems.
• Contributions to open-source networking or cloud infrastructure projects.
• Certifications such as AWS Advanced Networking, GCP Professional Cloud Network Engineer, CCNP/CCIE, or equivalent.

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