Job Location: Hyderabad/Bangalore
Remote/Hybrid
Role: The WAN Networking Architect is responsible for designing, deploying, and governing a global high-bandwidth, low-latency WAN backbone connecting large-scale data centers and AI/HPC sites. This role operates at the intersection of the Optical Layer (L1) and the Packet Layer (L3), designing advanced Traffic Engineering strategies (Segment Routing, RSVP-TE) to guarantee bandwidth for distributed AI training and synchronous storage replication. The architect leads peering strategy, capacity planning, and provider negotiations while securing the backbone with high-performance encryption (MACsec) and DDoS mitigation.
Core Responsibilities
- Backbone Architecture: Architect a resilient, terabit-scale WAN backbone using a converged mix of Dark Fiber, DWDM/Open Line Systems, and MPLS/Segment Routing to connect geographically dispersed sites.
- Traffic Engineering (TE): Design and implement Traffic Engineering policies (using Segment Routing or RSVP-TE) to explicitly steer high-priority AI/Storage flows onto low-latency paths, avoiding congestion points.
- Global Routing Strategy: Optimize massive-scale BGP configurations, utilizing advanced attributes (Communities, Local Pref, MED) and RPKI for secure, automated path selection and route dampening.
- DCI & Optical Integration: Lead the design of Data Center Interconnect (DCI) solutions, selecting and validating Coherent Optics (400G ZR/ZR+) and transponders to maximize spectral efficiency over long-haul fiber.
- Encryption & Security: Architect “Wire-Speed” encryption standards using MACsec (802.1AE) over WAN links to ensure data sovereignty and compliance without sacrificing throughput.
- Peering & Transit: Manage relationships with Tier-1 ISPs and IXPs, overseeing peering agreements, BGP optimizing, and capacity forecasting to prevent “tromboning” of traffic.
- Automation & Modeling: Develop “WAN-as-Code” templates and use WAN modeling tools (e.g., WANDL, Cariden) to simulate failure scenarios and capacity requirements before deployment.
Mandatory Skillset
- Service Provider Routing: Expert-level mastery of BGP (iBGP/eBGP flows), IS-IS (preferred for Segment Routing), and OSPF, including multi-address family support.
- Traffic Engineering: Deep understanding of Segment Routing (SR-MPLS / SRv6) and RSVP-TE to enforce strict QoS and path diversity for critical workloads.
- Optical Networking: Strong understanding of DWDM, ROADM architectures, Coherent Optics (ZR/ZR+), and link budget calculations for long-haul fiber.
- WAN Automation: proficiency in automating WAN device configuration and provisioning using Python, Ansible, or Terraform.
- DCI Architectures: Experience designing EVPN-VXLAN Multi-Site or MPLS-based DCI extensions to stretch Layer 2 domains cautiously where required.
- Security at Edge: Hands-on experience with DDoS mitigation (Scrubbing centers, RTBH – Remotely Triggered Black Hole) and MACsec implementation on routers/optical gear.
Certifications (New Section)
- Highly Desirable (Service Provider Track):
- CCIE Service Provider (Cisco) – The gold standard for BGP/MPLS/SR backbone design.
- JNCIE-SP (Juniper) – Validates deep expertise in Junos routing and heavy-duty MPLS/TE.
- Relevant Optical/Specialist Certifications:
- Cisco Certified Specialist – Optical Network Design
Optional Skillsets
- Cloud Connectivity: Experience architecting Cloud On-Ramps (AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute) and transit VPC/VNET patterns.
- WAN Modeling Tools: Experience with planning tools like Cisco WAE (MATE), Juniper Paragon, or WANDL for capacity forecasting.
- SD-WAN: Familiarity with SD-WAN overlays for branch/office integration (though the primary focus here is the Data Center Backbone).
- Telemetry: Knowledge of Model-Driven Telemetry (gNMI) for real-time link performance monitoring (Jitter/Packet Loss).
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Telecommunications.
- 10+ years of experience in WAN architecture and large-scale routing.
- Demonstrated experience managing Global Backbones (e.g., ISPs, Hyperscalers, or large Financial Networks).
- Deep understanding of the “Layer 0/1” physics (fiber, light, distance) and how it affects Layer 3 routing.
