Principal Network Platform Lead

Job description

## About Nscale Nscale is the GPU cloud engineered for AI. We provide cost-effective, high-performance infrastructure for AI start-ups and large enterprise customers. Nscale enables AI-focused companies to achieve superior results by reducing the complexity of AI development. Our GPU cloud bolsters technical capabilities and directly supports strategic business outcomes, including cost management, rapid innovation, and environmental responsibility. At Nscale, our AI Infrastructure team plays a critical role in building the technology and services that power our GPU cloud platform, enabling customers to access reliable, scalable, and high-performance AI infrastructure globally. We thrive on a culture of relentless innovation, ownership, and accountability, where every team member takes pride in their work and drives it with excellence and urgency. As an Nscaler, you'll build trust through openness and transparency, where everyone is inspired to do their best work. If you join our team, you'll be contributing to building the technology that powers the future. ## About the Role We are hiring a Principal Network Platform Lead to own the architecture and software platform that transforms Nscale's global backbone and edge network into a programmable, scalable service platform. Sitting at the intersection of network engineering, software engineering, product development, and network service delivery, you'll own the systems that enable Nscale to provision, activate, manage, and monetise network services at global scale. You'll lead the design of our network control plane, service orchestration capabilities, customer-facing APIs, and partner ecosystem integrations. Working closely with Product, Network Architecture, Sales Engineering, and Regional Engineering teams, you'll turn complex network capabilities into consumable services delivered through automation rather than manual engineering. This is a hands-on technical leadership role. You'll define platform architecture, write and review production software, lead engineering initiatives, mentor engineers, and act as Nscale's technical authority for network programmability, orchestration, and ecosystem integration. ## What you'll be doing ### Network Platform Strategy & Ownership - Own the architecture, roadmap, and operation of Nscale's Network Platform. - Define platform strategy across service orchestration, network automation, API enablement, source-of-truth integration, and partner ecosystem integration. - Act as the technical authority for network programmability across the Global Backbone & Edge Networks organisation. - Partner with Network Architecture, Product Management, Sales Engineering, and Regional Engineering teams to align platform capabilities with customer requirements and technology roadmaps. ### Self-Service Connectivity & Product Integration - Design and build service orchestration capabilities that automate the end-to-end lifecycle of Nscale network services. - Develop automation workflows that reduce customer onboarding times and eliminate manual configuration. - Drive automation-first operational practices across the network organisation. - Own the self-service connectivity platform that enables network services to be exposed through APIs, workflows, and customer-facing experiences. - Translate product and service requirements into platform capabilities, APIs, automation workflows, and operational processes. ### API Architecture & Ecosystem Integration - Design, develop, and govern APIs enabling internal systems, customers, and partners to consume Nscale network services. - Own integrations with cloud exchanges, interconnection platforms, carriers, cloud providers, DDoS vendors, and other ecosystem partners. - Build automation for third-party service provisioning, inventory, activation, and lifecycle management. - Serve as a senior technical interface with strategic partners on API capabilities, integration roadmaps, and programmability. - Ensure orchestration workflows maintain data consistency across internal and external platforms. ### Software Engineering & Platform Operations - Lead development of production-quality software using modern engineering practices. - Own platform codebases, CI/CD pipelines, testing frameworks, deployment processes, and operational tooling. - Establish engineering standards across coding, version control, testing, release management, documentation, and operational support. - Partner with Platform Engineering to ensure reliability, resilience, performance, and rapid issue resolution in production. - Drive continuous improvement across architecture, observability, engineering practices, and operational efficiency. ### Technical Leadership - Provide technical leadership and mentorship to engineers working across network automation and APIs. - Foster an automation-first software engineering culture focused on quality, testing, and continuous improvement. - Collaborate with Principal Network Architects, Regional Principal Engineers, and Product teams. - Act as a senior technical advisor on network product strategy, service delivery, and long-term platform direction. ## About You - 7+ years of platform engineering and/or network automation experience, including at least 2 years in a senior or lead role. - Extensive experience designing, building, and operating production software platforms in network, cloud, infrastructure, or service provider environments. - Strong software engineering skills using Python and Go. - Experience building and consuming RESTful APIs, OpenAPI, gRPC, or similar interfaces. - Strong knowledge of software engineering practices including Git, code review, automated testing, CI/CD, and release management. - Familiarity with Kubernetes, microservices, and cloud-native application development. - Extensive experience with network automation technologies such as Terraform, Ansible, Python, Jinja2, and Nornir. - Experience implementing Infrastructure-as-Code and Network-as-Code in production. - Knowledge of NETCONF, RESTCONF, YANG, OpenConfig, gNMI, streaming telemetry, or similar technologies. - Experience designing third-party API integrations, authentication and authorisation models, and API lifecycle management. - Understanding of service modelling, workflow orchestration, inventory management, and source-of-truth architectures. - Strong stakeholder management and ability to influence technical strategy across engineering, Product, Operations, Sales, and leadership teams. - Comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment where priorities evolve rapidly. ### Preferred Experience - Experience within a cloud provider, hyperscaler, telecommunications carrier, ISP, interconnection platform, or network service provider. - Experience integrating with platforms such as Megaport, Equinix Fabric, PacketFabric, Console Connect, AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, or Google Cloud Interconnect. - Experience with NetBox, Nautobot, or similar source-of-truth platforms. - Experience building customer-facing APIs or self-service service delivery platforms. - Experience contributing to the design or commercialisation of network-based products and services. ## What we can offer you At Nscale, you'll find a collaborative, supportive, and innovative environment where your contributions spark real impact. We're building something extraordinary, and we want you at the core. Highly competitive package (base + equity) with reviews every 12 months. 🚀 Join one of the fastest-growing AI infrastructure companies — your opportunity to build the software platform that turns global network infrastructure into programmable services. ✨ Expect a dynamic progression plan tailored to your ambitions. Shape our network platform strategy, build automation at global scale, and influence the evolution of Nscale's connectivity products. Human-First Flexibility: We treat you as humans first. 🫶🏽 Our flexible workplace trusts Nscalers to deliver, giving you the autonomy to shape your day around life's moments. ## Equal Opportunities Statement We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds. If there's anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know. The responsibilities outlined in this job description are not exhaustive and are intended to provide a general overview of the position. The employee may be required to perform additional duties, tasks, and responsibilities as assigned by management, consistent with the skills and qualifications required for the role. *For information on how Nscale handles candidate personal data, please see our Employee & Candidate Privacy Notice: [Here.](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QK5Yg04WHD9K9IAtJgQWubJZC9oLvatK/view?usp=sharing)*