Senior Cloud Network Engineer

Job ID: 200053854Posted: 2026-09-08Location: United States, Washington, RedmondSalary: USD $119,800 - $234,700 per yearEmployment type: Full-TimeWork site: 3 days / week in-officeRole type: Individual ContributorTravel: Less than 25%Profession: Software EngineeringDiscipline: Cloud Network EngineeringCompany: MicrosoftOverviewMicrosoft Digital (MSD) builds and manages the critical products and services that Microsoft runs on. We boldly pursue big ideas that power transformational advances at Microsoft and for our customers, while helping Microsoft teams work smarter, faster, and more securely every day. Microsoft Digital employees have deep technical and business expertise, customer insights, and a clear point of view that comes from first-hand, large-scale experience with Microsoft and industry solutions. We are engineers, technology leaders and experts, digital transformation change agents, and customer advocates.We have exciting opportunities for you to innovate, influence, transform, inspire, and grow within our organization and we encourage you to apply to learn more!As a Senior CloudNetwork Engineer, you will help design, deploy, and operate Microsoft's global wired access network infrastructure across corporate campuses, offices, and datacenters worldwide, delivering the secure and reliable connectivity that powers Microsoft's business. Beyond traditional network engineering, you'll have the opportunity to help build the next chapter of Agentic Network Engineering, working at the forefront of networking, automation, and AI to redefine how enterprise networks are designed, operated, and optimized. You'll contribute to innovative, AI-powered capabilities that empower engineers, accelerate innovation, and drive the future of autonomous network operations at global scale.This role spans Microsoft's enterprise wired access network, Customer Experience Sites (including Microsoft Technology Centers, Customer Experience Centers, and Executive Briefing Centers), and the Out-of-Band (OOB) management network that provides resilient access to network infrastructure during service-impacting events.You will develop and maintain automation and tooling that improves operational efficiency, deployment consistency, and service reliability. You will also participate in daily operations and maintenance activities as part of a 7x24 on-call rotation. A strong understanding of enterprise networking, security architecture, automation, and service operations is essential to ensure these foundational services are designed, deployed, and maintained to the highest standards.Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.#MSD #MSDJOBS#CNE #CloudNetworkEngineer #Cisco #Arista #Opengear #PaloaltoResponsibilitiesArchitecture & standards: You will lead the design of global wired access and Out-of-Band networks; define standards, BOMs, and technical decisions that balance security, reliability, scalability, and cost.Delivery & lifecycle: You will lead multi-site deployments, migrations, refreshes, and production cutovers; manage technical risk and direct vendors and partners to deliver compliant, supportable solutions.Core network engineering: You will serve as a technical authority for switching, routing, BGP, VXLAN/EVPN, VRFs, 802.1X/IBNS, segmentation, and resilient OOB connectivity.Customer environments & technology: You will lead network engineering for high-visibility customer sites and evaluate, pilot, and onboard platforms and software using clear production-readiness criteria.Automation, observability & AI: You will build reusable automation, Infrastructure as Code, telemetry, and AI-assisted capabilities that improve deployment speed, consistency, service health, and engineering productivity.Security & governance: You will translate security, compliance, and Zero Trust requirements into architecture and controls; maintain design decisions, standards, documentation, inventory, and remediation plans.Reliability & incident leadership: You will participate in the DRI/on-call rotation, lead complex incident response and root cause analysis, and drive systemic improvements to availability, performance, and recoverability.Technical influence: You will lead design reviews, influence cross-team direction, communicate complex decisions, and mentor engineers to improve engineering quality and operational maturity.QualificationsRequired Qualifications: 7+ years technical experience in network design, development, and automationOR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering, Information Technology, or related field AND 4+ years technical experience in network design, development, and automation.OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field AND 3+ years technical experience in network design, development, and automationOR Doctorate Degree in Electrical Engineering, Optical Engineering, Computer Science, Information Technology, or related field.Preferred Qualifications:Hands-on experience designing, deploying, and operating enterprise or campus wired networks (switching and routing).Experience with Layer 2 / Layer 3 networking fundamentals: VLANs, spanning tree, routing protocols (BGP), QoS, and network security.Hands-on experience configuring and troubleshooting enterprise switching platforms (e.g., Arista, Cisco, or equivalent) via CLI.Experience supporting live-site / production network operations, including incident troubleshooting and root cause analysis.Experience leading the architecture and delivery of large-scale enterprise or campus networks, including technical trade-offs, multi-site migrations, and production cutovers.Advanced experience with VXLAN/EVPN, BGP, VRFs, segmentation, 802.1X/NAC/IBNS, and Zero Trust network design.Experience building network automation and observability using Python, Ansible, APIs, Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD, or streaming telemetry.Experience leading incident response, root cause analysis, and systemic reliability improvements for business-critical network services.Experience applying AI-assisted tooling, intelligent agents, or analytics to network engineering or operations.Ability to influence technical direction, communicate complex decisions, lead design reviews, and mentor engineers.Advanced networking or cloud certifications, such as CCNP, CCIE, or equivalent, are a plus.Cloud Network Engineering IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $119,800 - $234,700 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $160,200 - $261,000 per year. Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.