Senior Principal Engineer, Product Software (Network Platform)

Who are we?

Equinix is the world's digital infrastructure company, shortening the path to connectivity to enable the innovations that enrich our work, life and planet.

A place where tech thinkers and future builders turn bold ideas into breakthrough experiences, we welcome your unique perspective. Help us challenge assumptions, uncover bias, and remove barriers-because progress starts with fresh ideas. You'll find belonging, purpose, and a team that welcomes you-because when you feel valued, you're empowered to do your best work.

Role Summary

The Senior Principal Architect is a highly influential technical leadership role responsible for end-to-end architectural direction, technical governance, and the evolution of software and network platforms within Network Platform Engineering (NPE).

NPE designs, builds, and operates Equinix's global network infrastructure and platforms, including:

• Network architecture across optical, routing, switching, and SDN
• Software platforms for control, observability, automation, and operations at global scale
• Industry engagement through standards bodies and developer communities

This role operates within a small group of senior and principal architects, requiring strong collaboration, shared ownership, and alignment across domains, while partnering closely with engineering teams and stakeholders.

The Senior Principal Architect spans software and network architecture, including control plane systems and observability, acting as a broad technical generalist who guides systems from strategy through execution and operations. This role serves as a key technical authority, driving standards, resolving escalations, and anticipating future technology shifts.

Responsibilities

Architecture & Technical Leadership

• Define and drive end-to-end architecture across network and software platforms, including control plane, data plane, telemetry, APIs, automation, and operations
• Act as architect-of-record for critical platforms and initiatives, collaborating with peer architects on shared systems and boundaries
• Provide architectural leadership across network control systems, infrastructure software (OEM / ODM / open networking), and observability platforms
• Guide engineering teams and tech leads on architecture, design patterns, and implementation; lead architecture and design reviews

Platform & Systems Design

• Drive software platform architecture with a system-level perspective, ensuring scalability, resilience, and operational excellence
• Shape design across control plane systems, telemetry and observability pipelines, and network platforms
• Champion automation-first design and strong operational practices

Strategy & Business Alignment

• Own architectural strategy from long-term vision through delivery and steady-state operations
• Translate business needs into architectural direction and clearly communicate trade-offs to senior stakeholders
• Partner cross-functionally to improve platform quality, operability, and readiness
• Drive adoption of AI-driven capabilities where relevant

Escalation & Problem Solving

• Act as a senior escalation point for complex, cross-domain technical issues
• Provide architectural leadership during critical incidents and ambiguous problem spaces
• Leverage data-driven insights to accelerate diagnosis and resolution

Governance & Standards

• Establish and evolve architectural governance, standards, and best practices with peer architects
• Ensure consistency across platforms while enabling team autonomy and addressing technical debt
• Promote responsible and scalable integration of AI capabilities

Operational Excellence & Impact

• Drive efficiency through automation, standardization, and simplification
• Define and track metrics for system health, performance, and architectural quality

Leadership & Industry Engagement

• Influence outcomes across engineering, product, and leadership through technical expertise and collaboration
• Act as a trusted technical advisor to senior leadership
• Represent Equinix externally and contribute to industry standards, innovation, and emerging technologies

Qualifications

Experience & Background

• Significant experience in large-scale, mission-critical infrastructure environments
• Proven success in a senior architecture role (Principal / Senior Principal level), influencing technical direction across multiple teams and domains
• Experience operating within an architecture community or peer architect model, driving alignment and shared outcomes
• Experience applying AI/ML in large-scale infrastructure or platform environments
• Familiarity with AIOps, data engineering, and production ML pipelines
• Understanding of model lifecycle management and real-time inference systems (nice to have)

Technical Expertise

• Deep expertise in modern, cloud-native and distributed software architectures
• Strong experience with control plane systems, telemetry and observability platforms, and network software stacks
• Solid grounding in large-scale network architecture and operations
• Ability to reason across hardware, software, and operational systems

Leadership & Communication

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to engage across engineering, product, and senior leadership
• Proven ability to influence architectural outcomes across teams through collaboration and technical leadership
• Experience working with globally distributed teams

Approach & Mindset

• Broad technical generalist with strong architectural judgment and systems thinking
• Pragmatic and outcome-oriented, focused on scalable, operable solutions aligned to business goals

Why This Role Matters

The Senior Principal Architect plays a key role in Equinix's architectural leadership community. Through close collaboration with peer architects, engineering teams, and product leaders, this role shapes platform direction, influences how systems are designed and operated, and ensures Equinix can scale effectively as it evolves.

The targeted pay range for this position in the following location is / locations are:

United States - Redwood City Office GHQ : 240,000 - 360,000 USD / Annual

United States - Dallas Infomart Office DAI : 200,000 - 300,000 USD / Annual

Canada - Toronto Office TRO : 166,000 - 248,000 CAD / Annual

Our pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum target for new hire pay for the full-time position determined by role, level, and location. The pay range shown is based on our compensation structure in place at the time of posting and may be updated periodically based on business needs. Individual pay is based on additional factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education and/or training.

The targeted pay range listed reflects the base pay only and does not include bonus, equity, or benefits. Employees are eligible for bonus, and equity may be offered depending on the position.

Equinix Benefits

As an employee, you become important to Equinix's success. We ensure all your benefits are in line with our core values: competitive, inclusive, sustainable, connected and efficient. We keep them competitive within the current marketplace to ensure we're providing you with the best package possible. So, wherever you are in your career and life, you'll be able to enhance your experience and bring your whole self to work.

Employee Assistance Program : An Employee Assistance program is available to all employees.

US Benefits: - Insurance: You may enroll in health, life, disability and voluntary plans that are designed for you and your eligible family members. - Retirement: You and Equinix may contribute to a retirement plan to help you plan for your financial future. - Paid Time Off (PTO) and Paid Holidays: You will receive an accrued amount of PTO each pay period along with various paid holidays for you to rest and recharge. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific plan or program terms.
Canada Core Benefits: - Insurance: You may enroll in healthcare coverage that is designed to complement the provincial healthcare system, along with life, disability and optional benefit plans that are designed for you and your eligible family members. - Retirement: You may also enroll in Equinix-sponsored retirement or savings plans: Defined Contribution Pension Plan (DCPP), Group Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) and Tax-Free Savings Plan (TSFA). - Vacation and Paid Holidays: Equinix offers both vacation and personal time, along with various paid holidays for you to rest and recharge. Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits. Benefits are subject to specific plan or program terms, and to change at Equinix discretion.

Equinix is committed to ensuring that our employment process is open to all individuals, including those with a disability. If you are a qualified candidate and need assistance or an accommodation, please let us know by completing this form.

Equinix is an Equal Employment Opportunity and, in the U.S., an Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to unlawful consideration of race, color, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, place of birth, citizenship, sex, pregnancy / childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic partnership status, age, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, political / organizational affiliation, status as a victim or family member of a victim of crime or abuse, or any other status protected by applicable law.

We use artificial intelligence in our hiring process. Learn more here .

This posting is for a backfill position, meaning it is to fill an existing vacancy within our organization.