Principal Engineer - Core Network & Ethernet Services

Principal Engineer – Core Network & Ethernet Services

Company: Gigapower LLC
Dept./Org.: CTIO
Location: Remote
Position Type: Permanent

Who We Are

Gigapower is building next-generation fiber broadband infrastructure that expands high-speed connectivity to communities across the United States. We are committed to innovation, operational excellence, and leveraging technology to deliver smarter, faster, and more scalable solutions. As an AI-forward organization, we encourage employees at every level to embrace emerging technologies, continuously expand their AI capabilities, and actively incorporate AI tools into their daily work to improve productivity, decision-making, collaboration, and business outcomes.

Position Summary

The Principal Engineer serves as the technical authority for Gigapower's core network architecture, Ethernet service delivery strategy, and network scalability initiatives. This senior individual contributor role is responsible for defining how Ethernet services are engineered, delivered, and scaled across the network, from core and aggregation layers through XGS-PON access integration.

The role owns the technical integrity of network design, transport architecture, service delivery standards, and capacity planning methodologies while driving adoption of AI-enabled forecasting, automation, and advanced analytics. The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in Layer 2/Layer 3 networking, Ethernet services, and optical transport technologies with a proven ability to leverage AI and data-driven methodologies to optimize network planning and operational performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and own the core network architecture supporting Ethernet services across aggregation, transport, and service edge environments.
• Design and standardize Ethernet service delivery models, including port-based services, VLAN-based services, service multiplexing, segmentation, and customer handoff architectures.
• Develop scalable transport architectures utilizing high-capacity optical technologies including DWDM, coherent optics, and ER/ZR solutions.
• Ensure network scalability and service readiness for enterprise, wholesale, mobility backhaul, fronthaul, and midhaul applications.
• Develop and implement AI-enabled capacity forecasting models to predict utilization, growth trends, and infrastructure requirements across core, aggregation, transport, and access networks.
• Utilize network telemetry, utilization data, market forecasts, GIS information, and operational datasets to improve planning accuracy and decision-making.
• Design and automate capacity management workflows to reduce manual planning efforts and improve responsiveness to network growth demands.
• Apply AI, machine learning, and advanced analytics to identify congestion risks, capacity bottlenecks, underutilized assets, and optimization opportunities.
• Serve as the technical authority for Ethernet service feasibility, transport engineering, and service delivery architecture.
• Define standards for interconnection points, transport paths, network resiliency, diversity design, and service handoff requirements.
• Develop and validate optical transport models, link budgets, and network feasibility analyses.
• Align core network architecture with XGS-PON access strategies, including traffic aggregation, OLT placement, and network scaling requirements.
• Partner with fiber planning teams to ensure routing, diversity, resiliency, and transport requirements are integrated into long-term network evolution plans.
• Support commercial engineering activities including bids, RFP responses, transport feasibility evaluations, and cost modeling.
• Collaborate with Data Engineering, IT, GIS, construction, and operations teams to integrate planning models and automation capabilities into enterprise systems.
• Promote adoption of AI-powered tools and automation practices across engineering, planning, and operational teams.
• Provide technical leadership, standards development, and subject matter expertise across multiple functional organizations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Telecommunications, Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in telecommunications engineering, core network architecture, Ethernet services, transport engineering, or network planning.
• Deep expertise in Layer 2 and Layer 3 networking technologies and Ethernet service design.
• Strong knowledge of optical transport technologies including DWDM, coherent optics, ER/ZR platforms, and backbone transport architectures.
• Experience integrating access network technologies, including GPON or XGS-PON, with aggregation and core network environments.
• Demonstrated experience applying AI, machine learning, advanced analytics, or algorithmic modeling to network planning, engineering, or operational challenges.
• Experience developing capacity forecasting models, utilization analyses, demand projections, and growth planning methodologies.
• Proven success automating engineering, planning, or operational workflows.
• Experience working with large datasets including network telemetry, utilization metrics, GIS data, engineering records, and operational reporting systems.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and technical decision-making capabilities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills with the ability to influence cross-functional teams and executive leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to leverage AI-assisted tools and technologies to improve productivity, analysis, planning, and business outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting fiber broadband, FTTH, wholesale transport, enterprise Ethernet, or service provider environments.
• Experience with GIS platforms, network inventory systems, Vitruvi, ServiceNow, or related planning technologies.
• Familiarity with cloud analytics platforms, data warehouses, and AI development environments.
• Experience developing machine learning models, predictive analytics solutions, or network optimization algorithms.
• Industry certifications such as CCNP, CCIE, JNCIP, JNCIE, MEF, or equivalent.
• Experience supporting large-scale broadband network deployments and multi-market growth initiatives.

Key Competencies

Core Network Architecture: Designs scalable, resilient, and future-ready network infrastructures that support evolving business and customer requirements.

Ethernet Services Expertise: Demonstrates deep technical knowledge of Ethernet service design, delivery models, transport architectures, and service assurance.

AI-Driven Capacity Planning: Leverages AI, automation, and advanced analytics to improve forecasting accuracy and infrastructure planning decisions.

Optical Transport Engineering: Applies expertise in transport technologies, backbone networks, and optical architectures to optimize network performance and scalability.

Technical Leadership: Influences engineering strategy, establishes technical standards, and serves as a trusted subject matter expert across the organization.

Data-Driven Decision Making: Uses analytics, forecasting, and operational insights to guide investment, architecture, and engineering decisions.

Innovation & Automation: Continuously identifies opportunities to streamline processes, reduce manual effort, and improve operational efficiency through technology.

Communication & Stakeholder Management: Effectively collaborates across engineering, planning, operations, construction, and leadership teams to drive successful outcomes.

EEO

Gigapower is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, veteran status, military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Gigapower is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and to applicants throughout the recruitment process. If you require assistance or accommodation, please notify a member of our Talent Acquisition team.