Senior​/Expert Gardener Networking Engineer; f​/m​/d

We help the world run better At SAP, we keep it simple: you bring your best to us, and we'll bring out the best in you. We're builders touching over 20 industries and 80% of global commerce, and we need your unique talents to help shape what's next. The work is challenging – but it matters. You'll find a place where you can be yourself, prioritize your wellbeing, and truly belong.

What's in it for you? Constant learning, skill growth, great benefits, and a team that wants you to grow and succeed.

Summary:

We’re not just offering a job, we’re inviting you to shape the future of cloud-native infrastructure at SAP and in all of Europe. The Gardener project powers SAP’s global landscape as the Kubernetes management solution and is trusted as the foundation for countless enterprise workloads at SAP and outside. We have committed to open source by donating Gardener into a neutral foundation.

This is growth, not replacement. We’re not just offering a job, we’re inviting you to shape the future of cloud-native infrastructure at SAP and in all of Europe. We have committed to open source by donating our projects into the neutral Neo Nephos foundation. Make your mark, invite others, and discover #SAPEUAICloud

Careers. Let’s build what’s next together.

Our Networking team is contributing to Gardener by designing and developing networking solutions that allow scalable, secure and reliable network transfer within and around Kubernetes clusters. Our team brings deep knowledge about the whole container networking stack, working with solutions such as Calico, Cilium, Istio and eBPF. We primarily use Go for development. If you are interested in solving complex networking challenges and working with advanced cloud native technologies, this is the right place for you.

We’re building Apeiro, an open-source reference architecture that strengthens Europe’s digital sovereignty. This initiative is part of a broader movement to ensure security, sustainability, and compliance for cloud-to-edge computing. By joining us, you’ll contribute to a project that’s not just technical, it’s strategic for Europe’s future.

The Role:

• Use your in-depth networking knowledge to shape, build and maintain the networking underneath for thousands of managed Kubernetes clusters on various cloud providers.
• Design and develop solutions for networking problems within Kubernetes clusters and around them.
• Analyze complex networking challenges in the context of containers and Kubernetes, translating findings into long-term sustainable solutions.
• Enable fast east-west networking transfer technologies required for containerized AI/ML workloads running within Kubernetes.
• Build and maintain extensions for Gardener which add additional managed networking capabilities such as Service and Cluster Meshes on top of Kubernetes clusters.
• Collaborate with stakeholders and other teams and translate their needs into scalable and maintainable solutions.
• Continuously learn and apply new technologies in the sector to stay up to date.

• Very good understanding of Kubernetes, cloud and container technologies.
• Strong background with computer networking and routing, especially about network troubleshooting.
• Proven hands‑on software engineering experience with Go.
• Ideally expertise with high‑performance networking for GPU‑accelerated AI/ML workloads in Kubernetes, leveraging RDMA technologies (Infini Band, RoCE) and advanced GPU interconnects (NVLink/NVSwitch) for inter‑node communication.
• At least 5–8 years of professional experience in a related field.
• A degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.
• Good communication skills in English, both written and verbal.

We value your familiarity with the technology stack, but even more, we appreciate your talent for understanding complex problems and driving solutions. Your expertise will be essential in fostering effective communication and ensuring that each project advances in line with our strategic goals.

We are a team of builders, innovators, and collaborators. Our culture is rooted in openness and trust. We believe the best ideas come…