Network Systems Software Development Engineer

Network Systems Software Development Engineer

This role is hybrid with an expectation to work on average 2 days per week from an HPE office. The position is based in Sunnyvale, California.

• Design, develop, and enhance common networking infrastructure used by multiple Layer‑2 and Layer‑3 protocols, as part of a product engineering team.
• Build and maintain shared framework components that support routing, switching, VPN, and overlay protocols rather than implementing individual protocol stacks.
• Develop high‑performance, low‑latency system software primarily in C, focusing on efficient data structures, memory management, and scalability.
• Design and optimize core data structures and frameworks used for packet processing pipelines, routing and forwarding databases, protocol state machines, and control‑plane infrastructure.
• Collaborate with protocol teams (OSPF, BGP, ISIS, EVPN, VXLAN, etc.) to provide robust and reusable infrastructure components.
• Participate across the full product development lifecycle, including design, implementation, debugging, testing, and optimization.
• Analyze and troubleshoot complex system‑level, performance, memory, and concurrency issues.
• Collaborate with system test, QA, and cross‑functional engineering teams to deliver scalable and reliable networking solutions.
• Learn and adapt quickly to new networking technologies, standards, and product requirements.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electronics and Communication Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience in networking or systems product development.

• Strong proficiency in C programming with deep hands‑on experience in writing optimized, production‑quality code, memory management, pointers, and performance tuning.
• Debugging complex system‑level issues.
• Strong foundation in data structures and algorithms, with practical experience in lists, trees, hash tables, graphs, queues, and stacks.
• Scalable data models for networking and systems software.
• Working knowledge of C++ is a plus.
• Good understanding of networking concepts and protocols, including routing & switching (OSPF, BGP, ISIS), VPN & overlay (MPLS, VPLS, EVPN, VXLAN), and traffic & services (multicast, QoS, firewall).
• Solid understanding of the OSI Model and the TCP/IP protocol suite (ARP, IP, ICMP, IGMP, TCP, UDP, SNMP, FTP).
• Experience on routers, switches, or network operating system platforms is highly preferred.
• Hands‑on protocol stack implementation is not required.

• Strong problem‑solving and analytical thinking abilities.
• Self‑motivated with the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Quick learner with adaptability to new technologies and evolving requirements.
• Strong communication and presentation skills.
• Effective team player with a product‑engineering mindset.

Cloud Architectures, Cross Domain Knowledge, Design Thinking, Development Fundamentals, Dev Ops, Distributed Computing, Microservices Fluency, Full Stack Development, Security‑First Mindset, Solutions Design, Testing & Automation, User Experience (UX).

Annual Salary USD 120,500 – 243,000 in California. The listed salary range reflects base salary; variable incentives may also be offered.

HPE is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Veterans/Disabled/LGBT employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or any other protected category, and all decisions we make are based on qualifications, merit, and business need. HPE will comply with all applicable laws related to employer use of arrest and conviction records, including laws requiring employers to consider qualified applicants with criminal histories.

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