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Network Design Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Smartaira

System Design Engineer

Providence, UT · On-site

$86K - $118K/yr

The System Design Engineer is responsible for designing and engineering scalable broadband network solutions (including LAN, WAN and Wi-Fi) for multifamily and associated developments nationwide.

Housley Communications

Design Engineer

Conway, AR · On-site

The Design Engineer is responsible for the end-to-end planning and design of fiber optic networks ... Network Planning & Design Develop end-to-end fiber optic network designs including route selection ...

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Network Design Engineer information

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How much do network design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 30, 2026, the average yearly pay for network design engineer in the United States is $109,040.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $89,000.00 and $133,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Network Design Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Network Design Engineer, you need a solid understanding of networking protocols, routing and switching, and network architecture, often backed by a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools such as Cisco IOS, Juniper Junos, network simulation software, and certifications like CCNP or CCIE are typically required. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, and effective communication help network engineers collaborate with teams and clearly explain design choices. These skills ensure robust, scalable, and secure network infrastructures that support organizational needs.

What does a Network Design Engineer do?

A Network Design Engineer is responsible for planning, designing, and implementing computer and data communication networks within an organization. They analyze business requirements to create network solutions that support data, voice, and video communications. Their job involves selecting appropriate hardware and software, ensuring network security, and optimizing network performance. Network Design Engineers also troubleshoot issues, upgrade network infrastructure, and document network layouts to ensure reliable and efficient connectivity.

What are the common challenges faced by Network Design Engineers during large-scale infrastructure projects?

Network Design Engineers often encounter challenges such as integrating new technologies with legacy systems, ensuring network scalability, and addressing evolving security requirements. Coordinating with multiple stakeholders—including IT, security teams, and vendors—can add complexity to project timelines. Effective communication and thorough documentation are key to overcoming these hurdles and ensuring that the final design meets both technical and business objectives.

What is the difference between Network Design Engineer vs Network Engineer?

AspectNetwork Design EngineerNetwork Engineer
CertificationsCCNA, CCNP, Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE)CCNA, CCNP, CompTIA Network+
Work EnvironmentDesigning network architectures, planning infrastructure, collaborating with architectsImplementing, configuring, maintaining existing networks
Employer & Industry UsageTelecommunications, large enterprises, consulting firmsIT departments, service providers, corporate networks

While both roles involve networking, the Network Design Engineer focuses on planning and designing network systems, whereas the Network Engineer handles the implementation and maintenance of those networks. Understanding these differences helps in choosing the right career path or job search focus.

More about Network Design Engineer jobs
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What states have the most Network Design Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Network Design Engineer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Network Design Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Network Design Engineer jobs are:
Network Design Engineer jobs near you

Network Engineer, Design & Engineering

Fluidstack

Austin, TX • On-site

Full-time

Posted 20 days ago

Key responsibilities

  • Own the design lifecycle from customer requirements through deployable network architecture for AI training and inference workloads.

  • Produce topology designs, IP/addressing schemes, routing policies, fabric configuration specifications, and comprehensive design packages for deployment teams.

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams on rack elevation planning, power distribution, structured cabling architecture, cooling considerations, and integration with server/GPU platforms.

Job description

Job Summary:
Fluidstack is focused on delivering cutting-edge compute infrastructure for AI, aiming to enhance human freedom through technology. They are seeking a Network Engineer, Design & Engineering to take ownership of network design for AI training and inference workloads, collaborating with cross-functional teams to create deployable and optimized network architectures.
Responsibilities:
• Own the design lifecycle from customer requirements through deployable architecture.
• Produce topology designs, IP/addressing schemes, routing policy, and fabric configuration specifications for AI training and inference fabrics.
• Design front-end (out-of-band management, customer access), back-end (GPU-to-GPU training fabric), and storage network architectures.
• Design network architectures that adapt to different GPU platforms (NVIDIA, AMD, custom accelerators), server form factors, and workload profiles.
• Translate logical network designs into physical reality.
• Work cross functionally on rack elevation planning, power distribution constraints, structured cabling architecture, and cooling/airflow considerations.
• Produce comprehensive design packages that enable deployment teams to execute independently.
• Design lossless Ethernet fabrics optimized for RDMA (RoCEv2) workloads including PFC configuration, ECN tuning, traffic class design, and congestion management.
• Partner with Hardware Engineering on server/GPU platform integration, DC Operations on facility constraints and power planning, ICT on structured cabling feasibility, Software Engineering on automation requirements, and Validation teams on test plans and acceptance criteria.
• Participate in and lead design review sessions.
• Contribute to the development of reference architectures, design standards, and reusable design patterns that accelerate future deployments.
Qualifications:
Required:
• 5+ years of network engineering experience with a demonstrated focus on network design and architecture rather than purely operational roles.
• Experience designing datacenter network fabrics from requirements through deployment.
• Strong command of datacenter network fundamentals including CLOS/fat-tree topologies, BGP (eBGP underlay, iBGP/eBGP overlay), EVPN/VXLAN, IP addressing and subnetting at scale, and physical layer design (optics selection, fiber types, link budgets).
• Working knowledge of RDMA network design (InfiniBand and/or RoCEv2), lossless Ethernet configuration (PFC, ECN, DCQCN), and the network performance requirements of distributed AI training workloads.
• Experience designing networks around specific GPU platforms (NVIDIA DGX/HGX, AMD MI-series, custom accelerator platforms).
• Ability to reason about network design in the context of physical constraints.
• Break complex design problems into fundamental components and reason through them systematically.
• Produce design documentation that is clear, complete, and actionable.
• Excellent at working across engineering disciplines and communicate design intent clearly to non-network stakeholders.
Preferred:
• Experience designing networks at hyperscale companies (Meta, Google, Microsoft, AWS) or large AI infrastructure providers.
• Deep familiarity with multiple network hardware platforms (Arista, Juniper, NVIDIA/Mellanox, Broadcom-based).
• Experience designing networks with automation in mind — consistent naming conventions, structured data models, templatable configurations.
• Experience with WAN topology design, DCI (Data Center Interconnect), optical transport, and backbone network architecture.
• Experience in a high-growth infrastructure or cloud company.
Company:
Fluidstack accelerates the world’s most ambitious AI projects by removing the bottlenecks to compute. Founded in 2017, the company is headquartered in London, GBR, with a team of 51-200 employees. The company is currently Growth Stage.

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