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Principal Network Architect Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Crusoe

Senior Staff Network Architect

San Francisco, CA · On-site

This is a high-impact senior individual contributor role reporting to the Director of Networking, partnering closely with the Principal Network Architect and network engineering leadership to design ...

Flexential Corp.

OR

The Principal Network Automation Architect is a hands-on technical leadership role accountable for the architecture, engineering, and operation of the API-driven network automation platform beneath ...

MKS2 Technologies

Network Architect

Honolulu, HI · On-site

$210K - $225K/yr

Network Architect Pay rate: $86.53 - $91.35 per hr during the initial six-month term. $210K-$225K ... This role is the principal network designer and highest-level engineering escalation resource ...

kgs

Principal Network / Systems Architect

Bedford, MA · Hybrid

The Principal Network/Systems Architect ensures that the network transport layer and the systems/server layer work in perfect synchronization to support the customer's mission-critical applications.

MKS2 Technologies

Network Architect

Honolulu, HI · On-site

$210K - $225K/yr

Network Architect Pay rate: $86.53 - $91.35 per hr during the initial six-month term. $210K-$225K ... This role is the principal network designer and highest-level engineering escalation resource ...

TAD PGS, Inc

Network Architect

Honolulu, HI · On-site

$96.15 - $103.36/hr

This role is the principal network designer and highest-level engineering escalation resource ... Design and maintain the integrated enterprise network architecture supporting distributed command ...

Deckers

Architect and champion the enterprise networking strategy, creating a foundation for seamless ... including principal-level accountability. * Deep expertise defining and owning enterprise ...

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Principal Network Architect information

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$115K

$187.4K

$237K

How much do principal network architect jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 14, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal network architect in the United States is $187,440.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $159,000.00 and $214,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the duties and responsibilities of a principal network architect?

Your job duties and responsibilities as a principal network architect are to create designs and find solutions to networking problems. You do this while making sure to follow the appropriate design procedures and policies for your industry. Network architectures are important in several industries, including information systems and power generation and provision, so your specific role depends on whether you are dealing with network architecture in a corporate context or designing networks that control power grids or other public utilities. However, in both scenarios, many of the network standards and technologies are similar.

What is a principal network architect?

A Principal Network Architect is a senior-level professional responsible for designing, planning, and overseeing the implementation of complex network systems within an organization. They develop high-level network strategies, ensure network security, and set architecture standards to support business goals. Principal Network Architects often collaborate with IT teams, leadership, and vendors to ensure optimal network performance, scalability, and reliability. Their role also involves staying updated with emerging technologies and best practices to future-proof the organization's network infrastructure.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a principal network architect, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Principal Network Architect, you need extensive expertise in network design, routing and switching, security protocols, and typically a bachelor's or master's degree in computer science or a related field. Mastery of network management tools, enterprise-level hardware, and certifications such as Cisco CCIE or Juniper JNCIE are highly valued. Exceptional problem-solving skills, leadership, and clear communication abilities help drive complex projects and mentor teams. These skills and qualifications are critical for designing robust, scalable networks that support business goals and ensure secure, efficient operations.

What is the difference between Principal Network Architect vs Network Engineer?

AspectPrincipal Network ArchitectNetwork Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or higher in Computer Science, Cisco/Juniper certifications, extensive experienceAssociate's or Bachelor's in IT or related field, Cisco/Juniper certifications often preferred
Work EnvironmentStrategic planning, design, and oversight of network infrastructure at an enterprise levelImplementation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of network systems
Employer & Industry UsageLarge corporations, service providers, government agenciesIT departments across various industries, small to medium businesses

The Principal Network Architect focuses on designing and planning complex network systems at an enterprise level, requiring advanced certifications and strategic expertise. In contrast, Network Engineers handle the day-to-day implementation and troubleshooting of network infrastructure. Both roles are essential but differ in scope, responsibilities, and experience requirements.

What are some common challenges principal network architects face when leading large-scale network transformation projects?

Principal Network Architects often encounter challenges such as aligning new network architectures with legacy systems, ensuring security and compliance throughout the transformation, and managing stakeholder expectations across multiple departments. They must also balance the need for innovation with operational stability, all while coordinating with teams such as security, operations, and software development. Effective communication and project management skills are critical to overcoming these hurdles and delivering robust, future-ready network solutions.
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Principal Network Architect jobs near you
Infographic showing various Principal Network Architect job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 81% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 7% Contract. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $187,440 per year, or $90.1 per hour.

Senior Staff Network Architect

Crusoe

San Francisco, CA • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 8 days ago

Job description

Crusoe is on a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. As the only vertically integrated AI infrastructure company built from the ground up, we own and operate each layer of the stack - from electrons to tokens - to power the world's most ambitious AI workloads. When you join Crusoe, you join a team that is building the future, faster.
We're in the midst of the greatest industrial revolution of our time. The demand for AI compute is boundless, and power is a bottleneck. We're solving that - with an energy-first approach that makes AI infrastructure better for the world and faster for the people innovating with AI.
We're looking for problem-solving, opportunity-finding teammates with a sense of urgency, who believe in the scale of our ambition and thrive on a path not fully paved - people who want to grow their careers alongside a team of experts across energy, manufacturing, data center construction, and cloud services.
If you want to do the most meaningful work of your career, help our customers and partners advance their AI strategies, and be part of a high-performing team that believes in each other, come build with us at Crusoe.
About This Role
Crusoe is looking for a Senior Staff Network Architect to help define and evolve network architecture across our infrastructure stack from bare-metal data center switching fabrics and RDMA interconnects to SDN control planes, Kubernetes networking, and cloud-layer overlays. As the industry's first vertically integrated AI infrastructure provider, Crusoe operates at a scale that few companies can match, including a 1.2 GW hyperscale campus in Abilene, TX powering the Stargate project. This is a high-impact senior individual contributor role reporting to the Director of Networking, partnering closely with the Principal Network Architect and network engineering leadership to design and operate network infrastructure at hyperscale.
In this role, you'll go beyond solving today's problems to help build the architecture that runs the AI infrastructure of tomorrow. You'll help drive adoption of modern networking paradigms like intent-based networking, declarative configuration management, and network source of truth, improving how Crusoe designs, provisions, and operates its network at scale.
What You'll Be Working On
  • Data Center Architecture: Design and implement network architecture for Crusoe's AI data centers, including spine-leaf fabrics, out-of-band management, RDMA (RoCEv2/InfiniBand), and inter-campus WAN connectivity.
  • Intent-Based Networking: Help build IBN frameworks that translate operational goals into validated, auto-generated device configurations.
  • Declarative Networking and GitOps: Implement infrastructure-as-code practices, GitOps-driven network provisioning, and continuous validation pipelines for network state.
  • Network Source of Truth: Contribute to Crusoe's SoT strategy, helping maintain authoritative data models (IPAM, DCIM, CMDB) and ensuring devices, links, and policies remain version-controlled and consistent.
  • Automation Workflows: Build day-0/1/2 automation using tools like Ansible, Nornir, or Terraform, driven by the network source of truth.
  • Observability and Telemetry: Implement streaming telemetry architecture (gNMI/gRPC), intent verification, and closed-loop remediation pipelines.
  • Standards and Design Reviews: Contribute to engineering standards and reference architectures, participate in architecture reviews, author design documents, and present proposals to engineering leadership.
  • Team Mentorship: Mentor mid-level and senior network engineers, helping grow technical depth across the network engineering team.
  • Cross Functional: Partnering with software and operation teams to implement, execute, deploy and manage your architecture designs while incorporating feedback along the way

What You'll Bring to the Team
  • Progressive Network Engineering Experience: 8+ years of progressive network engineering experience, including experience leading design efforts on cross-team initiatives.
  • Large-Scale Data Center Expertise: Large-scale data center expertise, with experience designing or operating networks at 1000+ switches across multi-site environments.
  • Routing Knowledge: Strong routing knowledge including solid proficiency in BGP, EVPN/VXLAN, OSPF, ECMP, BFD, and modern data center routing design.
  • SDN & Programmability: SDN and programmability experience with hands-on work using an SDN controller and network programmability via NETCONF/YANG, RESTCONF, or gNMI.
  • Kubernetes Networking: Kubernetes networking experience with CNI selection (Calico, Cilium, Flannel, Multus), network policies, and BGP integration.
  • RDMA & HPC Networking: RDMA and HPC networking familiarity, including RoCEv2, InfiniBand, PFC, ECN, and lossless fabric design for AI/ML workloads.
  • Software Engineering Fundamentals: Software engineering fundamentals including strong command of Git, CI/CD, code review, and infrastructure-as-code tooling (Terraform, Ansible, Nornir).
  • Communication & Collaboration: Communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to write clear design documents and align stakeholders across engineering teams.

Bonus Points
  • Industry Background: Experience at a hyperscaler, AI cloud provider, HPC center, or large-scale co-location operator.
  • Advanced Networking Tech: Hands-on experience with SONiC OS, P4 programmable data planes, SRv6, or silicon-level knowledge of Broadcom Tomahawk/Trident.
  • Open-Source Contributions: Open source contributions to networking projects such as SONiC, NetBox, FRR, or Cilium.
  • Verification & Observability Tools: Familiarity with formal network verification tools like Batfish or Minesweeper, or eBPF-based networking and observability.
  • Certifications: Relevant certifications including CCIE (DC/SP), JNCIE, or vendor-specific SDN/cloud certifications.

Benefits:
  • Competitive compensation and equity packages
  • Restricted Stock Units
  • Paid time off, paid holidays & leave of absence programs
  • Comprehensive health, dental & vision insurance
  • Employer contributions to HSA account
  • Paid parental leave
  • Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
  • Professional development & tuition reimbursement
  • Mental health & wellness support
  • Commuter benefits (parking & transit)
  • Cell phone stipend
  • 401(k) Retirement plan with company match up to 4% of salary
  • Volunteer time off
  • Global travel insurance & emergency assistance
  • Daily meals allowance
  • Additional perks & programs specific to location

Compensation Range
Compensation will be paid in the range of up to $250,000 - $300,000 + Bonus. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicant's knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.
Crusoe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation.

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