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Sdn Developer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Blaxel, Inc

Network Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$250K - $300K/yr

... generation SDN fabric optimized for agentic AI workloads. Your work will span ultra-high ... If you're a systems-focused engineer who loves Rust, Go, networking internals, and building cloud ...

Saalex

Network Engineer IV

San Diego, CA · On-site

$115K - $185K/yr

Saalex Corp., is an Engineering and Information Technology Services company with a focus on Test ... Architect and lead design of enterprise network solutions including LAN/WAN, SDN, and secure ...

Saalex

Network Engineer IV

San Diego, CA

$115K - $185K/yr

Saalex Corp., is an Engineering and Information Technology Services company with a focus on Test ... Architect and lead design of enterprise network solutions including LAN/WAN, SDN, and secure ...

Fortinet

Software Developer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$100K - $145K/yr

... SDN, and TCP/IP. Educational Requirements: * B.S. in Computer Science or Math or Electrical ... Engineering; M.S. preferred The US base salary range for this full-time position is $100,000-$145 ...

Crusoe

Principal Network Architect

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

Design and evolve SDN control plane architectures for programmable underlay and overlay networking across multi-vendor hardware environments. * Kubernetes Networking: Define CNI selection, network ...

Crusoe

Principal Network Architect

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Design and evolve SDN control plane architectures for programmable underlay and overlay networking across multi-vendor hardware environments. * Kubernetes Networking: Define CNI selection, network ...

Zenlayer

Network Support Engineer

Diamond Bar, CA · Hybrid

Zenlayer is seeking a customer service oriented Network Support Engineer to join our Global ... In this role, you will be on the front lines of supporting Zenlayer's global network and SDN ...

Crusoe

Principal Network Architect

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Design and evolve SDN control plane architectures for programmable underlay and overlay networking across multi-vendor hardware environments. * Kubernetes Networking: Define CNI selection, network ...

Neros Technologies

Network Operations Engineer

Torrance, CA · On-site

$140K - $180K/yr

We're hiring engineers, operators, and builders who want to move fast, take on extreme ownership ... Lead migration initiatives from traditional networking to SDN architectures while maintaining zero ...

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How much do sdn developer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for sdn developer in California is $127,654.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $104,600.00 and $154,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an SDN Developer job?

An SDN (Software-Defined Networking) Developer is responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining network solutions using software-defined networking technologies. They work with network controllers, APIs, automation frameworks, and scripting languages to optimize and manage network infrastructure. SDN Developers collaborate with network engineers and software teams to create scalable, programmable, and efficient network solutions that enhance performance, security, and flexibility. Proficiency in programming languages like Python, Go, or Java, along with experience in networking protocols and cloud platforms, is essential for this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Sdn Developer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as an SDN Developer, you need a solid understanding of software development, networking protocols, and systems integration, typically backed by a degree in computer science, information technology, or a related field. Familiarity with programming languages like Python, Java, or C++, along with hands-on experience using SDN controllers such as OpenDaylight, ONOS, or Cisco ACI, is highly valuable; relevant certifications like Cisco CCNP or SDN-specific credentials are advantageous. Strong problem-solving, collaboration, and effective communication skills enable SDN Developers to work seamlessly in multidisciplinary teams and adapt to evolving network requirements. These skills are essential to build scalable, automated network solutions and drive innovation in dynamic IT environments.

What is L1, L2, L3, and L4 developer?

In the context of SDN (Software Defined Networking) development, L1, L2, L3, and L4 developers typically refer to different levels of expertise or specialization, with L1 being entry-level and L4 being senior or expert roles. These levels often indicate the complexity of tasks handled, such as basic network configuration at L1, advanced routing and switching at L2, network architecture at L3, and application-layer or security functions at L4. For SDN developers, progressing through these levels involves gaining experience with networking protocols, programming skills, and relevant tools like SDN controllers and APIs.

What engineers make $500,000?

Senior software engineers, especially those in high-demand fields like fintech, cloud computing, or AI, can earn $500,000 or more annually, often through a combination of base salary, bonuses, and stock options. Achieving this level typically requires extensive experience, advanced skills in programming languages, and working at large tech companies or startups with significant funding.

What are common challenges faced by SDN Developers, and how can they be addressed?

SDN Developers often encounter challenges such as integrating new solutions with legacy network infrastructure, ensuring security across programmable networks, and keeping up with rapid technology changes in the field. Successful developers stay current by continuous learning, collaborating closely with network engineers and IT teams, and proactively testing solutions in controlled lab environments before deployment. Many organizations support SDN Developers through professional development opportunities and cross-functional teamwork, which helps address these challenges collaboratively. By maintaining adaptability and focusing on robust documentation and security best practices, SDN Developers can effectively navigate the complexities of modern network environments.

What jobs in the US pay 300,000 a year?

For SDN Developers and similar high-level tech roles, annual salaries of $300,000 or more are typically found in senior positions such as software architects, lead developers, or specialized consultants with extensive experience, advanced skills, and often in high-demand industries like finance or technology. These roles may require advanced certifications, expertise in cloud platforms, or management responsibilities, and often involve working in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.

Which IT job is the highest paid?

In the IT industry, roles such as Chief Information Officer (CIO), Solutions Architect, and Cloud Engineer tend to be among the highest paid, often earning six-figure salaries. Specialized skills in cybersecurity, cloud computing, and AI can also command top compensation levels for experienced professionals.
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Sdn Developer jobs near you

Network Software Engineer

Blaxel, Inc

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$250K - $300K/yr

Full-time

Posted 24 days ago

Job description

The role
We're looking for a world-class Network Software Engineer to architect and build the networking foundation of the first AI-native cloud.
You'll design and implement the full virtual networking stack for Blaxel's VPC-our next-generation SDN fabric optimized for agentic AI workloads. Your work will span ultra-high-performance dataplane systems (VPP, DPDK, eBPF) and the distributed control-plane and traffic services written in Rust and Go.
You'll also expand our globally distributed networking suite-including our Rust-based load balancer, Rust HTTP proxies, traffic routing systems, and data plane components that already process 1.5M+ requests daily. Your mission: build a VPC that surpasses traditional clouds by an order of magnitude in throughput, latency, visibility, and security enforcement.
If you're a systems-focused engineer who loves Rust, Go, networking internals, and building cloud primitives from scratch, this role is for you.
What you'll do
You'll collaborate closely with founders and infrastructure teams to design, build, and operate Blaxel's end-to-end SDN stack.
  • Architect and implement the high-performance dataplane for Blaxel's VPC using VPP, DPDK, eBPF, XDP, and Rust.
  • Build and extend distributed control-plane systems in Go and Rust: IPAM, L2/L3 routing, topology services, ACL engines, NAT, VPC abstractions.
  • Develop Rust microservices running at extreme performance envelopes-sub-millisecond latency, multi-million flow tables, multi-Gbps throughput.
  • Extend our Rust load balancer and Rust HTTP proxies to support worldwide deployment and growing request volumes.
  • Operate networking workloads on bare-metal clusters with large-scale IPv6-only addressing.
  • Build testing, simulation, and benchmarking frameworks for both control-plane and dataplane components.
  • Instrument networking systems with deep observability: metrics, flows, packet traces, latency profiles.
  • Debug and resolve complex networking issues across layers L2-L7.
  • Partner with compute, storage stakeholders to design cross-stack performance and reliability guarantees.
  • Continuously evolve the networking strategy, introducing new primitives optimized for AI-native traffic patterns.
Who you are
  • Systems-driven engineer: You understand concurrency, memory, CPU profiles, and low-level networking behavior.
  • Rust and/or Go engineer: You're strong in Rust, Go, or both-and want to engineer high-performance distributed systems.
  • Networking-fluent: You deeply understand packets, queues, routing, overlays, firewalls, and how networks behave under stress.
  • Performance obsessed: You think in terms of cycles, cache locality, tail latencies, NUMA effects, and throughput curves.
  • Zero-to-one builder: You thrive in environments where you invent the primitives, not glue together existing ones.
  • High ownership: You want to design systems from idea → architecture → implementation → deployment → operations.
Required skills
  • 3+ years in systems engineering, distributed systems, networking, or infrastructure software roles
  • Strong proficiency in Rust, Go, or both (with willingness to work in both)
  • Experience with SDN or cloud networking systems (VPCs, virtual routers, SDN controllers, overlay networks)
  • Strong understanding of IPv6, routing (BGP/ECMP), and common overlay technologies (e.g., VXLAN/Geneve)
  • Hands-on experience with DPDK, VPP, eBPF, or XDP
  • Strong debugging skills across distributed systems and multi-layer networking
Preferred
  • Experience building high-performance proxies, L4/L7 load balancers, or edge networking components
  • Experience building or operating multi-tenant cloud networking systems
  • Familiarity with distributed systems fundamentals (consensus, sharding, leader election, etc.)
  • Experience with traffic engineering or global traffic routing
  • Security background in network isolation, segmentation, or zero-trust architectures
Bonus
Experience with any of the following is a plus:
  • Kernel bypass / SmartNIC / SR-IOV / RDMA
  • Custom BPF programs for observability or dataplane filtering
  • Large-scale IPv6-only environments
  • Advanced traffic simulation or network modeling
  • Ultra-low-latency performance tuning
  • Cloud provider networking (AWS VPC, GCP VPC, Azure VNet internals)

About Blaxel
Blaxel is AWS for AI agents. We're building a new kind of cloud optimized for agentic AI-powered by a purpose-built 25ms cold-start serverless compute engine.
We process billions of AI agent requests and power the production infrastructure for top AI startups. Traditional clouds weren't built for agentic workloads-we're solving the performance, reliability, and stateful execution challenges they can't.
We recently raised a $7.3M seed round led by First Round Capital.

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