Weekend Core Network Engineer Jobs in Irvine, CA

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years. ABOUT THE TEAM We are seeking a highly skilled and passionate Senior Network Automation Engineer to join our Infrastructure Engineering team. In this pivotal role, you will design, develop, and implement software tools and frameworks to automate the configuration, management, testing, and deployment of our diverse network infrastructure. By leveraging programming languages like Python and modern automation platforms, you will be instrumental in reducing manual, CLI-based tasks, significantly improving efficiency, accuracy, and scalability across our network operations. This role is key to shifting our traditional networking approach towards a robust NetDevOps model. You will play a critical role in shaping our automation strategy, driving Infrastructure-as-Code initiatives, and ensuring our network systems are resilient, secure, and performant. This is an exciting opportunity to tackle complex, multi-vendor challenges and directly impact our overall operational excellence. WHAT YOU'LL DO * Develop, champion, and maintain a comprehensive network automation strategy that aligns with organizational goals and evolving technology landscape. * Identify and prioritize high-impact areas for automation within the network infrastructure across various environments (data center, backbone, OT, cloud). * Design and architect robust, scalable, and maintainable automation solutions. * Design, develop, and integrate automation tools and frameworks to support infrastructure management, leveraging Go, Python, Nornir, Ansible, and other relevant technologies. * Ensure seamless integration of new automation solutions with existing systems, APIs (RESTCONF, NETCONF), and processes. * Implement and promote the widespread use of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) principles to manage and provision network resources using tools like Terraform. * Maintain IaC scripts and templates to ensure consistency, version control (Git), and reproducibility across our environments. * Implement automated monitoring and reporting solutions to ensure the health, performance, and compliance of our network infrastructure. * Develop automated pre- and post-change validation processes to ensure configuration changes have only the intended effects and are successfully implemented. * Provide detailed reports on automation effectiveness and identify areas for continuous improvement. * Ensure that all automation solutions comply with security policies, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements. * Implement automated security checks and compliance audits within the network environment. * Maintain comprehensive and up-to-date documentation for automation system designs, configurations, and operational processes. * Share knowledge, best practices, and provide training and mentorship to the broader technology organization and network engineering teams. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS * Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience. * 5+ years of experience in network engineering with a strong focus on automation and scripting. * Proficiency in Python and/or Go for automation scripting (e.g., Netmiko, NAPALM, Paramiko) and general software development. * Extensive experience with configuration management tools (e.g., Nornir, Ansible, Salt, Puppet). * Hands-on experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tools (e.g., Terraform, Pulumi) for network provisioning. * Deep understanding of core networking concepts and protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, VLANs, BGP, OSPF, EIGRP, MPLS). * Experience interacting with network devices via APIs (RESTCONF, NETCONF), SNMP, and other programmatic interfaces. * Strong experience with version control systems (Git) and modern CI/CD methodologies for network configuration deployments. * Familiarity with network operating systems from multiple vendors (e.g., Cisco IOS/NX-OS, Juniper Junos, Arista EOS, Palo Alto PAN-OS). * Experience with Linux operating systems and Bash scripting. * Excellent problem-solving skills, with the ability to diagnose complex network and automation issues. * Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and mentor peers. * Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a US Secret clearance. US Salary Range $146,000 - $194,000 USD The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including: Benefits At Anduril, we invest in our people. Our comprehensive, competitive benefits package (available at little to no cost to employees) ensures you're supported in health, recovery, and whatever comes next. For more information, Explore Our Benefits . Protecting Yourself from Recruitment Scams Anduril is committed to maintaining the integrity of our Talent acquisition process and the security of our candidates. We've observed a rise in sophisticated phishing and fraudulent schemes where individuals impersonate Anduril representatives, luring job seekers with false interviews or job offers. These scammers often attempt to extract payment or sensitive personal information. To ensure your safety and help you navigate your job search with confidence, please keep the following critical points in mind: * No Financial Requests: Anduril will never solicit payment or demand personal financial details (such as banking information, credit card numbers, or social security numbers) at any stage of our hiring process. Our legitimate recruitment is entirely free for candidates. * Please always verify communications: * Direct from Anduril: If you receive an email from one of our recruiters, it will only come from an @anduril.com address. * Via Agency Partner: If contacted by a recruiting agency for an Anduril role, their email will clearly identify their agency. If you suspect any suspicious activity, please verify the agency's authenticity by reaching out to . * Exercise Caution with Unsolicited Outreach: If you receive any communication that appears suspicious, contains grammatical errors, or makes unusual requests, do not engage. Always confirm the sender's email domain is @anduril.com before providing any personal information or clicking on links. * What to Do If You Suspect Fraud: Should you encounter any questionable or fraudulent outreach claiming to be from Anduril, please report it immediately to . Your proactive caution is invaluable in protecting your personal information and upholding the security and trustworthiness of our recruitment efforts. Data Privacy To view Anduril's candidate data privacy policy, please visit https://anduril.com/applicant-privacy-notice/ . By submitting your application, you consent to Anduril Industries using a third-party service provider to conduct pre-employment risk, integrity, and due diligence screening and assessing potential risks as part of your application process. This third-party service provider provides risk-intelligence services that may include analysis of sanctions and watchlists, adverse media, public-record information, and other lawful open-source or commercial data sources. This third-party service provider does not act as a consumer reporting agency. Use of this provider helps to ensure compliance with applicable laws and protect technology, intellectual property, and organizational security.