Lead Engineer - Global Network
Datum’s mission is to help 1k clouds thrive in the AI era by unlocking internet superpowers for every builder. We’re working in the open to bring the foundational capabilities that all the big guys use (private networking, peering, direct interconnection, etc) into the hands of builders and modern “alt clouds” — no network team required.
One of Datum’s core values is to be connectors: of applications, services, networks, and people. As such, this role (just like all roles at Datum) will work directly with users, customers, partners, and the broader community.
Another key value is to be open by default, from how we license our code (AGPLv3) to how we communicate, engage with, and document our work. We believe this engenders trust from our customers and community, but also because open is the best way to build. It's more secure, more operable, and even more enjoyable.
Still interested? Read on!
About this role
Datum’s core value proposition is to be connectors – of people, businesses, apps, and networks. Our global network is the vibrant center where that vision becomes reality. We’re looking for the right person to architect, build, and plan for uptime and growth.
What you’ll do
Network & Edge Infrastructure
Design, implement and run Datum's core backbone, AS 33438, and internet edge (BGP, anycast), with security and reliability as first principles
Drive complete visibility into all aspects of our network, including public facing edge, backbone and peering/interconnection
Partner with leadership and data plane team to advance projects with key customers, partners, and suppliers
Build cross-provider connectivity through our partners and hyperscalers.
Work with our alt-cloud customers and partners to extend their reach across the industry.
Build for developers, in the open
Approach problems through the lens of Datum APIs. We give network superpowers to the AI developer.
Work in the open and drive community engagement. We make money through our network, not our software.
Scale yourself and the team through effective automation. We write code to implement ergonomic interfaces and eliminate toil – for us and our customers.
Speak at networking conferences and write technical blog posts
Demonstrate engineering leadership
Drive your roadmap by modeling Datum’s values every day.
Distill customers needs into clear problem statements that align priorities.
Use maximum creativity to drive problems through possible solutions and tradeoffs.
Shepherd the team through timely decision-making.
Improve efficiency and processes along the way.
Who you are
Non-Negotiables
Availability: Remote position, but you can work during a large chunk of the US east business hours and travel to NYC at least quarterly.
High EQ: You read rooms, understand people, and navigate complexity with grace
Hunger: You're driven by impact and energized by building something meaningful
Humility: You check your ego, give credit freely, and focus on collective success
Core Strengths
Thrive in an async environment
Simplify technical complexity through writing and speaking
Relationship builder who creates and maintains genuine, valuable connections
Genuinely passionate about digital infrastructure and the future of the industry
Able to toggle between 30,000-foot vision and ground-level execution
Comfortable with ambiguity and capable of creating structure where none exists
Background
Network: You’ve built and operated a global network for several years (5+), know routing, peering, BGP, anycast, and survived DDOS and other outages. You’ve probably also spent some time in public cloud and understand cross-cloud connectivity and direct connects. You know how to monitor a large network to gather telemetry for standard quality, DDOS mitigation, metering, and everything in between.
Software & automation: You can write code where you need to, and have opinions about APIs, particularly with cloud networking (VPCs, et al), NFVs, or other SDNs.
Orchestration & IaC: You have enough familiarity with Kubernetes, or can learn it quickly, to work seamlessly with our data plane team. Our POPs are completely automated, using Cilium to announce BGP.
Open source: You have a track record of using, building, and contributing to open source communities in a variety of ways.
What success looks like
For Datum:
Rock-solid global network with high uptime
Network features that push the envelope and extend our reach
Stronger traction with key opportunities and partnerships
Increased cohesion across the organization
For You:
Growing Datum into a household name among developers
Providing global-scale, cross-provider, API-driven connectivity
Keep the Internet open for the generation to come
Platform to demonstrate strategic and operational leadership
How to apply
If you think you’re the right fit we’d love to talk to you!
First, get involved with our code and community:
Check out our community huddle calls over the past 12 months.
Join the Datum community Discord. Ask questions to gain clarity!
GitHub discussions for more detail and getting direct access to the rest of the team
Then leverage the Datum Cloud:
Create a free account at www.datum.net
Follow the Quickstart Guide
Once you’ve done that, please send us (careers@datum.net) a brief note about why this role excites you and what makes you uniquely suited for it. Please include an example of a really hard network problem you worked through.
We believe in openness, clarity, and collaboration. To learn more about how Datum aims to operate, please review our public handbook.