Software Engineer - Control/Routing

Alkira, a Lumen company, is a fast-growing cloud networking company that is transforming the way enterprise networks are deployed and managed. 

We are looking for a Software Engineer with Control/Routing skills. The SE will develop software for Alkira’s CSX (Cloud Services Exchange). The work will involve design, development & debugging of the software responsible for the networking functions that drive Alkira’s CSX.

Responsibilities:

The Software Engineer will take requirements from PLM/Sales teams and work with team members to design and implement features. You will take ownership of their work and follow-through on defects reported.

• Design, build, and operate the routing control plane: the Go control plane services that program, collect, and distribute routing state across the CXP fabric.
• Own and extend the FRR-based routing protocol stack C, including BGP and related routing/VPN protocols, and its integration into the Alkira product.
• Implement routing policies for the product’s networking functionalities and ensure correct route propagation across clouds and connectors.
• Own connector health and visibility - the monitoring that surfaces the state and reachability of customer connectors.
• Own route visualization - a system for aggregation and visualization of routing state for connectors.
• Debug complex, production routing issues across a multi-cloud fabric; perform root-cause analysis at the protocol and packet level.
• Bring up and evolve routing on new clouds, connectors, and VNFs as the product expands.
• Work with Solution Architects and Product to turn networking requirements into routing designs, and collaborate with Data Path, Backend, and Escalations on end-to-end behavior.
• Participate in the on-call rotation for routing services (on-call is a mandatory requirement for this role).

Requirements:

• B.S. or equivalent in EE or CS, plus 2-4 years of hands-on experience in networking or routing software development. Alternatively M.S in EE or CS with 0-2 years experience will be considered.
• Strong programming skills in Go (primary) and C - the team works daily in Go for control-plane services and in C for the FRR routing protocol stack.
• Deep, hands-on understanding of networking fundamentals and IP routing; BGP knowledge preferred. Experience with FRR, ZebOS, or equivalent open-source routing stacks preferred.
• Strong Linux networking fundamentals: interfaces, namespaces, the kernel routing/forwarding path, and routing-related tooling preferred.
• Experience designing and implementing multithreaded systems preferred.
• Systematic debugging and root-cause analysis skills for live routing issues. Fluency with using AI for tool development is preferred.
• Ability to work in geographically distributed teams across the US and India.
• Familiarity with cloud networking across major providers (AWS, Azure, GCP) - VPC/VNet constructs, peering, transit gateways, and how cloud networking interacts with routing preferred.

Nice to Have

• Deeper expertise in L2/L3VPN.
• Experience with VPN/remote-access technologies (OpenVPN or comparable tunneling).
• Experience with ZTNA / zero-trust remote access solutions.
• Familiarity with the data path (encryption, NAT, overlay tunnels) and how it interacts with routing.

ON-CALL

On-call is a mandatory part of this role. You’ll join the on-call rotation and help debug and resolve production provisioning issues, with coverage coordinated across the US and India. It’s also where a lot of the deepest learning happens - there’s no faster way to understand a system than to keep it running.

ABOUT ALKIRA

Alkira, a Lumen company, is building the future of enterprise networking: one programmable platform to connect, secure, and operate every cloud, site, partner, data center, and AI workload.

Founded by Amir and Atif Khan, the creators of Viptela and pioneers of the SD-WAN market, Alkira was built to radically simplify how enterprises deploy and manage network infrastructure. Today, as part of Lumen, we are bringing that cloud-native operating model to a global network foundation trusted by the world’s largest enterprises.

Our platform helps customers move faster without managing hardware, stitching together providers, or operating fragmented cloud networks. Teams can build and scale connectivity on demand, apply consistent security and segmentation, and gain visibility across distributed environments from one place.

At Alkira, you’ll help shape the next chapter of networking: cloud-like consumption, private-network performance, and total control across the enterprise. We move fast, solve hard problems, and build technology that changes how global businesses connect.

Join us and help build the future of networking.

LOCATION, COMPENSATION AND INTERVIEW PROCESS

We’re looking for a candidate who is currently based in the San Francisco Bay Area and already authorized to work in the U.S. This position is a hybrid role and requires onsite collaboration with the team at the San Jose, CA office.

The salary range for this position is 125,000-150,000 USD. Your actual base salary and level will be determined on a case by case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge, skills, experience, education and location. The interview process will include a coding challenge, screening with the hiring manager and technical interviews.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for a new employer-sponsored visa (e.g., H-1B) now or in the future. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position at this time.

Life at Alkira, a Lumen Connect Solution

Life at Alkira is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI-focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

To learn more about Life at Alkira, a Lumen Connect Solution and how we live into the Lumen 8, please visit: Life at Lumen

Background Screening

If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page. Job-related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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Disclaimer

The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.

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