Principal Software Engineer, Systems/Solutions Test

This role has been designed as 'Hybrid' with an expectation that you will work on average 2 days per week from an HPE office., We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to join the HPE Juniper Test Engineering team. This role leads the strategy, architecture, and execution of end-to-end testing for networking products, including routers, switches, and associated software platforms. You will drive validation of real-world customer deployments and ensure reliability, scalability, resiliency, and performance across highly complex network environments.

As part of Product Deployment Test (PDT) Engineering, you will define long-term quality strategy, influence product direction, and lead cross-functional initiatives tied to releases, feature rollouts, and full solution deployments. This is a highly technical leadership role requiring deep domain expertise and strong collaboration across engineering, product, and customer-facing teams., * Define and lead the quality and test automation strategy for customer solution validation across product lines.

• Architect scalable, reusable, and maintainable automation frameworks for functional, scale, resiliency, and performance testing.
• Own end-to-end test architecture for complex customer topologies across data center, WAN, and cloud-integrated deployments.
• Drive quality gates and release-readiness criteria for high-impact feature and platform releases.
• Lead root-cause investigations for critical customer issues and establish corrective/preventive quality improvements.
• Partner with development, system test, product management, and support teams to close coverage gaps and improve release quality.
• Mentor and technically guide engineers across teams; establish best practices for test design, automation, and defect triage.
• Represent test engineering in customer design and technical workshops, translating deployment requirements into robust validation strategies.
• Deliver executive-level quality reporting, risk assessments, and recommendations to stakeholders.
• Champion adoption of AI-assisted testing workflows, including LLM- and agent-enabled productivity for test design, triage, and analysis.
• Influence roadmap decisions by highlighting emerging technologies, customer patterns, and systemic quality risks.

• Bachelor's, Master's, or M.Tech in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• 10+ years of experience in software/system test engineering for networking products, including leadership of large, cross-functional quality initiatives.
• Proven ability to lead technical strategy and execution in complex, multi-team environments.
• Deep expertise in networking fundamentals and protocols, including TCP/UDP, IPv4/IPv6, Ethernet, OSPF/IS-IS, ARP, VLANs, BGP, MPLS, L2/L3VPN, LACP, and EVPN-VXLAN.
• Advanced experience in test architecture, automation-first validation, and large-scale test execution.
• Expert proficiency in Python and strong hands-on experience with automation frameworks such as PyTest and Robot Framework.
• Strong experience with network traffic/test equipment such as Ixia and Spirent, including automated test orchestration.
• Demonstrated excellence in debugging complex distributed/network failures and driving closure across teams.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Deep hands-on experience with Junos OS and large-scale customer deployment patterns.
• Strong understanding of cloud infrastructure, core systems, and WAN architectures.
• Experience with additional languages/tools such as Go and Perl for framework extension and tooling.
• Practical experience applying AI tools, LLMs, and agent-based workflows in software validation and engineering productivity.
• Networking certifications are a plus.
• Prior experience defining organizational quality standards, mentoring senior engineers, and leading technical transformation initiatives.

"The expected salary/wage range for this position is provided below. Actual offer may vary from this range based upon geographic location, work experience, education/training, and/or skill level.

• United States of America: Annual Salary USD 172,000 - 349,000 in California The listed salary range reflects base salary. Variable incentives may also be offered."

Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the global edge-to-cloud company advancing the way people live and work. We help companies connect, protect, analyze, and act on their data and applications wherever they live, from edge to cloud, so they can turn insights into outcomes at the speed required to thrive in today's complex world. Our culture thrives on finding new and better ways to accelerate what's next. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good. If you are looking to stretch and grow your career our culture will embrace you. Open up opportunities with HPE.