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# world-class Senior/Lead Packet Forwarding Engine (PFE) Software Engineers

- **Company:** Arista Networks
- **Location:** United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** C (Programming Language), Automation of Tests, Unix, C++ (Programming Language), Computer Engineering, Linux, Distributed Systems, Integrated Development Environments, Internet Protocol, Python (Programming Language), Software Engineering, System Testing, Software Troubleshooting, Information Technology
- **Published:** September 10, 2026
- **Apply:** https://startup.jobs/senior-lead-software-engineer-packet-forwarding-arista-networks-10029553

## About the Role

* BS Computer Science/Electrical Engineering/Computer Engineering + 8 years experience, or MS Computer Science/Electrical Engineering/Computer Engineering + 6 years experience, or Ph.D. in Computer Science/Electrical Engineering/Computer Engineering + 3 years experience, or equivalent work experience
 * Expert knowledge of C or C++ and Python.
 * Knowledge of UNIX or Linux
 * Understanding of IP networking and/or distributed systems
 * Experience working with packet forwarding chips and pipelines is a plus
 * Applied understanding of software engineering principles
 * Strong problem solving and software troubleshooting skills
 * Ability to design a solution and implement features independently.
 * Ability to work in small teams.

## Description

* Interface with customers and product management to define packet forwarding features and solutions.
 * Architect, design and manage the development of these features.
 * Develop and maintain features using C, C++ and Python, review and contribute to functional and design specifications. Build automated tests and test infrastructure to test the features.
 * Provide technical leadership across features, projects and tools.
 * Work with Customer Support Engineers and customers to analyze, mitigate and fix problems in customer networks.
 * Work with the System Test Engineers to analyze problems found in their tests and provide fixes for those problems.
 * Mentor new and junior engineers to bring them up to speed in Arista's software development environment.


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