Principal Software Engineer, Forwarding Plane

Alkira, a Lumen company, is seeking a Principal Software Engineer, Forwarding Plane to lead the architecture, design, and evolution of our next-generation cloud networking Forwarding Plane platform. This is a highly visible technical leadership role responsible for building and scaling the core packet-processing infrastructure that powers Alkiras cloud networking and security services.

You will own critical Forwarding Plane technologies including flow /session management, NAT, policy enforcement, secure cloud connectivity, and traffic optimization. As a hands-on technical leader, you will drive architectural decisions, develop high-performance networking software, and mentor engineering teams while helping define the future of cloud networking infrastructure.

The ideal candidate combines deep expertise in systems programming, deep knowledge in VPP/DPDK and other kernel bypass technologies, cloud networking, Linux internals, and high-performance packet processing with a passion for solving complex distributed systems challenges.

Location: This position is a hybrid role and requires onsite collaboration with the team at our San Jose, CA office 2 - 3 times during the week

What Youll Do

Platform Architecture & Ownership

Own the architecture, design, implementation, and long-term technical roadmap of Alkiras core Forwarding Plane platform.

Define scalable and resilient networking architectures supporting enterprise-grade cloud networking and security services.

Drive technical strategy for Forwarding Plane reliability, scalability, observability, and maintainability.

Establish engineering standards and best practices across Forwarding Plane development effort

High-Performance Networking Development

Design and develop high-performance packet-processing systems and networking services.

Build and enhance Forwarding Plane components including:

Flow/Session management

Network Address Translation (NAT)

Policy enforcement

Traffic steering and load balancing

IPsec and secure tunnel processing

Cloud connectivity services

Develop performance-critical software in C for Linux-based environments.

Optimize packet-processing pipelines for throughput, latency, and resource efficiency. Expertise in cloud networking across AWS, Azure, GCP and other cloud service providers

Performance Engineering

Drive end-to-end performance optimization across the networking stack.

Leverage modern packet-processing frameworks such as DPDK and VPP.

Evaluate and integrate emerging technologies including:

Hardware acceleration

Kernel bypass technologies

Cloud-native networking innovations Perform deep performance analysis, profiling, debugging, and tuning of production systems.

Technical Leadership

Lead architecture reviews and drive technical decision-making across teams.

Mentor senior and staff-level engineers on networking and systems design.

Partner with product management, platform engineering, and security teams to deliver strategic initiatives.

Influence technology direction and guide the adoption of networking best practices across the organization.

Software Engineering, Cloud Computing, Software Engineering, Technical Leadership, Protective Services, Network Security, Architectural Services, Network Administration/Management, Mentoring, NAT (Network Address Translation), Bachelors degree in computer science, Computer Engineering, or related discipline; Masters degree preferred.

12+ years of software engineering experience with significant focus on networking and systems software.

Expert proficiency in C.

Deep understanding of Linux operating systems, networking subsystems, and kernel internals.

Extensive systems programming experience in performance-sensitive environments.

Strong expertise in TCP/IP networking fundamentals and protocols.

Hands-on experience developing high-performance Forwarding Planeor packet-processing software.

Deep knowledge of:

NAT

Stateful connection tracking

IPsec

Routing and forwarding technologies

Firewall and policy enforcement systems

Network security concepts

Experience with DPDK, VPP, or similar high-performance packet-processing frameworks.

Proven experience analyzing and optimizing software for performance, scalability, and reliability.

Demonstrated technical leadership and mentoring experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience building cloud networking platforms in AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud.

Knowledge of SD-WAN, SASE, ZTNA, and cloud security architectures.

Experience with VPP/DPDK, kernel bypass technologies.

Advanced Linux networking frameworks.

Experience contributing to open-source networking projects.

Strong background in distributed systems and highly available networking services.

Experience designing and operating multi-tenant cloud networking platforms.

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.

COMPENSATION This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors. Location Based Pay Ranges: $167,273 - $278,789

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 Solutionand how we live into the Lumen 8, please visit: https://jobs.lumen.com/global/en/life-at-lumen, Please be advised that Alkira, a Lumen Connect Solution does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Alkira, a Lumen Connect Solution, they are not for employment with us but may relate to another company with a similar name.