Staff Datacenter Network Engineer

Details

Groq delivers fast, efficient AI inference. Our LPU-based system powers GroqCloud™, giving businesses and developers the speed and scale they need. From our Bay Area roots to our growing global presence, we are on a mission to make high performance AI compute more accessible and affordable.

Role overview

We are looking for a Staff Datacenter Network Engineer to design, deploy, and optimize large-scale datacenter network fabrics that keep ML inference pipelines running 24/7. You will work with switching and routing hardware at scale, maintain accurate BOMs, collaborate with data center engineering teams, and automate configuration and telemetry for port-level visibility.

Responsibilities

• Network fabric architecture and design: design end-to-end datacenter topologies (IPv4/IPv6, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, high-availability fabrics) that are scalable and fault tolerant.
• Hardware deployment and optimization: deploy, configure, and tune Cisco, Juniper, and Arista switches, routers, and firewalls for optimal throughput, low jitter, and predictable ML workload performance.
• Documentation and BOM management: create and maintain accurate bills-of-materials for fabric components (switches, line cards, transceivers, cables, racks), validate BOMs against designs, and update BOMs for hardware revisions and new models.
• Cross-functional collaboration: partner with Data Center Engineering (power, cabling, floor layouts) to understand traffic profiles and future scaling needs.
• Automation & telemetry: implement configuration management and automation (Ansible, Terraform, Python, vendor APIs) and integrate monitoring/telemetry (Prometheus, OpenTelemetry) for port-level visibility.

Requirements

• Hands-on experience with Cisco Nexus, Juniper QFX, and Arista 7500/7800 series switches, including line-card and transceiver management.
• Deep knowledge of datacenter networking protocols and architectures: IPv4/IPv6, BGP, OSPF, MPLS, and high-availability fabric design.
• Experience with GPU cluster networking and RoCEv2.
• Experience creating and maintaining BOMs, coordinating with procurement, and managing inventory.
• Strong automation and scripting skills: Ansible, Terraform, Python, and vendor APIs for configuration management.
• Familiarity with monitoring and telemetry tools, including Prometheus and OpenTelemetry.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and collaboration skills; comfortable mentoring and documenting complex designs.
• Bonus: experience with ML traffic patterns, SD‑WAN, or contributions to open-source fabric projects.

Location & work policy

• Offices: Palo Alto, California (United States) and Toronto (Canada). If you are located near one of these offices you may be asked to work hybrid.
• The listing also includes remote, hybrid, and on-site employment patterns (#LI-Remote, #LI-Hybrid, #LI-Onsite).

Compensation

• For roles in the United States the base salary range is $203,200 to $239,100, determined by location, skills, qualifications, experience and internal benchmarks. Compensation outside the USA is dependent on the local market.
• Compensation package includes base salary, equity, and benefits.

Why join us / Benefits

• Purposeful hiring: teammates are handpicked with intention.
• Builders wanted: work directly shapes the company trajectory.
• Mission-driven work and the opportunity to tackle hard problems.
• High standards of excellence and collaborative culture.

Equal opportunity & accommodations

Groq is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating an inclusive environment and providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals. Applicants will receive consideration without regard to protected characteristics. Reasonable accommodation requests can be sent to [email protected] (contact for accommodation requests only).