Staff Backbone Network Engineer
Groq
IT
Palo Alto, CA, USA
USD 203,200-239,100 / year + Equity
Posted on Oct 31, 2025
Staff Backbone Network Engineer
Palo Alto, CA
Networking & DC Eng
Hybrid
Full-time
About Groq
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. When real-time AI is within reach, anything is possible. Build fast.
Staff Backbone Network Engineer
Mission:
As a member of the Groq Backbone team, your mission is to scale GroqCloud’s global footprint—delivering a consistent, high-performance experience with maximum availability to users everywhere.
Responsibilities & opportunities in this role:
- Backbone Architecture & Design
- Global Network Collaboration: Partner with regional network teams to harmonize routing, peering, and policy across all sites. Serve as the primary liaison for external service providers (ISP, dark‑fiber carriers) and coordinate joint troubleshooting.
- Transport Optimization & Performance: Monitor link utilization, packet loss, jitter, and latency using telemetry (NetFlow, sFlow, OpenTelemetry).
- Network Automation & Configuration Management: Build and maintain GitOps‑driven pipelines (Buildkite, Terraform, Python, Kubernetes) for backbone configuration and lifecycle management.
Ideal candidates have/are:
- Backbone Expertise – 7+ years designing, deploying, and operating inter‑DC transport networks (ISIS, MPLS, SR, TE, L3VPN, Anycast, dark fiber, wave and optical platforms).
- Routing Proficiency – Deep knowledge of BGP, ISIS, SR, TE; experience with route reflectors, full internet routing tables on global networks, IXs and BGP communities.
- Automation & Scripting – Strong background having automated several networks previously, especially with use of Terraform/CDKTF, Python, and vendor APIs for configuration management and automation.
- Cloud native application development and delivery - Testing and packaging automation as cloud native RESTful Python applications (FastAPI)
- Monitoring & Telemetry – Familiarity with NetFlow, sFlow, Prometheus ecosystem, Grafana, and OpenTelemetry for end‑to‑end visibility.
- Security Knowledge – Understanding of IPsec, MACsec, ACLs, and DDoS mitigation in a global network context.
- Soft Skills – Excellent analytical, communication, and collaboration abilities; comfortable leading cross‑geo teams and mentoring others.
Attributes of a Groqster:
- Humility – Egos are checked at the door
- Collaborative & Team Savvy – We make up the smartest person in the room, together
- Growth & Giver Mindset – Learn it all versus know it all, we share knowledge generously
- Curious & Innovative – Take a creative approach to projects, problems, and design
- Passion, Grit, & Boldness – No-limit thinking, fueling informed risk taking
Compensation: At Groq, a competitive base salary is part of our comprehensive compensation package, which includes equity and benefits. For this role, the base salary range is $203,200 to $239,100, determined by your location, skills, qualifications, experience and internal benchmarks. This range is specific to roles in the United States, compensation for candidates outside the USA will be dependent on the local market.
#LI-Remote, #LI-Hybrid, #LI-Onsite
Groq is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Groq complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any protected characteristic.
Groq is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application or to participate in the hiring process, please contact us at talent@groq.com. This contact is for accommodation requests only, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
All offers of employment are contingent upon verification of the applicant’s identity and employment authorization in accordance with federal law.
Groq encourages people with criminal record histories to apply for employment, and values diverse experiences, including prior contact with the criminal legal system. To that end, Groq welcomes such applicants in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles City Fair Chance Act Ordinance, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Act Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Act Ordinance. Philadelphia applicants can review information pertaining to Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance here: https://www.phila.gov/documents/fair-chance-hiring-law-poster.
Req ID: R668