Principal Engineer - Automation Lead

You want more out of a career. A place to share your ideas freely - even if they're daring or different. Where the true you can learn, grow, and thrive. At Verizon, we power and empower how people live, work and play by connecting them to what brings them joy. We do what we love - driving innovation, creativity, and impact in the world. Our V Team is a community of people who anticipate, lead, and believe that listening is where learning begins. In crisis and in celebration, we come together - lifting our communities and building trust in how we show up, everywhere & always. Want in? Join the #VTeamLife.

Verizon Global Infrastructure is seeking a visionary Principal Engineer (Automation Lead) to lead the design and development of our network automation strategy. In this role, you will be responsible for building the automated pipelines and "Golden Config" frameworks required to deploy new data center zones at Fortune 50 scale.

You will act as the technical lead for automation design, development support, and standard modernization, ensuring that our infrastructure is deployed as code. By leveraging AI and Copilot frameworks, you will redefine the future of network configuration management and ensure our automation features are built for scalability and performance.

• Lead Network Automation Strategy: Architect and define the CI/CD strategy and automation roadmap for new network zones, driving the adoption of "Network as Code" principles across data center segments.

• Modernize Infrastructure & Standards: Design configuration management architectures (Golden Config) and partner with security teams to integrate automated policy enforcement into deployment pipelines.

• Drive Innovation with AI & Tooling: Evaluate and implement enterprise-scale tools (e.g., Cisco NSO, Ansible, Terraform) and leverage AI/Copilot frameworks to accelerate development through Proof-of-Concepts (PoCs).

• Technical Leadership & Mentorship: Provide architectural oversight and mentorship to global engineering teams (US & India), ensuring clear communication of goals and workflow designs.

• Execute Seamless Deployments: Create detailed Low Level Design (LLD) diagrams and automated migration strategies to ensure consistent build processes and minimal business disruption.

• Bachelor's degree or four or more years of work experience.

• Six or more years of relevant experience required, demonstrated through one or a combination of work and/or military experience, or specialized training.

• Six or more years of experience in enterprise network architecture and software-defined networking.

• Experience in large-scale Fortune 50 environments with complex multi-vendor networking requirements.

• Prior experience leading digital transformation initiatives with a heavy focus on network automation.

• Extensive new technology development and testing experience in high-scale data center environments.

• Strong expertise in automation frameworks, including hands-on experience with Python, Ansible, Terraform, or Cisco NSO.

• Deep knowledge of Configuration Management strategies and establishing "Golden Config" standards.

• Familiarity with AI and Copilot frameworks and the ability to leverage them for feature development and code generation.

• Experience designing and implementing CI/CD pipelines for infrastructure deployment.

• Strong understanding of industry standards and best practices for SASE/SD-WAN automation.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to articulate complex automation workflows to stakeholders.

• Industry certifications such as Cisco DevNet Professional, AWS/Azure DevOps Engineer, or related automation certifications.

• Self-motivated and forward-thinking with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

Verizon is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to veteran status, disability or other legally protected characteristics.

Our benefits are designed to help you move forward in your career, and in areas of your life outside of Verizon. From health and wellness benefit options including: medical, dental, vision, short and long term disability, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, AD&D insurance, identity theft protection, pet insurance and group home & auto insurance. We also offer a matched 401(k) savings plan, up to 8 company paid holidays per year and up to 6 personal days per year, paid parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition assistance, plus other incentives, we've got you covered with our award-winning total rewards package. Depending on the role, employees have the opportunity to receive compensation in the form of premium pay such as overtime, shift differential, holiday pay, allowances, etc. Newly hired employees receive up to 15 days of vacation per year, which grows with additional service. For part-timers, your coverage will vary as you may be eligible for some of these benefits depending on your individual circumstances.