Network Engineer II

About the role

Join Akamai’s DWDM Network Engineering team to design, build, and operate a global optical transport infrastructure that powers millions of users worldwide. You will work on cutting‑edge DWDM technologies, collaborate with field teams, ISPs and vendors, and ensure high‑capacity, highly available network services.

Key responsibilities

• Deploy, commission and expand DWDM network infrastructure across global sites.
• Review OTDR traces, scope fiber, test insertion loss/ORL and troubleshoot physical fiber plants with field teams.
• Coordinate with dark‑fiber providers, ISPs and colocation vendors to evaluate new spans and manage fault‑resolution processes.
• Diagnose complex optical issues such as link degradation, OSNR drops and transponder or line‑card faults.
• Serve as subject‑matter expert and final escalation point for production network problems.
• Leverage AI‑driven tools and Python scripting to automate workflows, accelerate root‑cause analysis and streamline deployments.
• Mentor junior engineers and field personnel on optical testing, fiber handling and vendor platform best practices.

Required profile

• High school or Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of hands‑on experience building, operating and troubleshooting production DWDM networks.
• Deep multi‑vendor expertise with platforms such as Infinera, Nokia, Ciena, Cisco and Coriant.
• Strong understanding of optical amplification (EDFA/Raman), ROADM architectures, link budgets and OSNR management.
• Expertise in reading and analyzing OTDR traces and other optical testing methodologies.
• Proven ability to execute detailed procedures, checklists and runbooks with high accuracy.
• Self‑starter who can manage complex projects independently with minimal supervision.

Required skills

• Python programming and scripting.
• DWDM system design and operation.
• OTDR analysis and optical testing.
• Infinera, Nokia, Ciena, Cisco, Coriant platforms.
• EDFA and Raman amplification.
• ROADM architecture and link‑budget calculations.