About the role
Pilot is a modern connectivity company based in New York City. We deliver fiber-optic internet and network services to businesses with no contracts, backed by a 100% uptime guarantee and 24/7 proactive support. We're a passionate, close-knit team that believes businesses have more important things to worry about than their internet connection. Our top priority is enabling extraordinary work across all industries with connectivity solutions that are adaptive, agile, and designed with the customer in mind. ON A TYPICAL DAY YOU’LL Design network solutions for customer connectivity across Pilot's fiber and datacenter infrastructure, and manage their implementation through to completion in collaboration with Network Engineers and Network Implementation Engineers. Architect network topology for new builds and expansions across Pilot's fiber and datacenter footprint, defining the infrastructure blueprint and being hands-on in the field as needed to validate designs and support delivery. Develop and improve design standards for topology, provisioning, and circuit design, leveraging automation to increase consistency and reduce manual effort. Forecast required capacity with third-party networks and make recommendations to technical leadership to improve network performance and scalability. Plan, schedule, and perform maintenance for network improvements and remediation across Pilot's network, including impact assessment and rollback planning, in conjunction with Network Support and Customer Experience teams. Conduct research and perform evaluation for new network hardware, software, and AI-driven tools as assigned by Network Engineering and Leadership teams, ensuring responsible and effective adoption. Lead complex or non-standard network implementations from scoping through delivery, including new service types, novel topologies, or cross-platform integrations. Provision and turn up new equipment, connections, and customer circuits across Pilot's network, including hands-on work at data center and field locations alongside Pilot and third-party teams. Provision and troubleshoot private and exchange-based peering sessions with third-party networks. Review and approve provisioning documentation, templates, and automation tools developed by Network Implementation Engineers, driving adoption of automation across standard workflows. Serve as a primary point of escalation for the Network team to troubleshoot advanced connectivity and performance issues affecting Pilot's customers. Investigate alarms received via Pilot's monitoring systems to troubleshoot issues such as equipment failures, fiber cuts, and third-party outages. Lead root cause analysis for major incidents and drive implementation of preventive measures to improve network reliability. Engage directly with customers and their technical teams on solution design, service turn-up, and resolution of complex issues, ensuring a high-touch experience aligned with Pilot's customer-first approach. Serve as a mentor to Network Support Engineers, Network Engineers, Network Implementation Engineers, and other members of technical staff, both on an ad-hoc basis and via designed training sessions. Continuously improve Pilot's documentation of its network infrastructure. Participate in Network Engineering's Tier III on-call rotation to address escalated issues. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR 5+ years of hands-on experience in a Network Engineering role with demonstrated ownership of network design and implementation. At least 2 years of experience architecting network solutions and leading implementations from concept through production, not solely in a support or operational capacity. Thorough understanding of TCP/IP and extensive experience configuring and troubleshooting: IP routing protocols including BGP, ISIS, OSPF, and MPLS. MPLS technologies including LDP and RSVP. Layer 2 transport methods including L2Circuit/Pseudowire, L2VPN, EVPN, and VXLAN. Fiber network components including DWDM, PON, ROADM, and amplification. Extensive experience with Juniper network hardware platforms. Strong understanding of internet routing and network interconnection, including private and exchange-based peering. Experienced with network automation using Python and/or Ansible, with the ability to build and improve automation workflows. Experienced with documenting network infrastructure using DCIM tools (Netbox, Nautobot, or similar). Proven ability to manage network projects from scoping through delivery, coordinating across engineering and cross-functional teams. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey technical concepts to both internal and external stakeholders. Ability to mentor junior engineers and contribute to team development through training and knowledge sharing. Comfortable with hands-on work at data center and field locations, including travel via mass transit to NYC metro area sites. Ability to lift equipment up to 50 lbs. Experience evaluating and adopting AI-driven network tools and automation with a focus on responsible implementation is a plus. Experience with traffic engineering platforms (Kentik, ThousandEyes) and monitoring systems (LibreNMS, Zabbix) is a plus. Experience collecting and manipulating network telemetry data via REST APIs is a plus. Previous experience at an ISP, hosting, or data center provider strongly preferred. PILOT’S PAY & PERKS Base Salary of $150,000 - $205,000 Company-sponsored Medical, Dental, Vision Coverage Company-sponsored 401(k) Commuter & Wellness Reimbursement Competitive PTO At Pilot, we believe differences make us stronger, and that our diversity is something to celebrate. Pilot hires without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (and pregnancy), age, physical, mental or sensory disability, HIV status, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service, family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate. Pilot Fiber, Inc. is not open to third-party solicitation or resumes for our posted positions. Any resume submitted to a Pilot Fiber, Inc. employee by a recruiting firm that does not have a valid, written search agreement with us will be considered a referral, regardless of whether it is submitted for a posted position or for general consideration, and no matter how it is submitted (via email, the Internet, or other means). No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by Pilot Fiber, Inc. as a result of the referral or through other means. VISA SPONSORSHIP NOT AVAILABLE