Senior/Lead Software Engineer, Packet Forwarding

Arista Networks is an industry leader in data-driven, client-to-cloud networking for large data center, campus and routing environments. What sets us apart is our relentless pursuit of innovation. We leverage the latest advancements in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and software-defined networking to provide our clients with a competitive edge in an increasingly interconnected world. Our solutions are designed to not only meet the current demands of the digital landscape but to also anticipate and adapt to future challenges.

At Arista we value the diversity of thought and perspectives that each employee brings to the table. We believe that fostering an inclusive environment, where individuals from various backgrounds and experiences feel welcome, is essential for driving creativity and innovation.

Our commitment to excellence has earned us several prestigious awards, such as Best Engineering Team, Best Company for Diversity, Compensation, and Work-Life Balance. At Arista, we take pride in our track record of success and strive to maintain the highest standards of quality and performance in everything we do.

Who You'll Work With

Arista Networks is looking for world-class Senior/Lead __Packet__ __Forwarding__ Engine (PFE) __Software__ Engineers.

As a Senior/Lead PFE __Software__ Engineer, you will collaborate and work with customers, product management and engineers to design and build novel __packet__ __forwarding__ features in __EOS__ that help networks run effectively and efficiently. You will need to understand the __packet__ __forwarding__ architecture in depth and figure out how to apply it optimally to solve customer problems. You will design the __packet__ __forwarding__ flow, design data structures and algorithms to render the __packet__ __forwarding__ state used by the __forwarding__ engine for efficiency and scale, and tie it all together with the higher layers.

In this role, you will get to confront complex, multi-dimensional problems such as

“Upgrade __software__ on a __switch__ with no more than a few milliseconds of downtime”

“Render a __routing__ table with >1M routes into the __forwarding__ path on a __router__ with a hundred __forwarding__ chips”

that are open ended, challenging, fun and require strong problem solving skills.

Arista __Software__ Engineering roles demand a strong and broad __software__ engineering background. While the primary focus area for this role is __packet__ __forwarding__ , the role will cover all aspects of __software__ development spanning the addition of new features, debugging problems and fine tuning code for scalability and performance. You will own your projects from definition to deployment and customer interactions, and you will be responsible for the quality of everything you deliver.

Arista __Software__ Engineering prides itself on a supportive and growth oriented culture. Over time, as your interests change, coupled with evolving business needs you will have the opportunity to __switch__ from __packet__ __forwarding__ to other areas, if you like.

What You’ll Do

• Interface with customers and product management to define __packet__ __forwarding__ features and solutions.
• Architect, design and manage the development of these features.
• Develop and maintain features using C, __C++__ and __Python__ , review and contribute to functional and design specifications. Build automated tests and test infrastructure to test the features.
• Provide technical leadership across features, projects and tools.
• Work with Customer Support Engineers and customers to analyze, mitigate and fix problems in customer networks.
• Work with the System _Test_ Engineers to analyze problems found in their tests and provide fixes for those problems.
• Mentor new and junior engineers to bring them up to speed in Arista's __software__ development environment.

• BS Computer Science/Electrical Engineering/Computer Engineering + 8 years experience, or MS Computer Science/Electrical Engineering/Computer Engineering + 6 years experience, or Ph.D. in Computer Science/Electrical Engineering/Computer Engineering + 3 years experience, or equivalent work experience
• Expert knowledge of C or __C++__ and __Python__.
• Knowledge of UNIX or Linux
• Understanding of IP networking and/or distributed __systems__
• Experience working with __packet__ __forwarding__ chips and pipelines is a plus
• Applied understanding of __software__ engineering principles
• Strong problem solving and __software__ troubleshooting skills
• Ability to design a solution and implement features independently.
• Ability to work in small teams.

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Arista Networks is an equal opportunity employer. Arista makes all hiring and employment-related decisions in a non-discriminatory manner without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or any other factor determined to be unlawful under applicable federal, state, or law law. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.