Senior Director, Network Platform Engineering

Who are we?

Equinix is the world’s digital infrastructure company®, shortening the path to connectivity to enable the innovations that enrich our work, life and planet.

A place where tech thinkers and future builders turn bold ideas into breakthrough experiences, we welcome your unique perspective.

Help us challenge assumptions, uncover bias, and remove barriers—because progress starts with fresh ideas. You’ll find belonging, purpose, and a team that welcomes you—because when you feel valued, you’re empowered to do your best work.

Job Summary

Equinix is seeking a world-class Senior Director of Network Platform Engineering to define how one of the world’s most interconnected digital infrastructure platforms is designed, built, and evolved. This executive will lead the architecture, design, technology selection, and validation of Equinix’s global network across the full interconnection stack, from optical transport and Metro Connect to software-defined Equinix Fabric® and Fabric Cloud Router. The role will establish the technical foundation that enables Equinix to deliver secure, resilient, automated, and increasingly intelligent connectivity worldwide.

This is not a traditional network engineering role. It is an opportunity to shape the future of digital interconnection at a moment when applications and AI agents are beginning to provision and optimize infrastructure through software. The successful candidate will set architectural direction, make critical technology bets, engage the world’s leading cloud and AI companies, and build the team that architects the next generation of Equinix infrastructure.

The role may be based at Equinix headquarters in Redwood City, California, or in another major Equinix metro.

The Opportunity

Equinix is advancing from foundational connectivity toward an intelligent, software-defined interconnection platform. Fabric One is being developed as an intent-driven, any-to-any connectivity platform that enables applications and AI agents to provision their own networks. Fabric Intelligence introduces an AI-native operations layer designed to manage and optimize network performance. Fabric Geo Zones extends this architecture further by enabling compliant data paths across jurisdictions.

The Senior Director of Network Architecture will determine how these capabilities come together as a secure, scalable, and coherent global platform. This leader will balance the demands of today’s production network with the emerging requirements of distributed AI, autonomous infrastructure, data sovereignty, and real-time digital services.

Responsibilities

What You Will Own

Define the Future of the Equinix Network

Own the end-to-end architecture for the Equinix interconnection portfolio, including:

Equinix Fabric

Fabric Cloud Router

Metro Connect

Internet Exchange

Network Edge

Precision Time

Internet Access

Future software-defined and AI-enabled interconnection services

Create an architectural foundation that supports the company’s long-term product ambitions and enables a seamless, multiyear roadmap of differentiated products and services

Architect the Next Generation of Interconnection

Serve as the design authority for the network supporting Fabric One and future intent-driven connectivity capabilities

Translate product vision into a secure, resilient, and scalable network architecture capable of supporting increasingly dynamic applications, distributed AI workloads, autonomous services, and machine-to-machine infrastructure consumption

Lead Technology Strategy and Critical Design Decisions

Set Equinix’s strategy across optical transport, network fabrics, routing, software-defined interconnection, automation, and emerging infrastructure technologies

Lead the evaluation, selection, and validation of technologies across:

Network silicon

Optical and coherent systems

DWDM and OTN

IP/MPLS and BGP

Software-defined networking

Network orchestration

Automation and telemetry platforms

Vendor and open technology ecosystems

Make disciplined architectural trade-offs that improve scalability, reliability, customer experience, and long-term economics

Build Intelligence into the Network

Shape the technical foundation for Fabric Intelligence and other AI-native capabilities that manage, optimize, and protect the Equinix network

Advance Equinix toward increasingly predictive and autonomous network operations through intelligent observability, intent-driven orchestration, automated optimization, and closed-loop remediation

Enable Distributed AI and Data Sovereignty

Partner with Product to define the network architecture supporting emerging capabilities such as Distributed AI Hub, Inference Exchange, and future AI infrastructure services

Design for the performance, data movement, latency, security, and resiliency requirements of distributed AI training and inference

Advance the architecture for Fabric Geo Zones, enabling compliant data paths and infrastructure consumption across geographic and jurisdictional boundaries

Deliver Architecture That Operates Reliably at Global Scale

Partner closely with Network Operations to translate architecture and design into a highly reliable production network

Ensure architectural decisions account for operational readiness, lifecycle management, observability, resilience, maintainability, and the realities of running mission-critical global infrastructure

Engage Customers and Shape the Industry

Represent Equinix’s network architecture with senior executives, strategic customers, board stakeholders, and industry audiences

Engage CTO-level leaders across hyperscalers, neoclouds, network providers, technology partners, and the broader digital infrastructure ecosystem

Use these relationships to anticipate market shifts, influence partner roadmaps, and ensure Equinix’s architecture remains aligned with the needs of the world’s most demanding infrastructure customers

Build a World-Class Architecture Organization

Recruit, develop, and lead an exceptional global team of network architects, systems engineers, and technical program managers

Create an environment capable of attracting and retaining engineers who have operated at cloud and hyperscale network scale

Establish clear technical standards, raise architectural quality, and build a culture of accountability, innovation, and engineering excellence

What Success Looks Like

Establish a clear, multiyear architecture for Equinix’s global interconnection platform

Create the technical foundation for Fabric One and future intent-driven network services

Accelerate the evolution toward intelligent and autonomous network operations

Enable new products supporting distributed AI, cloud connectivity, and data sovereignty

Improve alignment among Architecture, Product, Engineering, and Network Operations

Make technology and vendor decisions that improve performance, reliability, scalability, and economics

Build an architecture organization recognized for technical excellence and industry influence

Strengthen Equinix’s credibility with major cloud, AI, network, and infrastructure partners

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

15+ years of experience designing, building, or operating large-scale global networks

Direct experience at a major public cloud provider or responsibility for a hyperscale carrier, exchange, or similarly complex global network

Deep expertise across optical networking, DWDM, OTN, coherent systems, IP/MPLS, BGP at scale, SD-WAN, and software-defined interconnection

Demonstrated success defining architecture and technology strategy for mission-critical infrastructure

Proven experience leading senior engineers and building high-performing technical organizations

Ability to translate product and business strategy into scalable architecture and executable roadmaps

Strong executive pre