Senior Data Center Network Architect

Gruve • Redwood City, CA

8h • $190,000 - $225,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Gruve is seeking a highly skilled Senior Data Center Network Architect with 5+ years of experience designing, implementing, and optimizing modern data center networks supporting AI workloads. This is a deeply technical, customer-facing role aligned with Gruve’s AI-driven infrastructure solutions. The ideal candidate will have strong expertise in Cisco data center ecosystems, advanced AI network topology design, and high-performance fabrics that support large-scale training and inference environments.

Requirements

• 5+ years in enterprise or hyperscale data center networking
• Hands-on experience designing and implementing:
• AI network topologies: Dragonfly, converged-rail, and rail-optimized fabrics
• RDMA, RoCEv2, congestion control, lossless Ethernet
• Spine-leaf architectures, 100/200/400/800G fabric design
• Cisco data center solutions (Nexus series, ACI, NDFC/NDO, UCS networking)
• Deep understanding of:
• BGP, OSPF, multihoming, overlay networks, VXLAN/EVPN
• Network QoS, buffering, scheduling, ECMP, telemetry
• Hands-on experience with network troubleshooting tools (packet capture, latency analysis)
• CCNP Data Center or equivalent certification

Nice To Haves

• Experience with AI/ML workload patterns, GPU cluster behavior, and model training pipelines
• Automation experience: Python, Ansible, Terraform, Cisco DCNM/NDFC automation
• Familiarity with monitoring/observability tools: Prometheus, Grafana, ThousandEyes, Cisco Nexus Dashboard Insights
• Experience with multisite architectures, inter-DC fabrics, and L3 stretch patterns
• Exposure to cloud networking (AWS, Azure, GCP) aligned to hybrid AI environments
• Linux systems experience (kernel networking, tuning, NIC offloads)
• Experience with HPC, InfiniBand, or large-scale distributed training platforms
• Familiarity with AI accelerators (NVIDIA H100, B-series GPUs) and cluster topology tuning
• Experience writing SOWs, proposals, or participating in pre-sales architectures
• Excellent communication—able to explain complex concepts to executives and engineers
• Strong customer-facing presence: workshops, architecture reviews, executive briefings
• Ability to lead architectural decisions and drive technical consensus
• Certifications: CCIE Data Center or equivalent highly preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design, and deployment of AI-optimized data center networks, including:
• Converged-rail, rail-optimized, and Dragonfly topologies
• High-performance fabrics supporting RDMA, RoCEv2, and GPU-dense cluster interconnects
• Networks supporting AI training and inference clusters
• Architect and implement Cisco-centric data center solutions (Nexus, ACI, UCS, NX-OS, etc.)
• Design scalable routing architectures using BGP, OSPF, EVPN, and related protocols
• Provide expert-level troubleshooting and network performance optimization
• Serve as a customer-facing technical leader—translating requirements into architectures
• Collaborate with AI Solutions, Platform Engineering, and customer technical leadership
• Create high-quality design documents, diagrams, and technical recommendations

Benefits

• This is a full-time opportunity with Gruve, offering the flexibility to work from any of Gruve’s office locations: Redwood City, California; Plano, Dallas; or Edison, New Jersey.
• At Gruve, we foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and contribute their best work.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed