Senior Software Engineering Manager - AI Data Center Networking

Senior Software Engineering Manager - AI Data Center Networking This role has been designed as 'Hybrid' with a requirement that you will work on average 2 days per week from an HPE office. Who We Are: Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the global edge-to-cloud company advancing the way people live and work. We help companies connect, protect, analyze, and act on their data and applications wherever they live, from edge to cloud, so they can turn insights into outcomes at the speed required to thrive in today’s complex world. Our culture thrives on finding new and better ways to accelerate what’s next. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good. If you are looking to stretch and grow your career our culture will embrace you. Open up opportunities with HPE. Job Description: Senior Software Engineering Manager – AI Data Center Networking Location: Sunnyvale, CA Lead a geographically distributed team of solutions and test engineers responsible for architecting, validating, and publishing white papers across AI/ML cluster, data center, DCI, and campus portfolios. The manager owns team delivery, people development, lab and testbed investment, and cross-functional alignment for NPI programs, while remaining technically credible enough to guide architecture decisions and customer escalations. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES People Leadership Manage, hire, and develop a global team of solutions engineers, including goal setting, performance reviews, career planning, and compensation input. Build team autonomy through coaching and mentoring, and develop a succession pipeline of senior and principal engineers. Foster a culture of quality ownership, collaboration, and continuous learning across sites and time zones. Program and Delivery Ownership Own the solution validation roadmap and quarterly commitments for NPI programs, from multi-feature testing through scale validation and publication. Plan capacity, prioritize work across competing programs, and manage schedule risk and dependencies. Define and report team metrics: release quality, defect escape rate, automation coverage, delivery, and escalation turnaround. Act as a release quality gate, with authority to hold releases that do not meet customer-readiness criteria. Technical Strategy Set technical direction for AI/ML data center validation: scale-out and scale-up GPU fabrics, RoCEv2, load balancing (DLB, GLB, RLB), congestion control (DCQCN, ECN, PFC), multi-tenancy, and JCT-based performance measurement. Guide architecture for EVPN-VXLAN fabrics, DCI (EVPN-MPLS, Type-2/Type-5 stitching), and campus/branch solutions. Drive the automation strategy (Python, Robot Framework) and sponsor reusable, topology-independent frameworks. Resources and Budget Plan and justify lab, GPU, NIC, and test equipment investments. Manage testbed utilization and capital requests. Stakeholder and Customer Engagement Partner with Product Management, TME, SE, JTAC, and development engineering on solution definition, POCs, and product strategy. Serve as management escalation point for critical customer issues in AI cluster, data center, and campus deployments. Sponsor white papers, and customer-facing technical content. Basic Qualifications 12+ years in network engineering, solutions validation, or systems test, with 3+ years leading teams (formally or as technical lead of distributed engineers). Demonstrated record of mentoring engineers, driving cross-functional programs, and resolving customer escalations. Proven ability to own delivery commitments, prioritize across competing programs, and make release-quality decisions. Strong written and executive communication skills, including presenting to customers and senior leadership. Deep expertise in data center fabrics: EVPN-VXLAN, IP Clos, CRB/ERB, underlay/overlay design. Strong command of L2/L3 and multicast protocols: BGP, OSPF, IS-IS, BFD, PIM, IGMP. Hands-on AI/ML cluster networking experience: RDMA/RoCEv2, congestion control (DCQCN, ECN, PFC), and load balancing. Experience building test automation frameworks (Python, Robot Framework) and large-scale, customer-representative testbeds. Bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field. Preferred Qualifications Prior formal people-management experience, including hiring, performance reviews, and compensation planning. Budget or capital planning experience for labs and test infrastructure. Experience with GPU platforms (NVIDIA A100/H100, AMD MI300X) and NICs (ConnectX, Pollara), including JCT-based performance benchmarking. DCI expertise: EVPN-MPLS, L3VPN, Type-2/Type-5 stitching. Campus and branch solution experience: EVPN multihoming, distributed gateway, filter-based forwarding. Familiarity with traffic generators and analysis tools (Spirent, IXIA, Wireshark). JNCIP-DC or equivalent certification. Published validated designs, white papers, or conference presentations. Accessibility HPE is committed to creating an inclusive and accessible workplace and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including those with disabilities. If you believe you require accommodation during any stage of the application or interview process, please submit your request by completing our secure form linked here . Note: This option is reserved for applicants needing assistance/reasonable accommodation related to a disability. What We Can Offer You: Health & Wellbeing We strive to provide our team members and their loved ones with a comprehensive suite of benefits that supports their physical, financial and emotional wellbeing. Personal & Professional Development We also invest in your career because the better you are, the better we all are. We have specific programs catered to helping you reach any career goals you have — whether you want to become a knowledge expert in your field or apply your skills to another division. Unconditional Inclusion We are unconditionally inclusive in the way we work and celebrate individual uniqueness. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good. Let's Stay Connected: Follow @HPECareers on Instagram to see the latest on people, culture and tech at HPE. #unitedstates #networking Job: Quality Job Level: Manager_2 "The expected salary/wage range for this position is provided below. Actual offer may vary from this range based upon geographic location, work experience, education/training, and/or skill level. – United States of America: Annual Salary USD 135,500 - 275,000 in California The listed salary range reflects base salary. Variable incentives may also be offered." Information about employee benefits offered in the US can be found at https://myhperewards.com/main/new-hire-enrollment.html HPE is an Equal Employment Opportunity/ Veterans/Disabled/LGBT employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or any other protected category, and all decisions we make are made on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. Our goal is to be one global team that is representative of our customers, in an inclusive environment where we can continue to innovate and grow together. Please click here: Equal Employment Opportunity . Hewlett Packard Enterprise is EEO Protected Veteran/ Individual with Disabilities. HPE will comply with all applicable laws related to employer use of arrest and conviction records, including laws requiring employers to consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories. 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