Distinguished Engineer, Networking

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 Distinguished Engineer, Networking to help define the architecture of one of the world's most interconnected digital infrastructure platforms. This is the most senior individual contributor role within the Network Architecture organization and serves as the technical counterpart to leadership. The Distinguished Engineer is the person trusted to solve the hardest architectural problems in the company, challenge assumptions before they become production issues, and raise the technical bar across the global engineering organization. This leader will shape the future of Equinix's network architecture across optical transport, software-defined interconnection, AI-native infrastructure, intent-driven networking, and cloud-scale routing. They will work directly with Product, Engineering, Operations, strategic customers, and hyperscale partners to build the technical foundation for the next generation of interconnection services. Why This Role Matters Equinix is executing several major architectural shifts simultaneously. Fabric One introduces intent-driven, any-to-any connectivity built on open APIs and deep integration with cloud providers. Fabric Intelligence enables AI agents to provision, optimize, and manage network infrastructure autonomously. Fabric Geo Zones introduces jurisdiction-aware data paths where data sovereignty becomes a property of the network itself, not merely an application-level policy. The platform already connects more than 10,500 businesses, 3,000 cloud and IT providers, and eight of the world's ten largest AI model providers. Because Equinix operates as a neutral interconnection platform, this role designs not for a single cloud or ecosystem-but for the broader Internet itself. Responsibilities Architect the Future of Interconnection Define the architecture for the network that powers the Equinix Interconnection portfolio, including: Equinix Fabric Fabric Cloud Router Metro Connect Internet Exchange Network Edge Future intent-driven and AI-enabled networking services Develop architectural patterns that support current products while providing the foundation for future innovation across the company. Shape the Next Generation of Networking Serve as a lead architect behind: Fabric One: Design the network architecture behind intent-driven connectivity where applications and infrastructure consume network services through software Fabric Intelligence: Create the networking foundation for AI-native operations where intelligent agents provision, optimize, diagnose, and heal infrastructure autonomously Fabric Geo Zones: Develop architectures that enforce geographic and regulatory boundaries across global infrastructure environments and sovereign jurisdictions Own the Hardest Technical Problems Lead architectural decisions spanning Layers 0 through 3, including: Coherent optics DWDM OTN ROADMs Optical transport IP/MPLS BGP at hyperscale Software-defined networking Control plane architecture Provide technical leadership on vendor decisions, technology bets, standards adoption, architecture reviews, and long-range platform evolution. Turn Strategy into Reality Build proof-of-concepts, validate new technologies, evaluate tradeoffs, and translate architectural concepts into production recommendations Partner closely with Product, Engineering, and Operations to ensure roadmap priorities are technically sound, scalable, and operationally viable Influe