Network Engineer II

Akamai•Cambridge, MA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Our DWDM network engineering team takes ownership for planning, building, maintaining, and operating our global DWDM network. We design, test, develop, deploy and manage the underlying physical and logical network infrastructure that powers all Akamai products. Our team ensures continuous availability, high capacity, and peak performance for millions of concurrent users worldwide. Partner with the best As a DWDM Network Engineer, you will specialize in the optical transport layer, collaborating with technicians, ISPs, and engineering teams. Responsibilities include deploying new DWDM systems, fiber characterization, resolving dark fiber issues, and addressing complex layer-1 faults on the active network.

Requirements

High school /Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or its equivalent experience
Demonstrate deep, multi-vendor expertise across major optical platforms such as Infinera, Nokia, Ciena, Cisco, and Coriant
Bring 5+ years of hands-on experience building, operating, and troubleshooting production DWDM networks
Possess a high-level understanding of DWDM system design, including optical amplification (EDFA/Raman), ROADM architectures, link budgets, and OSNR management
Be an expert in optical testing methodologies, specifically reading and analyzing OTDR traces
Demonstrate exceptional attention to detail with a proven track record of flawlessly executing procedures, checklists, and runbooks.
Take initiative to fully manage complex projects independently while requiring minimal supervision.
Have hands-on experience using Python and AI-driven tools to automate routine tasks, process data, accelerate root-cause analysis and improve team productivity

Responsibilities

Deploying, commissioning, and augmenting new and existing DWDM network infrastructure across our global sites.
Working directly with field teams to review OTDR traces, scope fiber, test insertion loss/ORL, and troubleshoot physical fiber plants
Collaborating with dark fiber providers, ISPs, and colocation vendors to evaluate new fiber spans and oversee fault resolution processes.
Diagnosing and resolving complex optical issues, including link degradation, optical signal-to-noise ratio (OSNR) drops, and transponder/line-card faults
Acting as a subject matter expert and final point of escalation for production network issues.
Leveraging AI-driven tools and scripting to automate operational workflows, accelerate root-cause analysis, and streamline network deployments.
Mentoring junior engineers and field personnel on best practices for optical testing, fiber handling, and vendor-specific platform management.