Lead Network Engineer – Automation & Scripting

Become a Part of the NIKE, Inc. Team

NIKE, Inc. does more than outfit the world’s best athletes. It is a place to explore potential, obliterate boundaries and push out the edges of what can be. The company looks for people who can grow, think, dream and create. Its culture thrives by embracing diversity and rewarding imagination. The brand seeks achievers, leaders and visionaries. At NIKE, Inc. it’s about each person bringing skills and passion to a challenging and constantly evolving game.

WHO YOU’LL WORK WITH

As a Lead Network Engineer-Automation & Scripting, you will provide technical leadership and mentorship to a team of network engineers. You will be responsible for designing sprint scopes, managing routing, switching, firewall, and SD-WAN deployments, and driving innovation in network platform capabilities. This role requires a strong understanding of network principles, hands-on experience with IT network technologies, and the ability to lead and develop team members. This role sits within Infrastructure Services Engineering and partners closely with Global Network Engineering, Platform Engineering, and Security Architecture. The engineer will collaborate with cross-functional teams to accelerate the transition to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), focusing on automation, API development, and platform reliability. 

WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR

We’re looking for a software engineer with deep expertise in Python and network automation. You should be comfortable working across Cisco and SD-WAN environments, with a strong grasp of network fundamentals and scripting. You’ll be expected to lead development of reusable APIs, messaging services, and automation frameworks that support global infrastructure. 

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, Engineering, or related field 

• Deep knowledge of LAN/WAN and Cisco Routing and Switching fundamentals Strong understanding of routing, switching, TCP/IP, and security protocols 

• Proficiency in Python, including object-oriented programming, data structures, and libraries like NAPALM 

• Familiarity with DevOps tools (Postman, PyCharm, Git) and scripting languages (Bash, PowerShell) 

• Experience with Cisco device APIs (NETCONF, RESTCONF) and data models (YANG, MIT) 

NICE TO HAVE 

• Experience with cloud platforms and AIOps integration preferred 

• Experience with Cisco DNAC (Digital Network Architecture Center) 

• Comfortable with SD-WAN products like VeloCloud and Palo Alto SD-WAN 

• Ability to conduct in-depth troubleshooting using DNS (Domain Name System), DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol), and BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) 

WHAT YOU’LL WORK ON

You will be responsible for leading sprints and providing leadership to a Global Network Campus & Core team for IT networks, play a role is building automations, Agents, and solutions to further Nike’s journey towards Infrastructure as Code networks.   

• Provides leadership to the squad/work team, delivering a vision for work requirements for the quarter; Designs the scope of sprints within the quarter 

• Serves as the critical technical lead for a major business solution from ideation to implementation 

• Demonstrates engineering ownership for a system(s), proactively anticipating concerns and escalating them to management 

• Develop automation scripts for device provisioning, configuration management, and network analysis. 

• Build and maintain APIs for network platform services 

• Collaborate with other teams to define branch development techniques and AI agent integration 

• Document and train global teams on new services and automation frameworks