Location: Irving, TX
Salary: $111.00 USD Hourly - $131.00 USD Hourly
Description: Lead Automation Platform Engineer (Contract)Contract-to-Hire | HybridLocations: Irving, TX | Chandler, AZ | Charlotte, NC | Westlake, TX
About the RoleWe're looking for engineers-not operators. Builders, designers, and problem-solvers who create systems, not just support them.
This role is for individuals who naturally tinker, automate, and engineer solutions in their own time-whether that's building software at home, designing systems, or experimenting with emerging technologies. You'll join a team focused on reimagining enterprise networking through automation, AI, and modern engineering practices.
You will play a critical role in transforming our branch network into a fully automated, zero-touch, next-generation platform-leveraging tools, patterns, and approaches similar to those used at companies like Google, Amazon, and other automation-first organizations.
What You'll DoBuild the Future of Network Automation- Design and implement a fully automated, plug-and-play branch architecture
- Deliver true zero-touch provisioning (ZTP) for end-to-end deployment
- Replace manual processes with scalable, intelligent automation systems
Engineer Modern Automation Platforms- Develop stateful orchestration workflows (Temporal / ORCA or equivalent)
- Build reusable automation frameworks and patterns
- Integrate AI-assisted or AI-driven automation capabilities
Own the Automation Stack (End-to-End)- Establish Infrastructure as Code using Terraform
- Build CI/CD pipelines with GitHub Actions
- Automate operations using Ansible
- Expose capabilities via API platforms (Apigee)
Create Source-of-Truth Driven Systems- Leverage Nautobot (or similar) as a centralized system of intent
- Model network topology, IPAM, and configuration data
- Ensure all automation executes from structured, authoritative data
Drive Observability and Reliability- Implement monitoring using Prometheus, Grafana, or similar tools
- Embed telemetry into automation workflows
- Enable self-healing, resilient systems
What Success Looks Like- Branch deployments require little to no human intervention
- Deployment timelines are reduced from weeks to minutes
- Operations teams are freed from repetitive manual work
- A unified, scalable architecture replaces fragmented SD-Branch environments
- Automation becomes the default-not the exception
Who You AreYou are a
builder at heart:
- You create systems in your spare time-software, automation, hardware, or otherwise
- You're curious about how things work and how to improve them
- You prefer engineering solutions over maintaining legacy processes
You think like a
modern engineer:
- Automation-first mindset
- API-driven thinking
- Comfortable working across infrastructure and software boundaries
- Interested in AI-driven and next-gen automation approaches
Required Qualifications- Strong hands-on experience with Python
- Deep expertise in automation engineering and orchestration frameworks (Temporal, ORCA, etc.)
- Experience with Terraform (Infrastructure as Code)
- Proven ability building CI/CD pipelines (GitHub, GitHub Actions)
- Hands-on Ansible automation experience
- Experience with Cisco SD-WAN / SD-Branch architectures
- Familiarity with IPAM, network source-of-truth systems (e.g., Nautobot)
- Exposure to or experience with AI-driven or AI-assisted automation
- Ability to independently deliver in complex enterprise environments
Preferred Qualifications- Experience with .NET and React (at least one team member must bring this skillset)
- Background in large-scale enterprise transformations
- Experience in cloud-scale or FAANG-like engineering environments
Team Composition / Hiring PlanWe are building a balanced team of high-impact engineers:
- 2 Level 3 Engineers
- 2 Level 4 Engineers
- 2 Senior Engineers
We are seeking
top-tier candidates only. Multiple vendors may be engaged, with final selection based on demonstrated engineering excellence and portfolio quality.
Engagement Model- Contract-to-hire opportunity
- Initial candidate submissions will be reviewed for early assessment
- Final selection process will be managed through Beeline
What Sets This Role ApartThis is not a traditional network engineering role.
This is an opportunity to:
- Build next-generation, AI-enabled automation platforms
- Work on cutting-edge network transformation initiatives
- Replace legacy operations with fully automated systems
- Operate with a builder's mindset, not a support mindset
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