Software Engineer, Global Network Edge - Job Opportunity at Google

Dublin, Ireland
Full-time
Mid-level
Posted: June 17, 2025
On-site
EUR 85,000 - 120,000 annually based on Dublin's competitive tech market, Google's premium compensation structure, and the specialized nature of network infrastructure roles requiring 5+ years experience in a tier-one tech company

Benefits

Opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies that impact billions of users globally, providing unparalleled career exposure and technical growth
Access to Google's world-class engineering resources and infrastructure, enabling work on large-scale distributed systems
Cross-functional collaboration with Site Reliability Engineers and test engineers, enhancing professional network and technical expertise
Project switching opportunities within Google Cloud teams, offering diverse experience and preventing career stagnation
Ownership culture encouraging innovation and autonomous decision-making, accelerating professional development
Equal opportunity workplace with comprehensive diversity and inclusion programs, ensuring fair career advancement

Key Responsibilities

Architect and develop Software Defined Network (SDN) control plane systems that govern Google's Global Network Edge infrastructure, directly impacting the performance and reliability of services used by billions of users worldwide
Lead the design and implementation of critical networking features including software architecture evolution and bandwidth enforcement mechanisms, positioning yourself as a key technical decision-maker in Google's network infrastructure
Drive network programming coordination and management initiatives that ensure optimal performance across Google's global edge network, contributing to the company's competitive advantage in cloud services
Collaborate strategically with cross-functional teams including Site Reliability Engineers to deliver product releases that maintain Google's reputation for reliability and innovation in the cloud computing market

Requirements

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience

Experience

5 years of experience with software development in one or more programming languages, and with data structures/algorithms

Required Skills

Software development in one or more programming languages Data structures/algorithms Software Defined Network (SDN) control plane systems Network programming coordination and management Software architecture evolution Admission control and bandwidth enforcement Availability improving mechanisms
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Sauge AI Market Intelligence

Industry Trends

The global shift toward edge computing is accelerating as organizations seek to reduce latency and improve user experience, with the edge computing market projected to reach $274 billion by 2025, making expertise in edge network infrastructure increasingly valuable Software Defined Networking (SDN) adoption is becoming critical for enterprise digital transformation, as companies move away from traditional hardware-based networking to programmable, software-controlled networks that offer greater flexibility and cost efficiency Cloud infrastructure roles are experiencing unprecedented demand as businesses accelerate their digital transformation initiatives post-pandemic, with network engineering positions at major cloud providers commanding premium compensation due to their strategic importance The convergence of 5G networks and edge computing is creating new opportunities for network engineers who understand both cloud infrastructure and telecommunications, particularly in roles that bridge traditional networking with modern cloud architectures

Role Significance

Typically part of a 8-12 person engineering team within the broader Global Network Edge organization, working closely with 2-3 SREs and collaborating with multiple product teams across Google Cloud's infrastructure division
This is a mid-to-senior level individual contributor role with significant technical ownership and architectural decision-making responsibilities, reporting likely to a Senior Staff Engineer or Engineering Manager within Google Cloud's networking organization

Key Projects

Designing and implementing next-generation SDN control plane architectures that support Google's global network expansion and performance optimization initiatives Leading the development of automated network management systems that reduce operational overhead while improving network reliability and performance Architecting bandwidth management and admission control systems that ensure optimal resource allocation across Google's edge network infrastructure Contributing to the evolution of Google's network software architecture to support emerging technologies like 5G integration and IoT edge computing requirements

Success Factors

Deep understanding of distributed systems architecture and the ability to design systems that scale to handle millions of network operations per second while maintaining sub-millisecond latency requirements Strong collaboration skills to work effectively with Site Reliability Engineers and cross-functional teams, as network infrastructure changes require careful coordination to avoid service disruptions Ownership mindset and ability to drive complex technical projects from conception to production deployment, including the ability to make architectural decisions that impact Google's global network performance Adaptability to rapidly evolving technologies and business requirements, as Google Cloud's fast-paced environment requires engineers who can quickly learn new technologies and pivot between projects Systems thinking capability to understand how network changes impact the broader Google Cloud ecosystem and customer experience

Market Demand

Exceptionally high demand driven by the critical shortage of experienced network engineers who understand both traditional networking and modern cloud infrastructure, particularly those with experience in large-scale distributed systems and edge computing architectures

Important Skills

Critical Skills

Distributed systems design expertise is essential as Google's network infrastructure operates at unprecedented scale, requiring engineers who understand consensus algorithms, fault tolerance, and system reliability patterns that work across thousands of servers Programming proficiency in systems languages like Go, C++, or Java is crucial for developing high-performance network control plane software that can handle millions of operations per second with minimal latency Deep understanding of networking protocols and SDN concepts is fundamental, as the role involves designing and implementing software that directly controls network hardware and traffic routing decisions Experience with large-scale system architecture is vital for understanding how network changes impact the broader Google Cloud ecosystem and for designing systems that can scale with Google's rapid growth

Beneficial Skills

Knowledge of containerization and orchestration technologies like Kubernetes becomes increasingly valuable as Google continues to integrate container-based architectures with their network infrastructure Experience with monitoring and observability tools is highly beneficial for debugging complex network issues and optimizing system performance in production environments Understanding of cloud security principles and network security best practices enhances career prospects as security becomes increasingly integrated with network infrastructure design Familiarity with machine learning and data analysis techniques is advantageous as Google increasingly applies ML to network optimization and predictive infrastructure management

Unique Aspects

Opportunity to work on infrastructure that directly impacts billions of users globally, providing unparalleled scale and visibility for technical contributions
Access to Google's proprietary networking technologies and cutting-edge research in areas like software-defined networking and edge computing
Exposure to Google's unique approach to network infrastructure management, including their custom hardware and software solutions that are often years ahead of industry standards
Integration with Google's broader ecosystem of products and services, allowing for cross-pollination of ideas and technologies across different product areas
Opportunity to contribute to open-source networking projects and influence industry standards through Google's significant presence in the networking community

Career Growth

Typical progression to Senior Software Engineer within 2-3 years, with potential advancement to Staff level within 4-6 years depending on impact and technical leadership demonstrated on critical infrastructure projects

Potential Next Roles

Senior Software Engineer focusing on distributed systems architecture and leading larger infrastructure projects Staff Software Engineer with technical leadership responsibilities over multiple network infrastructure initiatives Engineering Manager leading network infrastructure teams within Google Cloud Principal Engineer driving strategic technical decisions for Google's global network architecture Technical Lead Manager combining people management with deep technical contribution to critical infrastructure projects

Company Overview

Google

Google represents the pinnacle of technology innovation and scale, operating one of the world's largest and most sophisticated network infrastructures that serves billions of users daily across search, cloud computing, advertising, and enterprise services

Dominant position in cloud computing as one of the "Big Three" cloud providers alongside Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, with particular strength in data analytics, machine learning, and global network infrastructure
Dublin serves as Google's EMEA headquarters and a critical engineering hub, housing significant portions of the company's cloud infrastructure and network engineering teams, offering exposure to both European and global markets
Engineering-driven culture emphasizing innovation, technical excellence, and data-driven decision making, with strong emphasis on work-life balance, continuous learning, and the famous "20% time" for personal projects and innovation
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