Network Automation Engineer
First seen by Alion on Oct 30, 2026.
🔌 QA Automation Engineer (Networking): Test the Switches That Power Data Centers
The challenge:
Every cloud service, every stream, every transaction travels through a data center network, and somewhere in that network, a switch has to forward the right packet to the right place, every single time.
Our client builds networking technology for data center infrastructure. Its software implements Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching and routing: VLANs, forwarding, tunneling, traffic controls, and more. Validation has to cover multiple software layers, physical and virtual devices, and successive generations of hardware.
And “can we configure the switch?” is only the beginning. You’ll need to prove that features behave correctly, that existing capabilities stay compatible, and that new functionality and performance targets are met. That takes engineers who understand how switches and routers work beneath the configuration layer, both to design effective tests and to find out why something failed.
Your role:
You’ll join a distributed Automation and QA team as an individual contributor, owning your work from the first feature discussion through planning, implementation, review, and long-term maintenance. You’ll work closely with developers to understand new networking features and turn their requirements into reliable, Python-based automated tests.
The role combines two things: validating features, and owning the infrastructure that makes validation possible. You’ll improve automation libraries and tools, integrate tests into CI/CD, investigate execution failures, and reuse existing code where it makes sense. Team members review CI results and take responsibility for failures in the areas they know best.
What you’ll do:
Define test plans, test cases, and validation procedures for new networking features
Build and maintain Python test automation and the libraries behind it
Design and improve automation infrastructure, tools, and processes
Clarify feature behavior and test requirements with developers and stakeholders
Validate L2 and L3 functionality on physical and virtual switches and routers
Integrate tests into CI/CD pipelines and make their execution more reliable
Analyze results and tell product defects apart from automation or environment issues
Debug execution problems and keep tests current as features and hardware evolve
Document findings so issues can be tracked through to resolution
What you bring:
5+ years in networking-focused engineering, with deep knowledge of switch or router functionality beyond device configuration
Experience developing and troubleshooting Python-based test automation and its infrastructure
Strong understanding of L2 and L3 networking: switching, routing, VLANs, forwarding, ACLs, QoS, tunneling
Hands-on work with physical and virtual L2/L3 switches or routers
Working knowledge of Linux and CI/CD tools and methodology
Ability to investigate complex, low-level failures and drive them to resolution
Clear, structured communication and the ability to work independently while supporting cross-functional partners
Bonus points:
✦ Reading or programming in C or C++ to investigate the software under test
✦ Docker, Ansible, or Vagrant
✦ Networking test equipment experience or professional networking certifications
Why us:
20 days of vacation per year, plus official national holidays in your country of residence
Full accounting and legal support in all countries where we operate
Fully remote model with a powerful workstation and co-working space when you need it
If you love knowing exactly what happens inside a switch, and proving it with code, let’s talk.