Principal Network Engineer

TEAM OVERVIEW 

KKR’s Technology team is responsible for building and supporting the firm’s technological foundation. Technology is regarded as a key business enabler at KKR and is an important accelerator for global scale and business process transformation. We drive a culture of excellence through efficient workflow automation, the democratization of data, and the strategic implementation of emerging technologies to consistently serve our business needs.  

POSITION SUMMARY  

KKR is seeking a Principal Network Engineer to join our Americas-based Global Network Engineering team in New York or Boston. This role requires a hands-on technical leader who can design, implement, and oversee KKR’s global networking infrastructure — spanning 44 offices worldwide, multiple datacenters, and cloud points of presence across EMEA, APAC, and North America. 

RESPONSIBILITIES  

• Serve as a technical lead and people manager (player/coach), guiding a team of engineers while remaining hands-on with architecture, design, and implementation. 
• Design, build, and manage global enterprise network infrastructure across on-premises and cloud environments (AWS primary, Azure secondary and possibly GCP). 
• Architect and maintain both underlay (routers, switches, cabling) and overlay (software-defined, multi-tenant) network solutions. 
• Implement and manage secure LAN/WAN/SDWAN, data center, and cloud network connectivity across global sites. 
• Partner with Information Security to translate policy and requirements into compliant network designs; support audits and remediation activities. 
• Manage and optimize network performance, monitoring, and resilience across all regions. 
• Oversee carrier relationships, procurement, and local connectivity across EMEA, APAC, and the Americas. 
• Provide Tier III escalation support for complex network and connectivity issues. 
• Drive adoption of Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) using Terraform or equivalent tooling for network provisioning and management. 
• Implement and support network security controls, including firewalls, intrusion prevention/detection, segmentation, and encryption. 
• Contribute to global architecture standards and documentation for networking and security operations. 
• Stay current with industry trends in software-defined networking, automation, and network security, identifying opportunities for innovation. 
• Participate in after-hours/on-call rotation for critical network operations. 

QUALIFICATIONS 

• 10+ years of experience in enterprise network engineering, including global environments across multiple regions (U.S. and EMEA required; APAC preferred). 
• Proven experience as a people manager, with demonstrated leadership in mentoring and developing engineers. 
• Deep understanding of traditional (L2/L3, BGP, OSPF) and modern software-defined networking architectures. 
• Expertise with Cisco networking technologies (Nexus strongly preferred). 
• Proficiency in AWS networking (VPCs, Transit Gateway, Direct Connect, hybrid connectivity) and familiarity with Azure. 
• Hands-on experience with Terraform and Infrastructure-as-Code concepts. 
• Strong network security acumen, including firewalls, intrusion prevention/detection, segmentation, and VPN technologies. 
• Experience designing and operating global networks, with understanding of carrier sourcing, latency, and regional communications nuances. 
• Excellent troubleshooting, analytical, and documentation skills. 
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across teams. 
• Preferred certifications: CCNP or higher, AWS Solutions Architect, or equivalent. 
• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline or equivalent practical experience. 

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