Network Management Platform, Team Lead

Job Title: Network Management Platform, Team Lead

Based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, DQE Communications delivers fast, reliable fiber-optic Internet and data network services to businesses and carriers across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland. Since our start in 1997 as a small dark fiber provider in the Pittsburgh area, we’ve grown into one of the region’s leading network service providers. Our fiber footprint and product offerings continue to expand, but our focus remains the same, providing secure, dependable connectivity and building lasting relationships with our customers.

At DQE, our culture is built around three core values: Service, Trust, and Urgency. We take pride in providing reliable service to our customers, earning trust through integrity and accountability, and acting with urgency to deliver results that make an impact. When you work with DQE, you get more than a provider, you get a team that cares about your business and works hard to find the best solution for you.

Job Summary

DQE Communications is seeking a technically strong and operationally minded Network Management Platform Team Lead to lead the team building and evolving our network monitoring and observability platform. This role is ideal for a senior full-stack Python developer with prior leadership experience who has a foundation in networking and understands the operational realities of managing carrier-grade infrastructure.

This role will work closely with Network Engineering and Network Operations teams to develop and enhance internal applications that improve observability, reduce operational pain points, and support the reliability of our network.

The ideal candidate has hands-on networking experience and has transitioned into software development, automation, or platform engineering. You may have previously worked with routing protocols like BGP, supported network operations teams, or built tooling that improves visibility, telemetry, and operational efficiency. This is a remote position; however, candidates located near the Pittsburgh headquarters are preferred. Candidates should be willing to travel to the Pittsburgh area for training and periodic onsite collaboration as needed.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and maintain internal network management and observability applications using Python and modern full stack development practices
• Build tools and dashboards focused on network telemetry, monitoring, alerting, and operational visibility
• Collaborate directly with Network Engineering and Network Operations teams to identify operational pain points and translate them into scalable software solutions
• Develop integrations with network devices, APIs, telemetry platforms, and monitoring systems
• Support automation initiatives that improve troubleshooting, reporting, and operational workflows
• Own architectural decisions and technical direction for the network management platform and related systems
• Lead, mentor, and develop a small team of engineers—including code reviews, technical coaching, hiring, and performance feedback
• Own the platform roadmap and backlog in partnership with Network Engineering, Network Operations, and Product—balancing new capability, operational reliability, and technical debt
• Establish engineering standards and best practices for code quality, testing, observability, and CI/CD across the platform
• Assist in troubleshooting complex issues involving networking systems, monitoring pipelines, and application performance
• Contribute to documentation, standards, and best practices for both development and operational processes
  
  

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Experience working in a telecommunications, ISP, or carrier network environment
• Familiarity with BGP and other routing protocols
• Experience with network automation frameworks and APIs
• Exposure to telemetry technologies such as SNMP, streaming telemetry, NetFlow, gNMI, or similar tools
• Experience with network telemetry, observability platforms, dashboards, and monitoring systems
• Knowledge of Linux environments, containers, or cloudnative development practices
• Familiarity with Git, CI/CD pipelines, and Agile development methodologies
• Experience building full stack applications and APIs
• Understanding of networking fundamentals including routing, switching, TCP/IP, and common network protocols
• Comfortable adopting AIassisted development tools such as Claude Code, Cursor, or GitHub Copilot
• Strong troubleshooting and problemsolving skills
• Ability to bridge the gap between operational networking needs and software development solutions
• Experience leading or mentoring a small team of engineers, with demonstrated ownership of a technical platform endtoend
  
  

Education and Experience:

• 7 years of software development experience with Python
• 2 years of handson networking experience in an enterprise, service provider, or network operations environment
• 2 years of experience as a tech lead, team lead, or engineering manager, with direct responsibility for mentoring engineers and owning a platform’s technical direction
• Preferred: networking certifications such as JNCIS, CCNP, or equivalent (JNCIA, Network , or CCNA acceptable with strong handson carriernetwork experience)
  
  

What We Offer:

• Healthcare
• Dental / Vision
• 401k
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Holidays