Principal Network Engineer

Company Overview

KKR is a leading global investment firm that offers alternative asset management as well as capital markets and insurance solutions. KKR aims to generate attractive investment returns by following a patient and disciplined investment approach, employing world-class people, and supporting growth in its portfolio companies and communities. KKR sponsors investment funds that invest in private equity, credit and real assets and has strategic partners that manage hedge funds. KKR’s insurance subsidiaries offer retirement, life and reinsurance products under the management of Global Atlantic Financial Group. References to KKR’s investments may include the activities of its sponsored funds and insurance subsidiaries.

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.
  
  

This is the expected annual base salary range for this New York-based position. Actual salaries may vary based on factors, such as skill, experience, and qualification for the role. Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus, based on factors such as individual and team performance.

Base Salary Range

$200,000—$235,000 USD

This is the expected annual base salary range for this Boston-based position. Actual salaries may vary based on factors, such as skill, experience, and qualification for the role. Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus, based on factors such as individual and team performance.

Base Salary Range

$200,000—$235,000 USD

KKR is an equal opportunity employer. Individuals seeking employment are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by applicable law.