Staff Fiber Network Engineer

TL;DR

Staff Fiber Network Engineer (Anternet): Own the physical layer of a private global dark-fiber backbone connecting data centers and PoPs with an accent on route engineering, fiber acquisition, and end-to-end delivery management. Focus on designing diverse routes, enforcing acceptance standards, and maintaining fiber inventory for capacity forecasting and operations.

Location: San Francisco, CA or New York City, NY (hybrid policy: at least 25% time in office)

Salary: $320,000 - $405,000 USD

Company

AI research company building reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems, developing Anternet as a private global dark-fiber backbone.

What you will do

• Plan terrestrial fiber routes evaluating diversity, latency, and loss budgets, producing KMZs, splice diagrams, and documentation
• Source and qualify dark fiber, IRUs, and wavelengths via RFPs, negotiating contracts
• Manage vendor delivery from PO to acceptance, tracking splicing, construction, and escalations
• Define and enforce fiber acceptance criteria, reviewing OTDR/IL tests and signing off handovers
• Maintain fiber inventory, forecast needs, and monitor degradation
• Partner with NOC on repairs, cuts, and root-cause analysis

Requirements

• Location: Must work hybrid from San Francisco, CA or New York City, NY offices (25%+ time)
• Experience in OSP/fiber planning or network delivery at carrier, hyperscaler, or enterprise
• Hands-on with long-haul/metro dark-fiber from design to acceptance, reading OTDR traces
• Knowledge of vendor landscape, IRU/lease pricing, and MSAs
• Proficiency with GIS/KMZ for route design and inventory data
• Understanding of optical transport (DWDM, span loss, CD/PMD)
• Ability to own physical delivery across multiple builds

Nice to have

• 8+ years OSP/fiber experience
• Building fiber programs from scratch
• Familiarity with US permitting and ROW processes
• Scripting (Python, Go, SQL) for workflows
• Comfort with travel for site surveys

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive compensation, equity, generous vacation and parental leave
• Flexible working hours, lovely office spaces in SF and NYC
• Visa sponsorship available (with immigration lawyer support)
• Collaborative team focused on high-impact AI research
• Emphasis on diverse perspectives and representation