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Fluidstack is building civilization-scale AI compute infrastructure, targeting 10-100s of GWs of capacity by deploying and operating hyperscale data centers. The company is rethinking every layer of the stack—from power acquisition and data center design through hardware and software operations—with a mission to ensure frontier AI infrastructure aligns with human values and expands human freedom.
The Data Center Operations team operates mission-critical infrastructure at nation-scale, currently ramping toward 100 GW (roughly Japan's total electricity consumption) by decade's end. This is not traditional data center operations; it's building the playbook from scratch while simultaneously running flawless operations inside live construction zones, adapting in real time, and setting standards that will scale across thousands of team members.
As Principal Operations Engineer for Network, you will serve as the most senior technical authority for the operational network fleet across Fluidstack's hyperscale AI data center portfolio. Your scope includes switches, routers, cabling (copper and fiber), and optics across all sites. You will lead site assessments and operational audits, ensuring network ops teams are technically ready before site activation. You'll review network platform and integration designs from an operational lens, feeding learnings back into network engineering, deployment, and supply chain as the build model scales.
Key responsibilities include authoring, approving, and executing high-risk network MOPs and change records in live production; leading fleet-wide root cause analysis on network disruptions to closure; holding OEMs, ODMs, and service vendors accountable to rigorous standards without damaging relationships; and acting as connective tissue across network operations, network engineering, compute operations, facilities, supply chain, and customer-facing teams. You'll travel 50-75%.
You bring a career of operating mission-critical network topologies at scale, with significant time as the senior technical voice on a site, campus, or fleet. You have deep expertise in IP network operations and optical networking, including TCP/IP, routing protocols (OSPF, IS-IS, BGP, MPLS), and physical infrastructure devices. You've authored and executed high-risk MOPs and led root cause analysis on significant network events through closure. You hold partners accountable while maintaining relationships, write clearly (health assessments, RCAs, design feedback), and lift the technical readiness of every team around you. Bonus experience includes hyperscale or large HPC fleets, Linux and hardware management tooling, standing up new sites from handover to steady state, and scripting for fleet-scale operations.
