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Solutions Architect – BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes (BNK)F5 is transforming how organizations deliver, secure, and operate modern applications. BIG-IP Next for Kubernetes (BNK) is F5's cloud-native platform for Kubernetes networking, application delivery, and security. We are building a specialized sales team to target the most explosive-growth sector in technology: Neoclouds, AI-Native Platforms, Hyperscalers, and AI Foundationals.
The Solutions Architect BNK is a senior technical leader and trusted advisor. Operating in lockstep with a Principal Account Executive, you will help Neocloud and AI infrastructure customers design, modernize, and scale their AI Factories. This role drives technical strategy, customer adoption, and technical wins by aligning BNK solutions (including native NVIDIA BlueField DPU offload) to massive-scale AI workload requirements.
This role aligns with F5's Solutions Architect (P6) career framework.
What You'll Do- Lead AI Infrastructure Architecture: Drive architecture strategy and solution design for enterprise Kubernetes, high-performance networking, and AI workload ingress/egress initiatives.
- Co-Lead the Sales Team: Partner daily with a Principal Account Executive to qualify opportunities, drive technical win strategies, and map F5 capabilities to executive business cases.
- Be the Trusted Technical Advisor: Engage directly with CTOs, Chief Architects, and Platform Engineering leaders at hyper-scale Neoclouds and AI Native companies.
- Execute Technical Validation: Conduct deep-dive technical discovery, architecture workshops, demonstrations, and complex Proof of Concepts (PoCs) in high-throughput environments.
- Master the AI Stack: Architect solutions leveraging advanced networking (BGP, VRFs, Multus), NVIDIA DOCA, and hardware-accelerated traffic management to maximize GPU utilization and reclaim host CPU.
- Develop the Playbook: Create reusable AI Factory reference architectures, technical playbooks, and best practices for DPU-resident service layers.
- Bridge Field to Engineering: Represent cutting-edge Neocloud market trends and customer requirements directly to F5 Product and Engineering teams.
- 12+ years of experience in Solutions Architecture, Solutions Engineering, Platform Engineering, or related customer-facing technical roles.
- Deep, hands-on expertise in Kubernetes, container orchestration, cloud-native networking (CNIs), and application delivery.
- Experience architecting massive-scale cloud infrastructure, particularly in high-performance computing (HPC) or AI data center environments.
- Advanced understanding of Layer 2-7 networking (BGP, EVPN, VXLAN) and hardware acceleration (SmartNICs, DPUs like NVIDIA BlueField).
- Proven ability to engage, challenge, and influence elite technical stakeholders (Network Architects, AI Platform Leads).
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and consultative problem-solving skills.
- Deep expertise in Kubernetes edge networking, security, and multi-tenant isolation.
- Ability to design and communicate highly complex physical-to-logical network architectures (e.g., eSwitch hardware offload, SR-IOV).
- Strong executive presence mixed with undeniable technical depth.
- Fierce collaboration skills, particularly in acting as the technical engine alongside a quota-carrying Account Executive.
- Strategic mindset with a passion for AI infrastructure, GPU optimization, and next-generation data center design.
You'll help the world's most ambitious Neoclouds and Hyperscalers build the AI Factories of the future. You will work with cutting-edge technologies across Kubernetes, NVIDIA hardware, AI infrastructure, and extreme-throughput networking, fundamentally changing how AI capacity is delivered to the market.
#LI-DJ1 #LI-Remote
The Job Description is intended to be a general representation of the responsibilities and requirements of the job. However, the description may not be all-inclusive, and responsibilities and requirements are subject to change.
The annual base pay for this position is: $221,800.00 - $332,600.00F5 maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, geographic locations, and market conditions, as well as to reflect F5’s differing products, industries, and lines of business. The pay range referenced is as of the time of the job posting and is subject to change.
You may also be offered incentive compensation, bonus, restricted stock units, and benefits. More details about F5’s benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.f5.com/company/careers/benefits. F5 reserves the right to change or terminate any benefit plan without notice.
Please note that F5 only contacts candidates through F5 email address (ending with @f5.com) or auto email notification from Workday (ending with f5.com or @myworkday.com).
Equal Employment Opportunity
It is the policy of F5 to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, sensory, physical, or mental disability, marital status, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, discipline, and termination. F5 offers a variety of reasonable accommodations for candidates. Requesting an accommodation is completely voluntary. F5 will assess the need for accommodations in the application process separately from those that may be needed to perform the job. Request by contacting [email protected].
Skills Required
- 12+ years in Solutions Architecture, Solutions Engineering, Platform Engineering, or related customer-facing technical roles.
- Deep hands-on expertise in Kubernetes, container orchestration, cloud-native networking (CNIs), and application delivery.
- Experience architecting massive-scale cloud infrastructure, particularly in HPC or AI data center environments.
- Advanced understanding of Layer 2-7 networking (BGP, EVPN, VXLAN) and hardware acceleration (SmartNICs, DPUs like NVIDIA BlueField).
- Experience with NVIDIA DOCA and hardware-accelerated traffic management to maximize GPU utilization and reclaim host CPU.
- Ability to design and communicate complex physical-to-logical network architectures (e.g., eSwitch hardware offload, SR-IOV).
- Proven ability to engage, challenge, and influence executive technical stakeholders (CTOs, Chief Architects, Platform Engineering leaders).
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and consultative problem-solving skills.
- Experience executing deep technical discovery, architecture workshops, demonstrations, and complex PoCs in high-throughput environments.
- Experience developing reusable reference architectures, technical playbooks, and best practices for DPU-resident service layers.
- Deep expertise in Kubernetes edge networking, security, and multi-tenant isolation.
F5 Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about F5 and has not been reviewed or approved by F5.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity grants and an employee stock purchase plan are positioned as meaningful parts of total compensation, with RSUs and a discount ESPP commonly included. Pay packages for many technical roles are considered competitive when equity is taken into account.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid vacation that increases with tenure, sick time, paid holidays, and paid family leave are prominently featured. Additional programs like volunteer time and periodic wellness long weekends are highlighted as part of the time-off ecosystem.
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Inclusive Benefits Coverage — Health plans include travel support for specific care (such as reproductive and gender‑affirming services) and mental health resources, alongside comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage. These elements are presented as part of a broad, inclusive approach to healthcare.
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What We Do
F5 application services ensure that applications are always secure and perform the way they should—in any environment and on any device. F5 (NASDAQ: FFIV) powers applications from development through their entire life cycle, across any multi-cloud environment, so our customers – enterprise businesses, service providers, governments, and consumer brands—can deliver differentiated, high-performing, and secure digital experiences.
