Optimum

DNS Engineer - SRE

Reposted 6 Hours Ago

2 Locations

Hybrid

84K-137K Annually

Senior level

AdTech • Digital Media • Internet of Things • Marketing Tech • Mobile • Retail • Software

Are you ready to be the difference?

The Role

As a Site Reliability Engineer focused on DNS you will architect and manage scalable DNS infrastructure ensuring high availability and security through automation and collaboration with cross-functional teams.

Summary Generated by Built In

Are you looking to Optimize your life? Start your exciting path to a rewarding career today!
We are Optimum a leader in the fast-paced world of connectivity and we're on the hunt for enthusiastic professionals to join our team! We understand that connectivity isn't just a luxury anymore - it's a necessity that empowers lives fuels businesses and drives innovation. A career at Optimum means you'll be enabling progress and enhancing lives by providing reliable high-speed connectivity solutions that keep the world connected. We owe our success to our amazing product commitment to our people and the connections we make in every community.
If you are resourceful collaborative team-oriented and passionate about delivering consistent excellence Optimum is the Company for you!
We are Optimum!
Job Summary
The Role DNS Engineer - SRE is a high-impact role responsible for the architecture scalability and reliability of the mission-critical DNS infrastructure powering our ISP and core network services. This position is designed for an engineer who views infrastructure through the lens of Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) prioritizing automation observability and self-healing systems over manual intervention. You will combine deep IP networking and DNS expertise with modern security protocols to ensure our platforms remain resilient against evolving threats and perform at the highest level for millions of users.
The Impact This is a collaborative and influential role. Beyond core engineering you will serve as a technical authority leading cross-functional initiatives with Product Security and Service Assurance teams. Your goal is to deliver a carrier-grade DNS ecosystem that balances cutting-edge privacy standards (DoH/DoT) with the uncompromising availability required by Tier-1 network operations.
Responsibilities
Core Platform Strategy & Leadership

Architectural Ownership: Lead the design and evolution of global DNS architectures ensuring high availability through Anycast routing multi-provider redundancy and automated failover mechanisms.
Strategic Vendor Relations: Act as the primary technical authority in engagements with DNS and infrastructure vendors driving roadmaps that align with our long-term reliability and security goals.
Lifecycle & Capacity Management: Oversee the full lifecycle of DNS platforms-including automated software deployments hardware refreshes and proactive capacity planning-to stay ahead of traffic growth.
Standardization & Policy: Optimize Define and enforce organization-wide standards for DNS record management security protocols (DNSSEC) and traffic steering policies to optimize user latency.
Reliability Engineering: Convert "Strategic Design" into "Operational Reality" by defining Service Level Objectives (SLOs) and Error Budgets for all core name services.

Cross-Domain DNS Operations & SRE

Protocol Management: Manage the nuances of UDP/TCP port 53 recursion vs. iteration and complex record types (A AAAA CNAME MX TXT SRV).
Security & Mitigation: Implement and manage DNSSEC to prevent cache poisoning; act as a subject matter expert in mitigating DDoS and DNS amplification attacks.
Automation (Eliminating Toil): Replace manual updates and "pool" management with automated workflows using Python Go Ansible or Terraform.
Performance Tuning: Perform Linux kernel tuning for high-performance network throughput and conduct deep-dive log analysis on systems like BIND Unbound or PowerDNS.
Observability: Utilize Prometheus Grafana and dnstap to monitor query rates and latency providing actionable insights into error codes (NXDOMAIN SERVFAIL).

Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science Telecommunications or a related field (or equivalent practical experience in networking and security)
Experience: 5+ years in a networking or systems engineering role with a focus on SRE principles (automation reliability and monitoring) in production environments
DNS Fundamentals: Hands-on experience configuring and maintaining at least two of the following: BIND Unbound PowerDNS AWS Route 53 or Azure DNS
Networking Protocols: Functional understanding of TCP/IP (IPv4/v6) and DNS-specific protocols including DNSSEC and encrypted transport (DoH/DoT)
Systems & Automation: Strong Linux/Unix administration skills and proficiency in at least one scripting language (Python Bash or Go) for task automation
Observability: Experience using Grafana and OpenTelemetry (or similar tools) to monitor service health and performance

Preferred Qualifications

DNS Systems: Hands-on experience managing BIND Unbound or PowerDNS in high-traffic environments alongside cloud-native solutions (AWS Route 53 Azure DNS Google Cloud DNS)
Protocol Expertise: Mastery of DNS-specific protocols including DNSSEC DoT and DoH with a firm grasp of underlying transport layers (UDP/TCP) and dual-stack (IPv4/IPv6) networking
Observability: Experience building dashboards and alerts using Prometheus ELK or OpenTelemetry to monitor DNS query latency and error rates
Automation: Proven ability to manage "DNS as Code" using Terraform or Ansible and writing scripts (Python/Go) to automate routine zone updates
Scale & Security: Background in Tier-1/Tier-2 service provider environments with a focus on service resilience Anycast distribution and DDoS protection

Working Conditions

Hybrid remote/on-site with participation in 24/7 on-call rotations
Availability for after-hours maintenance and urgent service restoration activities
Ability to work in high-pressure high-reliability production environments

The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is a proactive engineer who values precision and operational excellence. You don't just manage systems; you architect for reliability anticipating bottlenecks before they impact the user. We are looking for someone who balances deep technical mastery with an organized approach to delivery consistently driving improvements in performance monitoring and overall service resilience.
At Optimum we're fueled by our four core pillars: Taking Ownership Upholding Transparency Creating Community and Demonstrating Expertise. Our commitment to empowering employees to take responsibility and embrace proactive problem-solving underpins Taking Ownership. Upholding Transparency is at the core of our culture with open and honest communication fostering trust among our dedicated team and loyal customers. Creating Community is more than a goal; it's our daily commitment to fostering an environment of collaboration innovation and positivity. Demonstrating expertise is a promise we uphold through continuous learning and engagement with our customers to consistently deliver top-quality products and services. These pillars not only shape our culture but define Optimum as a place of excellence trustworthiness and thriving community and we invite you to be a part of our journey.
If you have the drive to succeed and are ready to embark on a thrilling career seize this opportunity today and join our winning team so together we'll shape the future of connectivity.
All job descriptions and required skills qualifications and responsibilities for a particular position are subject to modification by the Company from time to time in the Company's discretion based on business necessity.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to recruiting hiring and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds regardless of gender race color creed national origin religion age marital status pregnancy physical or mental disability sexual orientation gender identity military or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal state or local law.
The Company collects personal information about its applicants for employment that may include personal identifiers professional or employment related information photos education information and/or protected classifications under federal and state law. This information is collected for employment purposes including identification work authorization FCRA-compliant background screening human resource administration and compliance with federal state and local law.
Applicants for employment with The Company will never be asked to provide money (even if reimbursable) as part of the job application or hiring process. Please review our Fraud FAQ for further details.
Pay is competitive and based on a number of job-related factors including skills and experience. The starting pay rate/range at time of hire for this position in New York is $83538.00 - $137241.00/year. For other locations please inquire with your recruiter. The rates/ranges provided herein are the anticipated pay at the time of hire and do not reflect future job opportunity.
Nearest Major Market: Long Island
Nearest Secondary Market: New York CIty

Top Skills

Ansible

Aws Route 53

Azure Dns

Bind

Dns

Dnssec

Doh

Dot

Grafana

Linux

Opentelemetry

Powerdns

Prometheus

Python

Tcp/Ip

Terraform

Unbound

What the Team is Saying

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The Company

HQ: Long Island City NY

9000 Employees

Year Founded: 1973

What We Do

We Make a Difference Because We Are the Difference! At Optimum we’re not just connecting people – we’re transforming how they experience the world. With a footprint spanning 21 states and serving approximately 4.5 million residential and business customers we're building the future of connectivity through innovative services like Optimum Fiber Internet Optimum TV and Optimum Mobile. This connectivity wouldn’t be possible without our tremendous workforce of driven employees who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible experience for all of our customers and co-workers We’re a team of bold thinkers curious leaders and collaborative problem-solvers united by a culture that values inclusion innovation and impact. At Optimum every voice matters every idea counts and every team member has the opportunity to grow lead and make a difference. From developing next-gen technology to bridging the digital divide to supporting education and emergency response efforts we lead with purpose and heart. Our Be The Difference initiative drives us to make a positive impact ensuring that our efforts resonate far and wide. From our products and services to our community impact we are creating connections driving innovation and POWERING this world forward. You can be a part of an exciting and transformational workplace at Optimum. Join us to Be the Difference!

Why Work With Us

Our mission is simple: deliver the best customer and employee experience while transforming how we work and grow. We’re on a journey to become the connectivity provider of choice – investing in our network reimagining our products and building a culture where people thrive. With nearly 4.5 million customers across 21 states we’re transforming fr