Position Summary...What you'll do...
Position Summary
Principal Software Engineer responsible for leading Kubernetes platform architecture, networking, and high-scale AI/agentic solutions for platform operations. This role requires deep expertise in Kubernetes internals, container networking, service mesh, and advanced troubleshooting across the compute and network stack.
Job Ad Description
We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer with deep experience in Kubernetes platforms, container networking, and building AI/agentic for service reliability. You will design, optimize, and troubleshoot the core K8s infrastructure that powers large-scale, mission-critical services. This role involves solving the hardest platform problemsacross control plane, data plane, network layers, and service meshand building reliable, intelligent systems that support next-generation AI workloads.If you thrive in low-level debugging, large distributed systems, and making Kubernetes run efficiently at scale, this is the role for you.
Job Summary
In this role, you will lead Kubernetes platform engineering across GCP/Azure and internal cloud environments, focusing on performance, networking, reliability, and AI workload readiness. You will act as a technical authority for Kubernetes internals, system-level troubleshooting, network architecture, and platform observability.
About The Team
You will join the
Walmart Commerce Network Platform (WCNP)
infrastructure organization responsible for building and operating Walmart's Kubernetes-based compute platforms. The team owns cluster infrastructure, networking, service mesh, observability, and platform services that power mission-critical commerce and AI workloads across Walmart. We operate at massive scale and partner closely with engineering, SRE, and ML/AI teams.
What You'll Do
(3 to 5 brief pointers about the roles and responsibility)
- Lead architecture, scaling, and optimization of Kubernetes clusters across GCP/Azure and internal platforms.
- Own the network and data planeCNI, eBPF, Calico/Cilium, routing, load balancing, and traffic flows.
- Drive complex troubleshooting across kernel, network, node, pod, service mesh, and control-plane layers.
- Build platform capabilities for AI/agentic workloads: Workload scheduling, autoscaling, troubleshooting, resource isolation, and performance tuning.
- Improve observability, diagnostics, and resilience through advanced tooling, metrics, tracing, and eBPF-based insights.
What You'll Bring
- Mandatory: Deep expertise in Kubernetes internals (scheduler, kubelet, kube-proxy, control-plane behavior).
- Optional: Strong knowledge of container networking: CNIs, eBPF, iptables, conntrack, routing, network namespaces, and kernel network pathing.
- Mandatory: Proven ability to debug complex distributed system issues using packet captures, tracing, and low-level diagnostic tools (tcpdump, ss, bpftool, etc.).
- Optional: Hands-on experience running service mesh systems like Istio/Linkerd and understanding their performance trade-offs.
- Mandatory: Strong programming skills in Go or Python and ability to build platform tools, automation, and diagnostics.
- Mandatory: Experience with LLMs, retrieval frameworks, and agent orchestration.
- Excellent leadership, mentorship, and cross-team collaboration skills.
About Walmart Global Tech
Imagine working in an environment where one line of code can make life easier for hundreds of millions of people. That's what we do at Walmart Global Tech. We're a team of software engineers, data scientists, cybersecurity expert's and service professionals within the world's leading retailer who make an epic impact and are at the forefront of the next retail disruption. People are why we innovate, and people power our innovations. We are people-led and tech-empowered.We train our team in the skillsets of the future and bring in experts like you to help us grow. We have roles for those chasing their first opportunity as well as those looking for the opportunity that will define their career. Here, you can kickstart a great career in tech, gain new skills and experience for virtually every industry, or leverage your expertise to innovate at scale, impact millions and reimagine the future of retail.
Work
Walmart's culture sets us apart, and we know being together helps us innovate, learn and grow great careers. This role is based in our [Bangalore/Chennai] office for daily work, with the flexibility for associates to manage their personal lives.
Benefits
Beyond our great compensation package, you can receive incentive awards for your performance. Other great perks include a host of best-in-class benefits maternity and parental leave, PTO, health benefits, and much more.
Belonging
We aim to create a culture where every associate feels valued for who they are, rooted in respect for the individual. Our goal is to foster a sense of belonging, to create opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers, and to be a Walmart for everyone.At Walmart, our vision is everyone included. By fostering a workplace culture where everyone isand feelsincluded, everyone wins. Our associates and customers reflect the makeup of all 19 countries where we operate. By making Walmart a welcoming place where all people feel like they belong, we're able to engage associates, strengthen our business, improve our ability to serve customers, and support the communities where we operate.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Walmart, Inc., is an Equal Opportunities Employer By Choice. We believe we are best equipped to help our associates, customers and the communities we serve live better when we really know them. That means understanding, respecting and valuing unique styles, experiences, identities, ideas and opinions while being inclusive of all people.
Minimum Qualifications...
Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.
Option 1: Bachelor's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 5 years experience in software engineering or related area.Option 2: 7 years experience in software engineering or related area.
Preferred Qualifications...
Outlined below are the optional preferred qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no preferred qualifications.
Master's degree in computer science, computer engineering, computer information systems, software engineering, or related area and 3 years experience in software engineering or related area., We value candidates with a background in creating inclusive digital experiences, demonstrating knowledge in implementing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 AA standards, assistive technologies, and integrating digital accessibility seamlessly. The ideal candidate would have knowledge of accessibility best practices and join us as we continue to create accessible products and services following Walmart's accessibility standards and guidelines for supporting an inclusive culture.
Primary Location...
G, 1, 3, 4, 5 Floor, Building 11, Sez, Cessna Business Park, Kadubeesanahalli Village, Varthur Hobli , India R-2308519
