**Introduction** Introduction: Software Developers at IBM are the backbone of our strategic initiatives to design, code, test, and provide industry-leading solutions that make the world run today - planes and trains take off on time, bank transactions complete in the blink of an eye and the world remains safe because of the work our software developers do. Whether you are working on projects internally or for a client, software development is critical to the success of IBM and our clients worldwide. At IBM, you will use the latest software development tools, techniques and approaches and work with leading minds in the industry to build solutions you can be proud of. Do you have a passion for software development and testing and applying modern engineering practices? **Your role and responsibilities** We are looking for a Lead Network Software Engineer to drive innovation in network automation, AI integration, and software development. In this role, you will lead a small team developing cutting-edge network solutions and automating critical processes using modern tools and frameworks. If you thrive in an open, vibrant, flexible, fun-spirited, collaborative environment and desire to work on high performing team this is an opportunity for you. Responsibilities: * Mentoring a team of engineers in software development * Design, implement, and enhance automation solutions using Python * Integrate AI capabilities into networking systems and automation workflows * Develop and optimize RESTful APIs, microservices, and cloud-native applications * Collaborate with cross-functional teams to enhance networking, security, and automation **Required technical and professional expertise** * Solid experience in Python-based automation development. * Solid knowledge in working with network technologies such as routing, switching, security (configuring, testing, debugging) * Experience with PyTest or similar test automation frameworks * Strong understanding of network automation tools (Ansible, Terraform, SaltStack, Chef) * Experience with cloud-native development (Kubernetes, containers, CI/CD) * Proficiency in REST APIs, YAML, JSON, Kafka, and databases * UI development experience using React, Angular, NodeJS, or Spring Boot * Familiarity with Git, Jira, Jenkins, and Agile/Lean methodologies * Strong troubleshooting skills * Previous experience leading or mentoring small teams **Preferred technical and professional experience** * Experience with IBM Watsonx AI tools and AI models like Llama and Granite * Advanced certifications (Cisco DevNet Expert, CCIE, or similar) * Datacenter networking experience, including high availability and disaster recovery. * Experience in networking design, architecture and/or implementation * Dev/Ops skills in IBM Cloud or other Public Clouds (AWS, Azure, Google)