Director of Network Engineering
Location: Local (Goleta CA) preferred; Hybrid (with regular travel to Goleta headquarters) can be considered
Job Overview
The Director of Network Engineering is responsible for the strategic leadership, architecture, engineering, deployment, and operational excellence of Sovato's global surgical network infrastructure. This role oversees the Network Engineering organization, including Network Architects and Network Engineers, ensuring the reliability, scalability, security, and performance required for remote robotic surgical procedures.
The Director serves as both a technical leader and organizational manager, responsible for developing engineering standards, guiding network architecture strategy, managing team performance and growth, and ensuring successful execution of network initiatives. This individual will collaborate closely with Product, Software Engineering, Operations, Clinical, and Executive leadership teams to ensure that Sovato's network infrastructure supports the company's mission-critical healthcare platform.
Primary Responsibilities
Leadership & Team Development
Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of Network Architects and Engineers.
Establish engineering best practices, standards, operational procedures, and technical governance.
Develop career paths, training plans, and succession strategies for engineering staff.
Build a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Serve as the senior escalation point for complex technical and operational issues.
Network Strategy & Architecture
Define and maintain Sovato's long-term network architecture roadmap.
Drive the design and evolution of highly available, low-latency, and secure global connectivity solutions supporting remote surgical operations.
Oversee evaluation, testing, and implementation of emerging networking technologies.
Ensure network architectures meet stringent reliability, performance, and security requirements.
Establish technical standards for network design, deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management.
Engineering & Delivery
Lead planning and execution of strategic network projects and infrastructure expansions.
Ensure successful deployment of customer-facing network solutions at healthcare facilities worldwide.
Oversee engineering validation, acceptance testing, and deployment readiness processes.
Drive Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), automation, and repeatable deployment methodologies.
Manage vendor relationships, technology evaluations, and engineering partnerships.
Network Operations & Reliability
Partner with Network Operations leadership to maintain 24x7 service availability, inclusive of incident escalation support.
Create runbooks to be used by Network Operations for the ongoing support and care of the production network.
Establish operational metrics, KPIs, SLAs, and reliability targets.
Review major incidents, root cause analyses, and corrective action plans.
Lead business continuity and disaster recovery planning for network infrastructure.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Collaborate with Network Operations, Product Management, Software Engineering, Clinical Operations, Security, and Executive Leadership teams.
Support customer engagements and strategic technical discussions with healthcare organizations.
Participate in executive planning and budgeting activities.
Communicate technical strategy and project status to stakeholders at all organizational levels.
Documentation & Governance
Own network standards, policies, procedures, and technical documentation.
Ensure documentation quality across all engineering functions.
Support compliance, audit readiness, quality management systems, and regulatory requirements applicable to healthcare infrastructure.
Establish change management and configuration management best practices.
Required Qualifications
Experience
10+ years of experience designing, deploying, and operating enterprise, carrier-grade, or mission-critical networks.
5+ years of technical leadership experience managing engineering teams.
Demonstrated success leading large-scale network transformation and infrastructure projects.
Experience building and managing geographically distributed engineering organizations.
Experience supporting highly available environments with strict uptime and performance requirements.
Technical Expertise
Deep expertise in:
SD-WAN technologies, particularly Fortinet SD-WAN
WAN routing protocols (BGP, OSPF)
VXLAN, MPLS/EPLS
Enterprise networking and data center infrastructure
AWS Cloud networking
Transit Gateway
Direct Connect
Virtual appliances and cloud security architectures
TCP/IP and OSI Layers 1–7
Fortinet technologies including:
FortiGate
FortiManager
FortiAnalyzer
FortiSwitch
Arista switching platforms
Network security architecture and operational best practices
Network monitoring, observability, and incident management platforms
Automation technologies including Python, Ansible, Terraform, and Infrastructure-as-Code methodologies
Leadership Competencies
Strong organizational and people leadership skills.
Excellent written, verbal, and executive communication abilities.
Proven ability to align technical teams around strategic objectives.
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing stakeholders.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience supporting healthcare, medical device, life sciences, or regulated environments.
Experience with Kubernetes and container networking.
Experience with FortiAuthenticator and 802.1X authentication architectures.
Familiarity with Quality Management Systems (QMS) and product development environments.
Advanced certifications such as:
Fortinet NSE Expert / FCX
CCIE
JNCIE
AWS Advanced Networking Specialty
Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related discipline
The Ideal Candidate
Passionate about solving complex networking challenges that directly impact patient care.
Strategic thinker capable of balancing long-term architecture with day-to-day operational needs.
Skilled at developing teams and building scalable engineering organizations.
Comfortable operating in a startup or high-growth environment.
Driven by mission, innovation, and technical excellence.
Why Join Sovato?
Competitive Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Cutting-Edge Tech: Work with the latest in SDWAN, Cloud, and Robotic integration.
Impact: Your work directly enables the next frontier of medical science.
Job Overview
As a Production Engineer at Sovato, you are the guardian of the hardware and infrastructure that makes remote surgery possible. This is a high-impact, hands-on role where you will design, implement, and optimize the assembly of our specialized network products.
You will manage the full lifecycle of our product portfolio—from initial inventory and kitting to complex configuration and field deployment. Based at our Goleta headquarters, you will work cross-functionally to ensure that every system leaving our facility is a masterpiece of reliability, precision, and clinical readiness.
Primary Responsibilities
Production & Site Development
Kit Solutions: Lead the configuration and testing of product kits designed for critical surgical environments.
Process Optimization: Design and refine production workflows to improve scalability, reduce errors, and ensure rapid deployment.
Validation & Testing: Execute rigorous testing and labeling protocols to verify that all hardware meets Sovato’s strict performance standards.
Lifecycle Logistics: Oversee inventory management and coordinate the secure delivery of systems to global customer sites.
Documentation: Author and maintain production artifacts, Work Instructions, and tracking logs to ensure a traceable and compliant equipment history.
Technical Support & Strategic Collaboration
High-Stakes Support: Provide empathetic, expert technical support for customers, ensuring any field issues are resolved with minimal downtime.
Cross-Functional Feedback: Collaborate with the NOC, Engineering, and Product teams to turn field data into product improvements.
Operational Excellence: Contribute to technical knowledge bases and playbooks to standardize our global deployment strategy.
Qualifications & Skills
Professional Background
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.
Experience: 2+ years of production engineering experience, ideally within a regulated or high-reliability industry (e.g., MedTech, Aerospace, or Networking).
Technical
Network Infrastructure: Proficiency in network configuration, management, and troubleshooting.
Security Hardware: Hands-on experience with firewalls and security appliances (specifically FortiGate).
Process Mindset: A strong understanding of how to build repeatable, scalable production processes for hardware.
Professional Attributes
Meticulous Detail: A deep commitment to accuracy; in surgery, the "small things" are the big things.
Communication: Ability to distill complex networking concepts into clear instructions for diverse stakeholders.
Adaptability: A self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced startup environment and can work effectively with distributed teams.
Physical & Travel Requirements
Field Readiness: Ability to lift and install equipment (up to 50 lbs), climb ladders, and work in diverse field environments.
Mobility: Willingness to travel up to 25% for deployments and onsite support, including international travel.
Why Join Sovato?
Shape the future of surgery by enabling remote access to life-saving care.
Be part of a pioneering team at the intersection of healthcare and technology.
Competitive compensation and benefits package, including medical, dental, vision coverage, and travel opportunities.
Job Overview
The Director of Network Engineering is responsible for the strategic leadership, architecture, engineering, deployment, and operational excellence of Sovato's global surgical network infrastructure. This role oversees the Network Engineering organization, including Network Architects and Network Engineers, ensuring the reliability, scalability, security, and performance required for remote robotic surgical procedures.
The Director serves as both a technical leader and organizational manager, responsible for developing engineering standards, guiding network architecture strategy, managing team performance and growth, and ensuring successful execution of network initiatives. This individual will collaborate closely with Product, Software Engineering, Operations, Clinical, and Executive leadership teams to ensure that Sovato's network infrastructure supports the company's mission-critical healthcare platform.
Primary Responsibilities
Leadership & Team Development
Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of Network Architects and Engineers.
Establish engineering best practices, standards, operational procedures, and technical governance.
Develop career paths, training plans, and succession strategies for engineering staff.
Build a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Serve as the senior escalation point for complex technical and operational issues.
Network Strategy & Architecture
Define and maintain Sovato's long-term network architecture roadmap.
Drive the design and evolution of highly available, low-latency, and secure global connectivity solutions supporting remote surgical operations.
Oversee evaluation, testing, and implementation of emerging networking technologies.
Ensure network architectures meet stringent reliability, performance, and security requirements.
Establish technical standards for network design, deployment, monitoring, and lifecycle management.
Engineering & Delivery
Lead planning and execution of strategic network projects and infrastructure expansions.
Ensure successful deployment of customer-facing network solutions at healthcare facilities worldwide.
Oversee engineering validation, acceptance testing, and deployment readiness processes.
Drive Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC), automation, and repeatable deployment methodologies.
Manage vendor relationships, technology evaluations, and engineering partnerships.
Network Operations & Reliability
Partner with Network Operations leadership to maintain 24x7 service availability, inclusive of incident escalation support.
Create runbooks to be used by Network Operations for the ongoing support and care of the production network.
Establish operational metrics, KPIs, SLAs, and reliability targets.
Review major incidents, root cause analyses, and corrective action plans.
Lead business continuity and disaster recovery planning for network infrastructure.
Cross-Functional Leadership
Collaborate with Network Operations, Product Management, Software Engineering, Clinical Operations, Security, and Executive Leadership teams.
Support customer engagements and strategic technical discussions with healthcare organizations.
Participate in executive planning and budgeting activities.
Communicate technical strategy and project status to stakeholders at all organizational levels.
Documentation & Governance
Own network standards, policies, procedures, and technical documentation.
Ensure documentation quality across all engineering functions.
Support compliance, audit readiness, quality management systems, and regulatory requirements applicable to healthcare infrastructure.
Establish change management and configuration management best practices.
Required Qualifications
Experience
10+ years of experience designing, deploying, and operating enterprise, carrier-grade, or mission-critical networks.
5+ years of technical leadership experience managing engineering teams.
Demonstrated success leading large-scale network transformation and infrastructure projects.
Experience building and managing geographically distributed engineering organizations.
Experience supporting highly available environments with strict uptime and performance requirements.
Technical Expertise
Deep expertise in:
SD-WAN technologies, particularly Fortinet SD-WAN
WAN routing protocols (BGP, OSPF)
VXLAN, MPLS/EPLS
Enterprise networking and data center infrastructure
AWS Cloud networking
Transit Gateway
Direct Connect
Virtual appliances and cloud security architectures
TCP/IP and OSI Layers 1–7
Fortinet technologies including:
FortiGate
FortiManager
FortiAnalyzer
FortiSwitch
Arista switching platforms
Network security architecture and operational best practices
Network monitoring, observability, and incident management platforms
Automation technologies including Python, Ansible, Terraform, and Infrastructure-as-Code methodologies
Leadership Competencies
Strong organizational and people leadership skills.
Excellent written, verbal, and executive communication abilities.
Proven ability to align technical teams around strategic objectives.
Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and influencing stakeholders.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience supporting healthcare, medical device, life sciences, or regulated environments.
Experience with Kubernetes and container networking.
Experience with FortiAuthenticator and 802.1X authentication architectures.
Familiarity with Quality Management Systems (QMS) and product development environments.
Advanced certifications such as:
Fortinet NSE Expert / FCX
CCIE
JNCIE
AWS Advanced Networking Specialty
Master's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Information Systems, or related discipline
The Ideal Candidate
Passionate about solving complex networking challenges that directly impact patient care.
Strategic thinker capable of balancing long-term architecture with day-to-day operational needs.
Skilled at developing teams and building scalable engineering organizations.
Comfortable operating in a startup or high-growth environment.
Driven by mission, innovation, and technical excellence.
Why Join Sovato?
Competitive Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
Cutting-Edge Tech: Work with the latest in SDWAN, Cloud, and Robotic integration.
Impact: Your work directly enables the next frontier of medical science.
Environmental Conditions
Sovato is an equal opportunity employer & prohibits unlawful discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin/ancestry, age, disability, marital & veteran status. Because being on a Sovato product team requires visits to health care providers, some vaccinations may be required to fulfill your work here.
About Sovato
Sovato is a team of healthcare leaders, innovators, and clinicians passionate about shaping the future of surgery. We are fueled by a profound mission to create unprecedented access to high-quality surgical care, delivering scarce surgical resources to new markets and new patients—transcending the geographic boundaries that exist with surgery today.
Advancements in enabling technology, such as robotic surgical systems, virtual care, and the global telecommunication infrastructure, offer a unique moment in time to deliver remote robotic surgery. For patients, remote surgery creates ample access to the right surgeon, the right care and at an affordable price, driving consumer choice and decreasing the need for travel and delayed care. For healthcare systems and organizations, Sovato offers a novel solution to optimize clinical capacity, capture new surgical revenue, and create greater access to high-quality surgical care for all.
Remote surgery will forever change how surgery is received, delivered, and accessed. Our comprehensive solution brings together the people, systems, tools, and data in an integrated ecosystem––addressing the full scale of requirements to ensure a safe, scalable, and sustainable remote surgery program. The Sovato platform will manage every facet of the surgical journey from coordination, communication, connectivity, and system integrations when the patient is not in the same location as the surgeon––from the point of referral to surgery all the way through post-op care. Sovato offers a competitive benefit package including medical, dental and vision coverage and a 401k.
