Principal Network Planner (Steve Di Cola)
Why PlayStation? PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in entertainment producing The PlayStation family of products and services including PlayStation®5, PlayStation®4, PlayStation®VR, PlayStation®Plus, acclaimed PlayStation software titles from PlayStation Studios, and more. PlayStation also strives to create an inclusive environment that empowers employees and embraces diversity. We welcome and encourage everyone who has a passion and curiosity for innovation, technology, and play to explore our open positions and join our growing global team. The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation. About The Role Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Global Network Engineering Team (NetTeam) designs, manages, and supports global IP networks that underpin our world-class gaming and corporate services, including:
- PlayStation Plus Game Streaming (Cloud Gaming subscription service)
- SIE Backbone Services (SBS) including SIE Global Corporate Network (SGCN) inter-office, Data Center, VPN (Layer 2/3), Cloud (AWS DX, others), and Internet connectivity for SIE offices worldwide
- Static content delivery services for game downloads and PlayStation Network (PSN) updates.
With the NetTeam’s ongoing growth, we are looking for a highly experienced Principal Network Planner to become part of NetTeam. This presents an outstanding opportunity to direct and manage global planning and sourcing activities, impact network strategies, and guarantee the best possible player experience and corporate network performance. This is an exciting opportunity to work with one of the most respected gaming brands in the world. You’ll contribute to the backbone that powers PlayStation’s global gaming experiences, driving innovation and delivering outstanding network performance for millions of players worldwide! Primary Purpose The Principal Network Planner will act as NetTeam’s lead for sourcing, negotiating and contracting network capacity for our global IP networks in the key areas of:
- Edge connectivity (peering, IP transit, IXs)
- Telecommunication circuits (dark fiber, wavelengths)
- Colocation facilities
- Content delivery networks
Key Responsibilities
Vendor Management & Strategy
- User your extensive global network to engage executive leaders within our vendor community to actively manage relationships, drive deliverables, and lead negotiations on commercial terms and service agreements
- Influence network connectivity strategies and build future sourcing initiatives
- Represent NetTeam at industry forums and maintain strong market knowledge
- Manage vendor commercial agreements and performance
Technical Leadership & Development
- Provide expert mentorship on global network builds, IP/VPN, BGP, and data planning.
- Represent NetTeam in technical discussions with collaborators and cross-functional teams
- Drive decisions to improve reliability, scalability, and performance
- Innovate processes, metrics, and workflows to optimize global network initiatives
- Deliver low-latency, highly reliable services to our customers
Capacity Planning & Continuous Improvement
- Assess network capacity trends, forecast future needs, and model growth or failure scenarios
- Develop regional and service-specific roadmaps aligned with business requirements
- Design and then secure services to establish points of presence (PoPs) in new countries or expand services in established regions
- Continuously optimise cost, service levels, and operational efficiency
Key Relationships
- Internal: Network Engineering, Data Center Sourcing, SIE Business Intelligence, global SIE WAN/LAN/IT groups
- External: International vendors, hyperscalers, telecom providers, industry peers
Minimum Requirements Education & Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in IT, Computer Science, or Engineering, or equivalent experience
Experience & Skills
- 25+ years in hyperscaler, telecom, cloud, or internet exchange environments
- Proven track record in network engineering, architecture, or strategic sourcing
- Experience managing multiple international vendors and high-spend portfolios (>$80M/year)
Proficiencies
- Expert knowledge of network engineering principles, scalability, performance, and cost management
- Experience with forecasting, demand planning, and participation in global network standards
- Strong problem-solving skills in complex and ambiguous environments
- Persona