Sr. Engineering Manager, Sensor - Core Services (Hybrid) (Sunnyvale)

As a global leader in cybersecurity, CrowdStrike protects the people, processes and technologies that drive modern organizations. Since 2011, our mission hasn’t changed — we’re here to stop breaches, and we’ve redefined modern security with the world’s most advanced AI-native platform. We work on large scale distributed systems, processing almost 3 trillion events per day and this traffic is growing daily. Our customers span all industries, and they count on CrowdStrike to keep their businesses running, their communities safe and their lives moving forward. We're proud to work for a mission-driven company leveraging AI to transform the way we work. CrowdStrikers drive their careers through flexibility and autonomy while also being expected to contribute to a culture of responsible AI adoption, experimentation, and innovation. We use an AI-first mindset as a force multiplier to proactively and continuously accelerate execution, build expertise, uncover insights, and solve complex problems. We’re always looking to add talented CrowdStrikers to the team who have limitless passion, a relentless focus on innovation and a fanatical commitment to our customers, our community and each other. Ready to join a mission that matters? The future of cybersecurity starts with you.About the Role:The Core Services team owns the sensor infrastructure that every CrowdStrike endpoint depends on: secure network communications, cryptographic operations, content delivery, and secure local data storage. These are foundational runtime components that execute on every protected endpoint across Windows, Linux, and macOS.We're looking for a Senior Engineering Manager who brings the technical depth this domain demands and the organizational instincts to lead a team at the center of the sensor's dependency graph. You'll set technical direction, drive the roadmap, make high-stakes architectural decisions, and advise senior leadership, while staying close enough to the work to ensure every feature meets a high quality bar before it ships.This is a cross-functional role. Mac, Linux, Windows, and many other teams inside and outside your core organization depend on what your team builds. You'll need to build trust with those teams, navigate competing priorities, and hold the reliability bar under delivery pressure. You will work cross-functionally with peers across engineering management, product management, and program management in our varied environment.Engineering Managers at CrowdStrike are hands-on technical leaders. We don't expect you to write code on the critical path, but you'll need to deeply understand the architecture, data flows, and systems your team owns — well enough to troubleshoot, review PRs with substance, and push back when a design is heading somewhere it shouldn't. Your technical depth is also what makes you an effective advisor to leadership: you'll be expected to represent your team's position with confidence in cross-org discussions and to translate complex technical tradeoffs into clear guidance for leadership.This role inherits a team with clear technical ownership and an expanded charter. The work is foundational — the services this team owns must be correct, fast, and reliable on every endpoint, every release. Operational risk is real and well-understood here; the right hire will bring the engineering rigor and management discipline to hold that bar while continuing to evolve the team's architecture.Location:This role is hybrid, requiring 2x days per week on-site at one of the posted locations.What You'll Do:Technical leadershipSet architectural direction for the team and participate actively in code and design reviews; develop deep familiarity with the team's architecture, data flows, and failure modesDrive the technical roadmap, balancing near-term delivery commitments against longer-term architectural healthMake high-stakes technical decisions and serve as a technical advisor to senior leadership in cross-org planning and escalations by translating complex tradeoffs into clear guidanceTeam leadershipHire, coach, and grow engineers through honest, frequent feedback and genuine investment in their careers; lead the full recruitment process from initial contact through successful onboardingBuild team cohesion, resolve interpersonal friction, and create an environment where engineers can do their best workSupport your team through resourcing conversations, career development, and the harder conversations when they're neededDelivery and operationsOwn project resourcing and workload which includes knowing when to say no and not yet; keep the team on track and adjust when surprises happenOwn the quality bar for what the team ships; triage support escalations and build strong working relationships with partner teamsDrive continuous improvement in the team's end-to-end testing and validation practicesGather and communicate status clearly working in tight collaboration with cloud communication, policy teams and other partner teams, from individual contributors to executivesWhat You'll Need:Prior experience managing software engineering teams, with a strong foundation as a software developerHands-on background in systems software; deep familiarity with C and/or C++ — this is a low-level systems role, not application-layer developmentStrong technical grounding in network protocols, connection management, traffic and protocol management, cryptographic integration, and storage systemsA learn it all mindset with curiosity to dive deep into unfamiliar domains and adapt quickly as technology and requirements evolveExperience owning production infrastructure at scale — you understand the real cost of reliability regressions and breaking changes at endpoint scaleCross-platform exposure across Windows, Linux, and macOS — you can reason about portability and behavioral consistencySolid design and problem-solving instincts with a genuine passion for engineering excellence, quality, security, performance and the ability to raise that standard across a teamDemonstrated experience mentoring, coaching, and developing engineersExperience managing remote teams while maintaining the trust, velocity, and clarity that makes distributed work effectiveStrong cross-group collaboration skills — you build credibility across engineering, product, and program managementClear, direct communicator at every level, from individual contributors to executive staffAbility and willingness to travel occasionally for team offsites and in-person meetingsProven experience utilizing AI technologies to enhance decision-making, streamline workflows and processes, improve efficiency and drive business outcomes.Bonus Points:Background in endpoint security, EDR, kernel-adjacent software, or sensor platform engineeringExperience with cryptographic service design or working alongside security teams on crypto requirementsExperience with configuration or content distribution systems at endpoint fleet scale — including atomic updates, staged rollout, versioning, and rollback-safe delivery mechanismsExperience leading teams through periods of significant growth or evolving scopePrior work in environments where reliability requirements are non-negotiable at massive fleet scale#LI-CW1Benefits of Working at CrowdStrike:Market leader in compensation and equity awardsComprehensive physical and mental wellness programs Competitive vacation and holidays for recharge Paid parental and adoption leavesProfessional development opportunities for all employees regardless of level or roleEmployee Networks, geographic neighborhood groups, and volunteer opportunities to build connectionsVibrant office culture with world class amenitiesGreat Place to Work Certified across the globeCrowdStrike is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging where everyone is valued for who they are and empowered to succeed. We support veterans and individuals with disabilities through our affirmative action program.CrowdStrike is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy or pregnancy-related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, veteran status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, or any other characteristic protected by law. We base all employment decisions--including recruitment, selection, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, promotions, transfers, lay-offs, return from lay-off, terminations and social/recreational programs--on valid job requirements.If you need assistance accessing or reviewing the information on this website or need help submitting an application for employment or requesting an accommodation, please contact us at View email address on apply.placed-app.com for further assistance.Find out more about your rights as an applicant.CrowdStrike participates in the E-Verify program.Notice of E-Verify ParticipationRight to WorkCrowdStrike, Inc. is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Placement within the pay range is dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications, job level, supervisory status, and location. The base salary range for this position for all U.S. candidates is $160,000 - $250,000 per year, with eligibility for bonuses, equity grants and a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance, 401k and paid time off.For detailed information about the U.S. benefits package, please click here. SummaryLocation: US