Principal Software Engineer

Staff/Principal Software Engineer - Security PlatformDistributedAt Cloudflare, we are on a mission to help build a better Internet. Today the company runs one of the world's largest networks that powers millions of websites and other Internet properties for customers ranging from individual bloggers to SMBs to Fortune 500 companies. Cloudflare protects and accelerates any Internet application online without adding hardware, installing software, or changing a line of code. Internet properties powered by Cloudflare all have web traffic routed through its intelligent global network, which gets smarter with every request. As a result, they see significant improvement in performance and a decrease in spam and other attacks. Cloudflare was named to Entrepreneur Magazine's Top Company Cultures list and ranked among the World's Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.At Cloudflare, we're not looking for people who wait for a polished roadmap; we're looking for the builders who see the cracks in the Internet that everyone else has simply learned to live with. We value candidates who have the instinct to spot a "normalized" problem and the AI-native curiosity to create a solution using the latest tools. Our culture is built on iteration, leveraging AI to ship faster today to make it better tomorrow, while ensuring that every improvement, no matter how small, is shared across the team to lift everyone up. If you're the type of person who values curiosity over bureaucracy, and that AI is a partner in solving tough problems to keep the Internet moving forward, you'll fit right in.About the RoleThe Security Platform team is an infrastructure/developer tools group tasked with building and operating powerful, resilient, and secure infrastructure and systems that enable other engineering teams to deliver products to our customers efficiently and securely. We are responsible for secrets management, internal certificate authorities/PKI, machine and workload identity, and more. We are not a policy, audit, or compliance team, but rather an infrastructure engineering/software development one.ResponsibilitiesYou'll build and operate secure and resilient distributed systems for secrets and key management, running across our network that spans more than 310 cities in over 120 countries. Our focus is strengthening/re-architecting internal PKI and machine/workload identity. You'll run and support the systems we build, both in an operational sense and by helping other internal developers use them. You'll consult on the design and architecture of new systems and products to ensure they are built securely and use our services correctly.This role may require flexibility to be on-call outside of standard working hours to address technical issues as needed.Desirable Skills, Knowledge, and Experience8+ years of relevant professional experienceSoftware development and distributed systems design expertiseStrong security background with a focus on implementation, not policy/complianceBonus PointsTrack record of contributing to open source security or distributed systems projectsCryptography background and ability to work with cryptosystems at the primitives levelExperience with HSMs, TPMs, or other platform TEEs (e.g. AMD SEV, Intel SGX, Apple Secure Enclave)Familiarity with HashiCorp Vault or OpenBao, or similarLinux/UNIX system administration proficiencyFamiliarity with Go and/or Python + Salt specificallyCompensationCompensation may be adjusted depending on work location.For California based hires: Estimated annual salary of $220,000 - $303,000For Colorado based hires: Estimated annual salary of $200,000 - $275,000For New York based hires: Estimated annual salary of $220,000 - $303,000For Washington based hires: Estimated annual salary of $220,000 - $303,000For Washington DC based hires: Estimated annual salary of $220,000 - $303,000For Canada based hires: Estimated annual salary of $192,000 - $264,000Applications will be accepted until November 25, 2026.EquityThis role is eligible to participate in Cloudflare's equity plan.BenefitsCloudflare offers a complete package of benefits and programs to support you and your family. Our benefits programs can help you pay health care expenses, support caregiving, build capital for the future and make life a little easier and fun! The below is a description of our benefits for employees in the United States, and benefits may vary for employees based outside the U.S.Health & Welfare BenefitsMedical/Rx InsuranceDental InsuranceVision InsuranceFlexible Spending AccountsCommuter Spending AccountsFertility & Family Forming BenefitsOn-demand mental health support and Employee Assistance ProgramGlobal Travel Medical InsuranceFinancial BenefitsShort and Long Term Disability InsuranceLife & Accident Insurance401(k) Retirement Savings PlanEmployee Stock Participation PlanTime OffFlexible paid time off covering vacation and sick leaveLeave programs, including parental, pregnancy health, medical, and bereavement leaveWhat Makes Cloudflare Special?We're not just a highly ambitious, large-scale technology company. We're a highly ambitious, large-scale technology company with a soul. Fundamental to our mission to help build a better Internet is protecting the free and open Internet.Project Galileo: Since 2014, we've equipped more than 2,400 journalism and civil society organizations in 111 countries with powerful tools to defend themselves against attacks that would otherwise censor their work, technology already used by Cloudflare's enterprise customers--at no cost.Athenian Project: In 2017, we created the Athenian Project to ensure that state and local governments have the highest level of protection and reliability for free, so that their constituents have access to election information and voter registration. Since the project, we've provided services to more than 425 local government election websites in 33 states.1.1.1.1: We released 1.1.1.1 to help fix the foundation of the Internet by building a faster, more secure and privacy-centric public DNS resolver. This is available publicly for everyone to use - it is the first consumer-focused service Cloudflare has ever released. Here's the deal - we don't store client IP addresses never, ever. We will continue to abide by our privacy commitment and ensure that no user data is sold to advertisers or used to target consumers.Sound like something you'd like to be a part of? We'd love to hear from you!Please note that applicants who progress to the offer stage of the interview process may be asked to attend an in-person interview within one of the Cloudflare Offices or Cloudflare Hubs. More details about this will be available at that stage of the interview process.This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations. Please note that any offer of employment may be conditioned on your authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export laws without sponsorship for an export license.Cloudflare is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and place great value in both diversity and inclusiveness. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to their, or any other person's, perceived or actual race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, or any other basis protected by law. We are an AA/Veterans/Disabled Employer.Cloudflare provides