Principal Engineer

At Synack, we create technology that unleashes the best cybersecurity talent to secure our digital world.

We protect leading global organizations by reducing companies’ security risk and increasing their resistance to cyber attack. How do we do this? By utilizing the world’s best and most trusted team of ethical hackers who test through our powerful and controlled platform to deliver real security without compromise.

Backed by top-tier venture capital firms including Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Microsoft, and Google Ventures, Synack's mission is to leverage global security talent coupled with advanced technology to help enterprises discover security vulnerabilities before they become business problems. Discover the possibilities at Synack!

We are looking for a Principal Engineer who thrives in a hands-on development environment and is passionate about directly contributing to the technological evolution of our SaaS platform, with a focus on AI and distributed systems architecture. This role demands deep involvement in both strategic planning and the practical execution of our platform’s transformation. As the most senior engineer in the organization, you will lead by example, setting the standards for excellence and guiding our engineering teams through this pivotal phase of growth and innovation.  Sounds interesting? Keep reading…

Please note: This is a remote position based in San Francisco Bay Area, CA. We can only hire U.S. citizens for this position due to federal government contract requirements.

Here’s what you'll do

• Technical Leadership: Lead the design and implementation of distributed systems architecture for our SaaS platform, transitioning from the current monolithic architecture.
• Model Code Development: Craft exemplary code that sets a standard for the development team, encompassing readability, testability, maintainability, and efficiency. Your code should be a reference model in adhering to security best practices, quality, scalability, documentation, and optimization for performance.
• Azure AI and Open AI Integration: Work alongside AI engineers leveraging Azure AI and Open AI to pioneer industry-leading cybersecurity innovations. Your role is crucial in shifting our approach to AI-driven development, selectively implementing cost-effective solutions that solidify our competitive edge.
• In-Depth Technical Analysis and Strategic Problem Solving: Dive deep into the code base and telemetry to debug and identify the root cause of the issues, ensuring that immediate solutions are in harmony with the long-term operational goals of the platform.
• Infrastructure Components Evaluation and Selection: Evaluate key infrastructure components for compute, storage, messaging, caching, and observability tools. Ensure these choices optimally balance scalability, performance, cost-efficiency, and availability while working in tandem with the infrastructure team.
• Mentorship and Leadership:  Serve as a technical mentor for the engineering team through reference models, knowledge-sharing sessions, and system design reviews. Develop creative solutions for the developer community to streamline software development and increase productivity.
• Collaboration: Work closely with product management and infrastructure organizations to align technological solutions with business objectives.

Here’s what you’ll need

• Advanced degree in computer science or a related field, with at least 15 years of experience in distributed systems and software engineering.
• Demonstrable experience designing and implementing highly scalable and available distributed systems with customer-facing UI and Public APIs.
• Proficient in programming languages such as Go (preferred) , Java, Scala, or C++, with solid experience in transitioning systems from monolithic to microservices architectures.
• Exceptional problem-solving capabilities, with an ability to tackle challenging and complex technical problems.
• In-depth expertise in Linux systems, a strong understanding of networking principles, and extensive experience with public cloud providers and modern infrastructure technologies. This includes evaluating, selecting, and optimizing infrastructure components for high-performance, scalable, and reliable systems.
• A strong track record of technical leadership and impactful contributions.
• Experience in handling large-scale, complex systems, often involving cross-functional coordination.
• Proven track record in mentoring other engineers and setting technical direction for the organization.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to effectively collaborate with technical and non