Software Engineer

About Us:

Proofpoint is a global leader in human- and agent-centric cybersecurity. We protect how people, data, and AI agents connect across email, cloud, and collaboration tools. Over 80 of the Fortune 100, 10,000 large enterprises, and millions of smaller organizations trust Proofpoint to stop threats, prevent data loss, and build resilience across their people and AI workflows. Our mission is simple: safeguard the digital world and empower people to work securely and confidently. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people.

How We Work:

At Proofpoint you’ll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity guided by our BRAVE core values: 

Bold in how we dream and innovate

Responsive to feedback, challenges and opportunities

Accountable for results and best in class outcomes

Visionary in future focused problem-solving

Exceptional in execution and impact

Overview

Proofpoint is seeking a Software Engineer with experience in web application development and a strong interest in working with and improving legacy systems. This role focuses on developing and maintaining a critical internal provisioning platform while contributing to its gradual modernization.

You’ll work closely with a collaborative, distributed team to build features, fix issues, and improve system performance, primarily within a Perl-based stack while gaining exposure to modern tools and frameworks.

This is a great opportunity for an engineer who enjoys hands-on development, wants to deepen their expertise in Perl, and is interested in modernizing real-world production systems.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and maintain features in a global provisioning platform used by thousands of users

• Work primarily within a Perl-based web application (CGI, Template Toolkit, Apache, MySQL/MariaDB, Linux)

• Contribute to incremental modernization efforts, including building new UI components (React) and services

• Collaborate with engineers, QA, and stakeholders to understand requirements and deliver solutions

• Troubleshoot and resolve production issues as part of an on-call rotation (low incident volume)

• Use AI-assisted development tools (e.g., Windsurf, Cursor, Claude Code) to improve productivity and code quality

• Participate in code reviews and contribute to team best practices

What You Bring (Required)

• 2–5 years of professional software engineering experience

• Experience developing web applications using:

   - Perl (or strong willingness to develop deep expertise)

   - HTML, CSS, JavaScript

• Familiarity with Linux-based environments and web servers (e.g., Apache)

• Basic understanding of relational databases (MySQL/MariaDB)

• Experience working with RESTful APIs

• Familiarity with version control systems (Git) and issue tracking tools (Jira)

• Exposure to CI/CD concepts and tools (e.g., Jenkins)

• Experience working in Agile development environments

• Strong problem-solving skills and willingness to learn

• Good communication skills and ability to work with distributed teams

• Exposure to or willingness to adopt AI-assisted coding tools

Nice to Have

• Experience with Perl frameworks, CGI, or Template Toolkit

• Experience with modern JavaScript frameworks (React)

• Exposure to containerization (Docker, Kubernetes)

• Experience working with legacy systems or modernization efforts

• Familiarity with configuration management tools (Chef, Puppet)

Role Characteristics

• Primary focus: Enhancing and maintaining an existing Perl-based system

• Modernization exposure: Contributing to new services and UI improvements

• Ownership: Feature-level ownership with guidance from senior engineers

• Team: Collaborative, distributed team of full-stack engineers and QA

• On-call: Yes (low volume, shared rotation)

Why This Role

• Opportunity to build deep expertise in a production-critical system

• Hands-on experience balancing legacy systems with modern technologies

• Exposure to real-world modernization challenges

• Collaborative team with mentorship and growth opportunities

• Company-wide investment in AI-assisted development practices

Why Proofpoint?

At Proofpoint, we believe that an exceptional career experience includes a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Here are just a few reasons you’ll love working with us:

• Competitive compensation

• Comprehensive benefits

• Career success on your terms

• Flexible work environment

• Annual wellness and co