Senior Principal Software Engineer – Backend, Identity & Access Management

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California, +9 more states.

📋 Description

• Establish the architectural vision for the granular access control platform over a 1–3 year timeline.

• Determine APIs, shippable iterations, build-versus-buy strategies, technical debt management, and reliability scaling methods.

• Direct the design and advancement of a sophisticated, scalable, and reliable access control framework.

• Oversee complex, high-stakes projects that involve multiple teams.

• Negotiate priorities, resolve interdependencies, and influence colleagues without formal authority.

• Develop and maintain platform capabilities using Go on Kubernetes across cloud environments such as AWS and GCP.

• Assume responsibility for the most intricate and frequently utilized components of the system.

• Manage production reliability, monitor service level objectives (SLOs), and mitigate security and reliability risks.

• Address systemic failure modes and operational inefficiencies through architectural, deployment, and tooling enhancements.

• Collaborate with the product manager to evaluate customer needs and jointly create the roadmap.

• Balance long-term investments with customer demands and ensure predictable delivery.

• Engage with teams utilizing the platform early and regularly.

• Collaborate with security and compliance partners on reviews, audits, and commitments to customers.

• Stay informed about external developments in identity and access management, security models, and AI-agent access control.

• Mentor engineers and participate in interviewing and onboarding new team members.

⛳️ Requirements

• Proven track record of transforming an ambitious vision from concept to production.

• Ability to navigate ambiguity collaboratively with customers and partners towards iterative execution.

• Experience leading initiatives across multiple teams from conception to delivery.

• Background in working alongside product managers, designers, and fellow engineers.

• Proficiency with large-scale distributed systems.

• Skill in evaluating reliability, scalability, security, cost, and time-to-market trade-offs.

• Strong product intuition.

• Experience in building platform capabilities that are embraced by other engineering teams.

• Proven ability to drive adoption through collaboration and negotiation.

• Experience partnering and negotiating with infrastructure engineering teams.

• Technical expertise to lead design reviews, assess design risks, comprehend critical code paths, and evaluate engineering trade-offs.

• Familiarity with enterprise software and the expectations of security-conscious customers regarding access control, authentication, and auditability.

• Background in platform engineering, preferably with exposure to identity, access control, or security-related infrastructure.

• Deep specialization in IAM is a plus.

• Curiosity and eagerness to learn about a complex domain.

• Habit of soliciting feedback on design approaches.

• Proficiency in a systems-level programming language such as Go, C++, Java, C#, or Rust.

• Effective communication skills to articulate complex trade-offs for engineers, product managers, and leadership.

• Flexible and collaborative working style.

• No immigration sponsorship; applicants should not require work visa sponsorship.

🏝️ Benefits

• Restricted stock units may be offered.

• Bonus opportunities may be available.

• Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities or special needs.