Software Engineer, Networking (Dataplane)

Job Description

We’re seeking a skilled and diligent full-time Software Engineer to join our growing team. You will work as part of the Dataplane Engineering Team to:

• Contribute to the core client connectivity features of Tailscale by applying a deep understanding of network engineering and software development.
• Evolve and enhance the Tailscale connectivity offerings between clients, subnet routers, exit nodes and other integrations with customer network infrastructure.
• Provide architectural insights and resolve escalated customer network issues to fix complex connectivity problems.
• Collaborate with product management and internal engineering to develop integrated network solutions that prioritize scalability and ease of maintenance while ensuring a superior customer experience.

Because we’re an early-stage and fully remote company, we’re looking for a strongly motivated individual who can help move the product forward. The ability to think on your feet, collaborate with highly technical teams, and comfort working asynchronously are essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, test, and document core Tailscale’s client-side networking software.
• Advance product features by building upon or merging established industry network protocols with Tailscale's specific designs and frameworks.
• Adopt a security-centric approach to both architecture and coding to guarantee the resilience and safety of networking modules.
• Evaluate and optimize the performance, reliability, and scale of our software across a wide array of technical platforms and hardware.
• Provide expert consultation and support the customer success teams with critical network escalations within key customer environments.
• Engage actively with the open-source community and contribute to relevant projects.

What We Are Looking For

• Significant experience with networking software and diagnosing networking issues
• Possess a comprehensive grasp of networking engineering, such as routing, VPNs, IP address management, and NAT traversal.
• Proficiency in Go or other low-level languages (e.g. C/C++, Rust), including a strong grasp of concurrent programming and techniques for optimizing performance.
• Experience with large scale distributed systems is highly desirable
• Knowledge of low-level OS network stacks is highly desirable
• Ability to give and process constructive feedback, as well as work independently
• Flexibility to adjust to the dynamic nature of a startup
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills