About this role
Netskope Cloud Data Plane engineers build and design scalable, high-performance cloud data planes processing over 10 Gbps of traffic while applying deep inspection techniques like AI and machine learning for data loss prevention, threat detection, and user behavior analytics. The Sr.Staff Engineer for the Secure Web Gateway team will set architectural design, drive strategic technical directions, and build high-performance services that inspect network protocols at line rate using advanced data structures and algorithms. This person will also design cloud-based security systems to detect and mitigate threats on large language model APIs and generative artificial intelligence applications.
The role exists to support market-leading in-line Secure Web Gateway products by collaborating with product management to translate customer requirements into reliable, sustainable, and scalable features. A candidate who thrives in this environment possesses extensive technical leadership experience, mastery in systems programming, and a strong background in building high-throughput and low-latency networking software.
What you will do
- Set and drive the overall architectural design and strategic technical directions for the Secure Web Gateway team.
- Design and implement high-quality features that ensure reliability, sustainability, scalability, and observability for the data plane.
- Collaborate with Product Management to understand customer requirements and provide architectural guidance.
- Build scalable and performant services that inspect various network protocols at line rate using advanced data structures and algorithms.
- Design, architect, and develop high-performance, scalable cloud-based security systems to detect and mitigate threats on LLM APIs and Generative AI applications.
- Integrate core security features like data loss prevention and threat protection into cloud data plane systems.
- Provide technical leadership by sharing and adapting industry-leading practices across the engineering organization.
What you need
- Bring fifteen or more years of overall engineering experience, with at least eight years focused on building high-performance networking software and cloud services.
- Demonstrate expertise in building high-throughput and low-latency data systems spanning networking from Layer 3 to Layer 7, web proxies, and security monitoring.
- Show programming mastery in C, C++, or Python, alongside the ability to review code across multiple popular programming languages.
- Have demonstrated experience using advanced LLM-based coding agents in real engineering work.
- Possess a strong understanding of computer architecture principles including multi-threading, CPU scheduling, and memory management with practical knowledge of Linux at the system or kernel level.
- Display proven experience designing large-scale, secure, and cloud-native systems while handling complex architectural problems across multiple products.
Nice to have
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills using debuggers like gdb and tools like Valgrind
- Familiarity with Test-Driven Development and various unit testing frameworks
- Experience with threat detection, data loss prevention, and security policy enforcement
- Familiarity with request and response schemas of major LLM providers, streaming formats, and agentic protocols
- Knowledge of emerging generative AI and cloud service security challenges and best practices
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What level of experience is required for this role?
Candidates need 15+ years of overall experience, including 8+ years of experience building high-performance networking software and cloud services. Additionally, this team is hiring across all levels and candidates are individually assessed and appropriately leveled based upon their skills and experience.
What technologies and languages are used on the team?
Engineering work involves programming mastery in C, C++ or Python, along with building services that inspect network protocols using advanced data structures and algorithms. The stack also incorporates AI/ML techniques, LLM provider schemas, streaming formats, and agentic protocols.
Will I work with distributed teams?
The position requires a willingness to work with a globally distributed team in different time zones.