Software Engineer

Who you are

• Proven track record in networking software development and troubleshooting
• Expertise in core networking principles such as VPNs, NAT traversal, routing, and IP addressing
• Experience with distributed systems, maintaining global-scale services, and applying SRE & DevOps methodologies
• Most of the systems are developed in the Go programming language. Experience with Go is highly desired
• Strong interpersonal skills for exchanging constructive feedback and the autonomy to work solo
• Adaptability to thrive within a fast-paced startup environment
• Superior communication abilities, both in writing and speaking
• Frequently cited statistics show that people who identify with historically marginalized groups are likely to apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications. We encourage you to help us break that statistic!

What the job involves

• We’re seeking a skilled and diligent full-time Software Engineer to join our growing team. You will work as part of the engineering team to:
• Utilize extensive network engineering knowledge coupled with software development and SRE/DevOps proficiency to design, construct, and oversee Tailscale’s global Funnel and DERP relay infrastructure
• Promote operational excellence and automation to guarantee the scalability, high availability, and performance of hosted services
• Offer architectural guidance and troubleshoot escalated networking problems for customers to address intricate connectivity issues
• Partner with internal engineering and product groups to advance hosted services and clients, ensuring updates provide broad value to our customer base
• Support network connectivity capabilities and features by contributing to the open-source client code and developing the Tailscale product dataplane
• 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
• Design, construct, evaluate, and provide documentation for networking features, connectivity solutions, and the open-source client-code network dataplane
• Enhance and iterate on product capabilities, specifically focusing on Funnel and DERP relay infrastructures and their associated network protocols
• Investigate and rectify complex, escalated network difficulties encountered across diverse technical environments
• Maintain accountability for Tailscale's live services by integrating observability, engaging in incident management, and managing technical support escalations
• Evaluate and boost the performance, reliability, and scaling capabilities of our networking resources and systems
• Apply a security-centric approach to every stage of development, from initial design to final implementation of networking components

Benefits

• Flexible (and reasonable) working hours—work/life balance is exceptionally important to us
• Competitive compensation, stock options and 401(k) (for United States-based employees)
• Comprehensive medical/dental/vision benefits, and more
• 4 weeks of paid vacation (standard across the company) + 12 company holidays per year
• An allowance for equipment to help you personalize your workspace