Principal Software Engineer - Content Filtering Platform

SonicWall; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 5,500,000; Full time

Job summary

SonicWall is seeking a Principal Software Engineer to lead the technical direction of our Content Filtering Platform (CFS) server. You will own C++17 production code for URL rating and cloud categorization, and drive security hardening and system performance.

You will mentor engineers, establish coding standards, and oversee CI/CD pipelines, packaging, and deployment. The role demands deep Linux expertise and strong collaboration with global teams.

Qualifications

• Expert-level C++17 programming with memory safety and performance contols.
• Strong Linux systems programming skills and POSIX thread knowledge.
• Experience designing high-throughput servers and concurrency patterns.
• Applied cryptography knowledge including encryption and integrity checks.
• Proficient in English communication for US-based collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Write and own production C++ code for URL rating and categorization servers.
• Improve security and protocol integrity for UDP-based services.
• Mentor engineers, set coding standards, and lead code reviews.
• Maintain architecture docs and design knowledge across the platform.
• Define automated testing strategy with unit and integration tests.
• Coordinate with US-based team on status, priorities, and risks.

Skills

C++17

Linux systems programming

High-throughput server design

Applied cryptography

English communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Engineering

Tools

CMake

GitLab CI/CD

DEB/RPM packaging

Job description

Principal Software Engineer — Content Filtering Platform

Principal Software Engineer leading the technical direction and day‑to‑day development of our Content Filtering Service (CFS) server platform—a high-throughput, multi‑threaded C++17 system that global SonicWall firewalls rely on for real-time URL categorization and content filtering.

Responsibilities

• Write, review, and own production C++ code for the URL rating server, cloud categorization relay server, and shared common libraries.
• Drive security hardening of the binary UDP protocol, including encryption key management and protocol integrity.
• Continuously improve code quality by modernizing memory ownership patterns, enhancing concurrency safety, and reducing technical debt.
• Set coding standards, conduct code reviews, and provide technical mentorship to senior engineers.
• Build and maintain comprehensive architecture documentation and design knowledge across the platform.
• Establish and drive an automated testing strategy, including C++ unit testing frameworks and integration test standards.
• Identify and prioritize technical debt and drive a realistic roadmap to address it.
• Oversee GitLab CI/CD pipelines, DEB/RPM packaging, and production deployment processes.
• Maintain platform-wide awareness to contribute to architecture decisions spanning the server, firewall client, and web platform.
• Work closely with US-based engineering and management to communicate project status, priorities, and risks clearly and proactively.

Requirements

• Expert‑level C++17: move semantics, smart pointers, concurrency primitives (std::shared_mutex, std::atomic), RAII, and performance-sensitive systems code.
• Strong Linux systems programming: POSIX threads, epoll-based I/O multiplexing, and high-throughput UDP socket programming.
• Experience with high-throughput server design: thread pool patterns, cache architecture, lock‑free data paths, and performance benchmarking.
• Applied cryptography: symmetric encryption (AES‑CBC), key management, and integrity checks.
• Familiarity with CMake-based build systems, Linux packaging (DEB/RPM), and GitLab CI/CD pipelines.
• Comfortable taking ownership of a complex, production codebase and driving it forward independently.
• Excellent written English for asynchronous collaboration with a US-based team.

Nice to Have

• Experience with binary protocol design (TLV framing, protocol versioning, wire compatibility).
• Knowledge of DNS protocol internals.
• Experience with RabbitMQ or AMQP from a C++ client perspective.
• Background in network security, UTM appliances, or content filtering products.
• Experience integrating closed‑source third‑party SDKs into a CMake build.

Education & Experience

• At least 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 8 years with a Master's degree; or a PhD with 6 years of experience; or equivalent experience preferred. Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field preferred.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

SonicWall is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

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