Principal Engineer, Kubernetes Storage (Trident)

NetApp; Morrisville (NC); Hybrid; USD 228,000 - 338,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Stock purchase plan / RSUs

PTO & leave options

Job summary

NetApp seeks a senior engineer to own the Kubernetes data services strategy for Trident and shape the next steps for this storage platform. You will set architecture for persistent storage and data protection, influencing cross-cloud behavior and production readiness.

This hands-on role demands strong Go proficiency, deep Kubernetes expertise, and collaboration with product management on the roadmap while engaging customers to ensure reliability across multi-cloud deployments.

Qualifications

• 10+ years building software or equivalent demonstrated impact.
• Strong production Go skills and Kubernetes knowledge.
• Experience with persistent storage in Kubernetes (CSI/volume lifecycle).
• Ability to explain designs to engineers, PMs and customers.
• Comfort working in an Agile team.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture for Trident and the Kubernetes data services around it.
• Design and ship production Go, not just diagrams.
• Guide engineers through complex, cross-team technical work.
• Work directly with customers on escalations, requirements, and validation.
• Represent NetApp upstream and in the open-source community.
• Run PoCs and R&D on where Kubernetes storage is heading.

Skills

Go programming

Kubernetes architecture

CSI/storage

Distributed systems

Cloud platforms (AWS/Azure/GCP)

Technical communication

Agile teamwork

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Master's degree in engineering or software development

Job description

Own Every Moment at NetApp

At NetApp, your ideas power innovation. We lead in intelligent data infrastructure—delivering unified storage, integrated data services, and solutions that help organizations unlock the full potential of their data, from AI to multicloud.

Ready to innovate and contribute to our path to $10B? Here, you'll collaborate with passionate teams, tackle real-world challenges, and see your impact in how customers transform and grow. If you're ready to bring curiosity, creativity, and drive to every moment, NetApp is where your journey begins. Join teams that innovate to elevate, drive results, and excel together across every function.

Job Summary

Own the Kubernetes story for the world's #1 storage OS

Trident was the first open-source, out-of-tree dynamic storage provisioner for Kubernetes. We shipped it before CSI was a spec. Today it's how thousands of teams run stateful workloads on NetApp, and it runs in production at some of the largest Kubernetes estates on the planet.

We're looking for the person who decides where it goes next.

What You'll Actually Do

You'll set the architecture for persistent storage and data protection on Kubernetes at NetApp. That means real decisions with real consequences: how volumes behave under failure, what the snapshot and recovery story looks like across clouds, where we invest upstream and where we don't.

This is a hands‑on principal role. You'll be in the Go code, in design reviews, and on calls with customers who are running something hard and need it to work. You'll partner with product management on the roadmap instead of receiving it. And when we take a position in the CSI community or on a conference stage, you're the one taking it.

Why this team

ONTAP manages hundreds of exabytes for more than 30,000 customers. Trident is the bridge between that and the cloud-native world, and the bridge is still being built. There is a lot of surface area here for someone who wants their architectural decisions to show up in other people's production clusters.

We build in the open, we argue about designs, and we ship. If you want ownership over a problem that matters to a large number of engineers, this is it.

Job Requirements

• Lead architecture for Trident and the Kubernetes data services around it
• Design and ship production Go, not just diagrams
• Guide engineers through complex, cross-team technical work
• Work directly with customers on escalations, requirements, and validation
• Raise the bar on testing, debugging, and performance
• Run PoCs and R&D on where Kubernetes storage is heading
• Represent NetApp upstream and in the open-source community

What We Need

• 10+ years building software, or equivalent demonstrated impact
• Strong production Go
• Deep Kubernetes knowledge: architecture, APIs, controllers and operators, and how storage actually gets consumed
• Real experience with persistent storage in Kubernetes (CSI, volume lifecycle, or comparable)
• Solid fundamentals in distributed systems, data structures, and systems design
• Hands‑on with at least one major cloud (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
• The ability to explain a design clearly to engineers, to PM, and to a frustrated customer
• Comfort working in an Agile team

What Helps

• You've built or maintained a CSI driver or Kubernetes storage controller in production
• Open‑source contributions in Kubernetes, CSI, or CNCF projects
• Python for tooling, test, and automation
• Data protection on Kubernetes: snapshots, clones, backup, DR
• Experience with ONTAP or other enterprise and cloud‑native storage platforms
• A track record leading technical work across teams

Education

Bachelor's degree in technical area of study: engineering disciplines

Master's degree in technical field such as engineering, software development, preferred with less additional experience stated above

Salary & Benefits

The target salary range for this position is $227,800-338,000. The salary offered will be determined by the candidate's location, qualifications, experience, and education and may be outside of this range. Final compensation packages are competitive and in line with industry standards, reflecting a variety of factors, and include a comprehensive benefits package. This may cover Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Retirement or Pension Plans, Paid Time Off (PTO), various Leave options, Performance-Based Incentives, employee stock purchase plan, and/or restricted stocks (RSU's), with all offerings subject to regional variations and governed by local laws, regulations, and company policies. Benefits may vary by country and region, and further details will be provided as part of the recruitment process.

At NetApp, we embrace a hybrid working environment designed to strengthen connection, collaboration, and culture for all employees. This means that most roles will have some level of in‑office and/or in‑person expectations, which will be shared during the recruitment process.

Equal Opportunity Employer

NetApp is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information, pregnancy, protected veteran status, and any other protected classification.

Why You’ll Thrive at NetApp

At NetApp, you won't wait for the perfect moment—you'll make it. The early planning, the extra thought, the bold idea that turns good into great: That's how our people operate and how we continue to push the boundaries of data infrastructure.

NetApp is the trusted partner for organizations transforming data into opportunity. As the only enterprise‑grade storage service natively embedded in Google Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure, we empower customers to run everything from traditional workloads to enterprise AI with unmatched performance, resilience, and security.

Our culture

We celebrate mold breakers, bold thinkers, and problem solvers. We reward initiative, impact, and ownership. We provide flexibility so you can balance professional ambition with your personal life. Here, differences are not just welcomed—they drive everything we do.

If you're ready to innovate, rise to the challenge, and own every moment - make your next move your best one.

Submitting an Application

To ensure a streamlined and fair hiring process for all candidates, our team only reviews applications submitted through our company website. This practice allows us to track, assess, and respond to applicants efficiently. Emailing our employees, recruiters, or Human Resources personnel directly will not influence your application.

AI Disclosure

For select roles, some stages of our hiring process may use artificial intelligence tools to help evaluate applications and candidate selection. These tools support—rather than replace—human decision‑making.