Principal IT Systems Engineer

ExtraHop; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 165,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, and Vision Benefits

Flexible PTO and sick time

Educational reimbursement

401(k) with employer match

Pet insurance

Parental leave

Job summary

ExtraHop in Seattle is seeking a Principal IT Systems Engineer to lead technical initiatives in the design and evolution of enterprise infrastructure and cloud services. You will ensure the reliability and performance of critical systems and mentor engineers across the organization.

The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in systems engineering, with deep expertise in Linux, cloud environment design, and security principles. A hybrid work model and competitive benefits are offered.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in systems engineering or related fields.
• Expertise in automation and infrastructure operations.
• Experience with enterprise-scale cloud and hybrid environments.

Responsibilities

• Define the technical roadmap for infrastructure and cloud services.
• Lead the design of secure and scalable hybrid cloud solutions.
• Drive automation solutions and infrastructure improvements.

Skills

Linux/Unix systems administration

Scripting and automation (Shell/Bash, Python)

Cloud infrastructure design

Networking protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, etc.)

Security principles and secure systems design

Technical leadership and collaboration

Tools

Terraform

Ansible

AWS

Azure

GCP

Job description

Position Summary

We are seeking a Principal IT Systems Engineer to provide technical leadership in the design, implementation, and evolution of our enterprise infrastructure, cloud services, and systems operations. This role combines deep hands‑on engineering expertise with architectural ownership and strategic influence, ensuring the scalability, reliability, security, and performance of business‑critical systems.

As a senior technical leader, you will drive infrastructure strategy, establish engineering standards, and lead complex cross‑functional initiatives across networking, systems, identity management, security, and business systems. You will serve as a trusted advisor to IT leadership, mentor engineers across the organization, and help shape the future direction of our technology ecosystem through automation, modernization, and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and drive the technical roadmap for infrastructure, cloud services, identity management, and systems operations.
• Architect and implement secure, scalable, and highly available hybrid and multi‑cloud solutions.
• Lead the design and continuous improvement of production monitoring, observability, and operational support practices.
• Serve as the highest‑level technical escalation point for complex infrastructure and operational challenges.
• Design and implement automation solutions, infrastructure‑as‑code frameworks, and operational workflows that improve efficiency and reliability.
• Establish and promote engineering standards, architectural best practices, and operational processes across the IT organization.
• Partner with security teams to proactively identify and mitigate infrastructure and operational risks.
• Lead cross‑functional projects involving infrastructure, networking, security, and business systems teams.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical guidance to support professional growth and knowledge sharing.
• Drive strategic efforts over projects up to months in duration, while concurrently addressing smaller tactical needs and escalations from Tier 1 and 2 support teams.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in systems engineering, infrastructure architecture, cloud engineering, or related technical disciplines.
• Deep expertise in Linux/Unix systems administration, automation, and infrastructure operations.
• Working knowledge of Windows systems and services in an enterprise environment.
• Strong proficiency with Shell/Bash, Python, or similar scripting and automation technologies.
• Experience designing and operating enterprise‑scale cloud and hybrid infrastructure environments.
• Advanced knowledge of networking and application protocols, including TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/S, SSH, and TLS.
• Deep experience with federated and bilateral authentication and authorization technologies (SAML, OAuth, Active Directory, LDAP) and platforms such as Okta, Google, and AWS.
• Experience with infrastructure‑as‑code and configuration management tools such as Terraform, Ansible, Puppet, or Chef.
• Strong understanding of security principles and secure systems design.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical initiatives and influence decisions across teams and stakeholders.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and problem‑solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with AWS, Azure, and/or GCP.
• Experience supporting enterprise SaaS applications such as Google Workspace and other business‑critical systems.
• Familiarity with virtualization platforms, container technologies, and modern infrastructure practices.
• Understanding of network, firewall, and other security principles at the system level.

Skills and Competencies

• Technical Leadership: Ability to influence technical direction, establish standards, and guide engineering decisions across teams.
• Systems Architecture: Deep expertise in designing secure, scalable, and highly available infrastructure solutions.
• Automation & Innovation: Passion for leveraging automation and modern technologies to improve operational efficiency and reliability.
• Problem Solving: Ability to analyze complex technical challenges, identify root causes, and implement sustainable solutions.
• Collaboration & Communication: Strong ability to partner across technical and business teams and communicate effectively with both technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Security Mindset: Commitment to integrating security, risk management, and operational excellence into all aspects of infrastructure design and operations.

The salary range for this role is $165,000 - $180,000 + bonus + benefits.

Benefits

• Health, Dental, and Vision Benefits
• Flexible PTO, Sick Time prorated based on date of hire, and all federal holidays (US only) + 3 days of paid volunteer time
• Non‑commissioned positions may be eligible to participate in the annual discretionary bonus plan
• FSA and dependent care accounts + EAP, where applicable
• Educational reimbursement
• 401(k) with employer match or pension where applicable
• Pet insurance (US only)
• Parental leave (US only)
• Hybrid and remote work model