Principal Software Engineer - Backend

dragos; United States; Remote; USD 191,000 - 259,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive Benefits Plan

Equity Package

Job summary

Dragos is seeking senior backend engineers to design and implement robust, high-performance systems in Rust for critical infrastructure cybersecurity. You will optimize architectures, participate in the full development lifecycle, and stay ahead of Rust, security, and software design trends while mentoring peers.

The role offers a remote-first setup across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and APAC. We value strong communication for remote collaboration and the ability to influence

Qualifications

• 10+ years of backend system development at scale.
• 5+ years with PostgreSQL.
• 5+ years with Elasticsearch.
• 5+ years in a microservices architecture.
• Rust proficiency or ability to learn quickly.
• Experience integrating with third-party devices and data providers.
• Experience incorporating AI tools into development workflows.
• Proven mentoring of senior engineers.
• Ability to lead architectural decisions across multiple teams.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement robust, testable, high-performance systems and tools in Rust.
• Optimize existing software architectures to enhance speed and efficiency.
• Actively participate in all phases of the development lifecycle, including debugging and optimization, ensuring and elevating software quality.
• Stay informed about the latest advancements in Rust programming, security, and software design principles, helping to foster an environment of continuous learning and improvement.
• Give and receive peer feedback on a normal cadence as part of our review cycle

Skills

Rust programming

Backend systems

Architectural decisions

Mentoring

Team leadership

Tools

PostgreSQL

Elasticsearch

Kubernetes

Docker

Terraform

Prometheus

Grafana

Job description

At Dragos, the mission is personal. The systems we protect deliver the water you drink, power your home, and keep the hospitals your community depends on running. Those critical infrastructure systems that power our civilization around the world are under attack every day by adversaries. When those systems fail, people are immediately at risk. We are the global leader in xOT cybersecurity, combining technology, threat intelligence, and expert services. The people here chose this work because they understand what is at stake. Here, you will find a remote-first mission-driven team across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and APAC built on authenticity, transparency, and trust. If safeguarding the systems that protect your family, friends, and community is the kind of work that matters to you, you are in the right place.

About The Role:

• Be passionate about your craft, minding the details while working quickly.
• Have a strong product sense and care deeply about the customers and problems we are solving.
• Be self-directed with a strong work ethic and ability to operate autonomously.
• Have excellent communication skills for remote collaboration, working well across engineering disciplines.

At Dragos, we don’t hire engineers whose only mission in life is to write code. We are looking for backend engineers who yearn to contribute to more than just a code base and who are willing to stretch themselves to accomplish the mission.

Responsibilities:

• Design and implement robust, testable, high-performance systems and tools in Rust.
• Optimize existing software architectures to enhance speed and efficiency.
• Actively participate in all phases of the development lifecycle, including debugging and optimization, ensuring and elevating software quality.
• Stay informed about the latest advancements in Rust programming, security, and software design principles, helping to foster an environment of continuous learning and improvement.
• Give and receive peer feedback on a normal cadence as part of our review cycle

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience developing backend systems at scale in high-performance team environments
• 5+ years of experience in relational databases such as Postgres
• 5+ years of experience with NoSQL databases such as Elasticsearch
• 5+ years of experience working in a microservices architecture
• Rust proficiency – or the willingness and demonstrated ability to become proficient quickly
• Experience integrating with third party devices and data providers
• Experience incorporating AI tools, models, or services into development workflowsProven track record of mentoring and developing senior engineers
• Demonstrated ability to lead architectural decisions and influence technical strategy across multiple teams

Additional Qualifications that Will Help You Succeed:

• Experience building and operating distributed systems at scale with a focus on reliability
• Familiarity with Kubernetes and cloud‑native architectures
• Experience with containerization (Docker)
• Strong understanding of observability tooling (Prometheus, Grafana)
• Experience building CI/CD pipelines and working with IaC tools (Terraform)
• Experience building information security–focused products or applying secure coding practices
• Experience with Kotlin, Go, or Python in production environments
• Experience mentoring team members or leading technical initiatives
• Experience working in cybersecurity, OT, or ICs environments

Compensation:

• Salary: $225,000
• Competitive Equity Package
• Comprehensive Benefits Plan

#LI-LF1 #LI-REMOTE

Dragos is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetics, or any other basis forbidden under federal, state, or local laws. All new hires must pass a background check as a condition of employment.