Principal Software Engineer Lead

Akamai Technologies, Inc.; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 169,000 - 305,000; Full time

Job summary

Join Akamai's Compute team as a Principal Software Engineer Lead to design and implement the next generation of cloud compute. You will architect high-density ARM64 compute platform functionality, lead cross-architecture development, and collaborate with global teams to deliver scalable solutions for Akamai Connected Cloud.

You will guide hardware enablement, build pipelines, and workload performance, while mentoring engineers and shaping technical strategy across ACC.

Qualifications

• 12 years of relevant experience and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent.
• Proven ability to mentor reports and grow them to higher responsibility.
• Deep familiarity with ARM64/AArch64 and x86_64 server platforms.
• Experience with cross-compilation toolchains, profiling, and multi-architecture deployment.
• Experience with cloud compute virtualization technologies (KVM, QEMU), container runtimes, Linux system APIs, or hypervisor integration.
• Experience in technical design, product specification reviews, projects and backlog planning.
• Be able to work productively to identify and resolve issues in a collaborative, transparent manner.

Responsibilities

• Architecting and scaling high-density ARM64 compute platform functionality and hypervisor layers across ACC.
• Designing, implementing, reviewing, documenting, and testing high-quality code in close collaboration with your team.
• Leading technical strategy for hardware enablement, cross-platform build pipelines, and workload performance optimization.
• Working closely with peers and coordinating with global teams to build new compute features or resolve low-level software bugs.
• Providing organizational and functional leadership to a team of engineers.

Skills

ARM64

x86_64

Cross-compilation

System profiling

Multi-architecture deployment

Container runtimes

KVM

QEMU

Linux system APIs

Hypervisor integration

Technical leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science

Job description

Do you want to help design and implement the next generation of cloud computing?

Do you want to lead the expansion of compute architectures across the Akamai Connected Cloud?

Join our Compute team!

As a member of Akamai's Cloud Compute team, develop scalable services linking on-premises or cloud infrastructure to Akamai Connected Cloud. Contribute to expanding cloud compute products supporting AI and general compute on ARM and x86 workloads. This position provides opportunities to create production-quality software across multiple architectures and layers within Cloud Computing environments.

Partner with the best

This role provides an opportunity to make a significant impact on Akamai's growing cloud offerings. You must have a passion to get things done quickly and get them done right.

As a Principal Software Engineer Lead, you will be responsible for:

• Architecting and scaling high-density ARM64 compute platform functionality and hypervisor layers across ACC.

• Designing, implementing, reviewing, documenting, and testing high-quality code in close collaboration with your team.

• Leading technical strategy for hardware enablement, cross-platform build pipelines, and workload performance optimization.

• Working closely with peers and coordinating with global teams to build new compute features or resolve low-level software bugs.

• Providing organizational and functional leadership to a team of engineers.

Do what you love

To be successful in this role you will:

• Have 12 years of relevant experience and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or its equivalent.

• Have a history of helping your reports excel in their current role, expand their knowledge, and progress to greater responsibility.

• Possess deep familiarity with modern CPU architectures, specifically ARM64 / AArch64 and x86_64 server platforms.

• Be experienced with cross-compilation toolchains, system profiling, and multi-architecture software deployment.

• Have experience with cloud compute virtualization technologies (KVM, QEMU), container runtimes, Linux system APIs, or hypervisor integration.

• Be experienced in technical design, product specification reviews, projects and backlog planning.

• Be able to work productively to identify and resolve issues in a collaborative, transparent manner

About us

At Akamai, we make life better for billions of people, trillions of times a day.

Whether you're streaming live events, scrolling social media, watching your favorite series, or managing your savings, we're the engine behind the scenes. We provide the world's most distributed platform from Cloud to Edge to help the giants of the digital world work faster and stay more secure, making the internet a better experience for everyone.

Our focus is simple:

Cloud and Edge: Running apps closer to users for instant performance.

Security : Neutralizing threats before they ever reach your data.

Content Delivery : Scaling the world's biggest moments without a glitch.

AI : Enabling our customers to build, secure, and scale AI apps on the world's most distributed cloud platform.

At Akamai, we don't just support the internet; we power and protect it, because behind every great digital experience is a massive hidden challenge. And we're the ones who solve it. When millions of people hit play or pay, Akamai ensures it just works.

Benefits at Akamai: We support your health, well-being, finances, and life beyond work. See our benefits. (https://www.akamai.com/careers/working-at-akamai?utm_source=akamai&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=benefits)

FlexBase adapts to your job's needs

Akamai's FlexBase program is yet another way we show our commitment to providing employees with an exceptional workplace experience. It's not about telling employees where to work; it's about supporting employees to do their best work.

We trust our incredible employees to work in ways that suit them best: at home, in an office, or a combination of both.

Connect with us on social and see what life at Akamai is like!

Compensation

Akamai is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. For US based candidates only - the base salary for this position ranges from $169,300 - $304,700/year; a candidate’s salary is determined by various factors including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications and location. Compensation for candidates outside the US will vary. The compensation package may also include incentive compensation opportunities in the form of annual bonus or incentives, equity awards and an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP). Akamai provides industry-leading benefits including healthcare, 401K savings plan, company holidays, vacation (in the form of PTO), sick time, family friendly benefits including parental leave and an employee assistance program including a focus on mental and financial wellness; Eligibility requirements apply.

Equal Employment Opportunity Rights

Akamai Technologies is an Affliative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer that values the strength that diversity brings to the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race/ethnicity, protected veteran status, disability, or other protected group status.