Systems Engineer: Network Protocols & Distributed Systems

Cloudflare; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work hours

Take-what-you-need vacation

RSUs

ESPP

Meaningful technical challenges every

Job summary

Cloudflare seeks highly skilled engineers to help build and operate Internet-scale systems. You’ll terminate HTTP and TLS, migrate to a Rust-based proxy, and optimize performance on real traffic while contributing to open standards. The role invites strong systems programming skills and a curiosity-driven approach.

A hybrid role in Austin with competitive compensation and equity options, plus meaningful technical challenges every day and a chance to impact Internet infrastructure.

Qualifications

• Strong systems programming experience with low-level languages (Rust/C).
• Ability to learn quickly in complex technical domains.
• Focus on building reliable, secure, and performant software.
• Valuing diverse perspectives and inclusive approach to problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Build and operate systems that terminate HTTP and TLS at Internet scale.
• Migrate core infrastructure from NGINX to a next-gen Rust-based proxy.
• Measure and improve protocol performance across real-world traffic.
• Contribute to open source and industry standards.
• Learn from and collaborate with leading engineers in this space.

Skills

Systems programming (Rust/C)

Learning mindset

Security & reliability

Diversity in tech background

Tools

NGINX

Rust

Job description

Cloudflare seeks highly skilled engineers to help build and operate Internet-scale systems. You’ll terminate HTTP and TLS, migrate to a Rust-based proxy, and optimize performance on real traffic while contributing to open standards. The role invites strong systems programming skills and a curiosity-driven approach.

A hybrid role in Austin with competitive compensation and equity options, plus meaningful technical challenges every day and a chance to impact Internet infrastructure.