Customer Support Engineer (Tier 1)

About the company

Tailscale provides an identity-first, zero-trust networking service that uses WireGuard to create peer-to-peer encrypted meshes, integrating with identity providers to simplify NAT traversal and access control.

About this role

<div class="content-intro"><p><strong>About Tailscale&nbsp;</strong></p> <p>Tailscale is making safe connection effortless by delivering software that makes it easy to securely interconnect people and their devices, no matter where they are. From hobbyists to multinational corporations, teams of every size use Tailscale each day to protect their networks, share access to internal tools, and more. We're building a future for the Internet that's easy, sensible, and safe, like it used to be. Founded in 2019 and fully distributed, we're backed by Accel, CRV, Insight, Heavybit, and Uncork Capital.</p></div><h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;">About the Role</span></h3> <p>If you’re passionate about solving technical issues and providing high-quality support to a diverse community of users, this is the role for you. We’re seeking a motivated <strong>Support Engineer (Tier 1)</strong> to join our growing team of support professionals. You will serve as the face of the company for a large portion of our community, handling a broad range of tickets that will help flex your technical muscles.</p> <p>As a Tier 1 engineer, you’ll be part of a distributed team focused on delivering excellent support and proactively solving friction by partnering with our broader CX team and Product/Eng. This role reports directly to the Tier 1 Support Team Lead and will play a key role in our journey.</p> <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Key Responsibilities</span></h3> <ul> <li>Act as the primary technical resource for less complex issues, resolving a wide range of configuration and networking challenges to keep them unblocked.</li> <li>Manage a high-velocity ticket queue with a consistent focus on meeting targets for time to first response and time to resolution.</li> <li>Drive positive user outcomes and maintain high CSAT scores by providing clear, helpful, and accurate technical guidance.</li> <li>Balance a high volume of daily ticket replies while maintaining the technical depth required to troubleshoot complex networking issues.</li> <li>Partner cross-functionally to identify recurring friction points and advocate for improvements to the user experience.</li> </ul> <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;">What We Are Looking For</span></h3> <ul> <li>Display a natural tinkerer’s mindset and a deep curiosity for how things work, likely demonstrated through personal projects, homelabs, or open-source contributions.</li> <li>Demonstrate a foundational understanding of networking fundamentals, including DNS, IP addressing, firewalls, and routing.</li> <li>Show proficiency in troubleshooting across multiple operating systems such as macOS, Windows, Linux, and mobile OS’s.</li> <li>Some familiarity with Jira and Slack to manage internal workflows and communicate effectively with the team and customers</li> <li>Exhibit excellent written communication skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts with empathy and clarity.</li> <li>Maintain a proactive approach to learning new technologies and staying current with evolving infra tools.</li> </ul> <p>As a company, we strive to maintain fair and equitable compensation practices within our team across all roles and all levels. Tailscale's compensation package includes base salary, equity, and comprehensive benefits. The salary range displayed on each job posting represents the target range for a new hire's base salary. Individual offers may vary based on experience and skill set.</p><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">CAN Pay Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$84,420</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$132,660 CAD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p><em data-stringify-type="italic">Frequently cited statistics show that people who identify with historically marginalized groups are likely to apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the qualifications.&nbsp;</em><strong data-stringify-type="bold"><em data-stringify-type="italic">We encourage you to help us break that statistic!</em></strong></p> <p><strong>What We Offer</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>An inclusive, flexible environment where you can be your authentic self.</strong> We recognize the impact of diverse voices and backgrounds on the growth of our people, product, and company. And that flexibility in how and when you work empowers our team to integrate work and life.</li> <li><strong>A competitive total compensation package.</strong> This includes a base salary, an equity incentive plan and variable commission (for quota-based roles).</li> <li><strong>Comprehensive group benefits with no waiting period. </strong>Take advantage of coverage for health, vision, dental, and more for you and your family!</li> <li><strong>Remote first company</strong>—most of our teams work fully remotely. Enjoy a change of scenery wherever you can get wifi, participate in virtual and in-person social events, and leverage our corporate co-working program to visit WeWork (or other similar spaces near you). Some roles require in-office collaboration depending on team needs, which will be clearly noted in the job description.</li> <li><strong>Employer-funded retirement contributions. </strong>Tailscale will match your retirement contributions dollar-for-dollar, up to a maximum annual employer contribution equal to 0.75% of your eligible compensation.</li> <li><strong>Connect with other Tailscalars IRL. </strong>Attend our annual company retreat, participate in team off-sites, and collaborate in person with teammates across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore. We support intentional in-person connection through team travel and distributed collaboration.<strong><br></strong></li> <li><strong>Support for your personal and professional development.</strong> Grow your career thoughtfully with $1500 USD annually for professional development, or take advantage of mentorship, coaching, and internal promotion opportunities.&nbsp;</li> <li