Software Engineer, Networking (Edge)

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 building the new Internet 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;"><strong>About the Role</strong></span></h3> <p>We’re seeking a skilled and diligent full-time Software Engineer to join our growing team. You will work as part of the engineering team to:</p> <ul> <li>Utilize extensive network engineering knowledge coupled with software development and SRE/DevOps proficiency to design, construct, and oversee Tailscale’s global Funnel and DERP relay infrastructure.</li> <li>Promote operational excellence and automation to guarantee the scalability, high availability, and performance of hosted services.</li> <li>Offer architectural guidance and troubleshoot escalated networking problems for customers to address intricate connectivity issues.</li> <li>Partner with internal engineering and product groups to advance hosted services and clients, ensuring updates provide broad value to our customer base.</li> <li>Support network connectivity capabilities and features by contributing to the open-source client code and developing the Tailscale product dataplane.</li> </ul> <p>Because we’re an early-stage and fully remote company, we’re looking for a strongly motivated individual who can help move the product forward. The ability to think on your feet, collaborate with highly technical teams, and comfort working asynchronously are essential.</p> <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Key Responsibilities</strong></span></h3> <ul> <li>Design, construct, evaluate, and provide documentation for networking features, connectivity solutions, and the open-source client-code network dataplane.</li> <li>Enhance and iterate on product capabilities, specifically focusing on Funnel and DERP relay infrastructures and their associated network protocols.</li> <li>Investigate and rectify complex, escalated network difficulties encountered across diverse technical environments.</li> <li>Maintain accountability for Tailscale's live services by integrating observability, engaging in incident management, and managing technical support escalations.</li> <li>Evaluate and boost the performance, reliability, and scaling capabilities of our networking resources and systems.</li> <li>Apply a security-centric approach to every stage of development, from initial design to final implementation of networking components.</li> </ul> <h3><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><strong>What We Are Looking For</strong></span></h3> <ul> <li>Proven track record in networking software development and troubleshooting</li> <li>Expertise in core networking principles such as VPNs, NAT traversal, routing, and IP addressing</li> <li>Experience with distributed systems, maintaining global-scale services, and applying SRE &amp; DevOps methodologies</li> <li>Most of the systems are developed in the Go programming language. Experience with Go is highly desired.</li> <li>Strong interpersonal skills for exchanging constructive feedback and the autonomy to work solo</li> <li>Adaptability to thrive within a fast-paced startup environment</li> <li>Superior communication abilities, both in writing and speaking</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>$218,420</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$273,360 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><stron