Principal Engineer

Principal Software Engineer - Edge Systems

The Edge Systems Team develops software that interacts with the full systems stack of Fastlys infrastructure from the kernel up to core systems software. Projects range from implementing new protocols optimizing kernel-userspace communication routing among the edge nodes designing distributed systems and more. We expect this position to focus on enhancing our overall core edge systems with respect to efficiency performance and resilience. We are looking for a Principal Software Engineer passionate about applying their talents to make the Internet fast and reliable.

What Youll Do

• Lead full lifecycle projects from architecture & design to deployment in support of Fastlys edge systems.

• Write test and deploy C Rust and Go code.

• Enhance maintain and optimize network protocols such as TCP and QUIC

• Work across layers from the Linux kernel to the core edge systems to control planes.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to shape a clear technical roadmap - prioritizing key initiatives and proactively identifying and mitigating risks - to deploy support troubleshoot and deliver features to customers

• Contribute to open source projects such as h2o and picotls

• Mentor and support the professional growth of engineers fostering a culture of respect knowledge sharing innovation and collaboration within the team

What Were Looking For

• Proven ability to design & implement reliable scalable low latency systems. Most Principal Engineers at Fastly have at least 10 years of domain relevant engineering experience.

• Significant production experience with coding in C C and/or Rust

• Experience with Linux systems and network programming

• Hands-on experience in building distributed infrastructure and maintaining it over time

• Advanced knowledge of Linux as a development environment: git compilers

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to produce clear and comprehensive documentation

• A collaborative mindset with experience working across cross-functional teams fostering a culture of respect knowledge sharing and innovation

• Proven ability to mentor and support the growth of engineers both within a specific area of expertise and more broadly

We value a variety of voices so this is not a laundry list. It would be an added bonus if you have experience in ANY of these:

• Web/Internet protocols such as TCP HTTP TLS DNS QUIC

• Understanding of datapath mechanisms such as eBPF and DPDK

• Ability to systematically profile and benchmark complex cross-layer distributed systems

• Understanding of how customers will interact with features you develop

• Comfortable working in a geographically distributed team and highly available environments

Work Hours:

This position will require you to be available during core business hours and occasionally nights and weekends as required for on call support.

Work Location(s) & Travel Requirements:

This position is open to Hybrid Work Locations only. The preferred locations for this position are:

• London UK

Fastly currently embraces a largely hybrid model for most roles which allows employees flexibility to split their time between the office and home. We are not considering remote applicants at this time.

This position may require travel as required by your role or requested by your manager.

Salary:

The estimated salary range for this position is 134763 to 161716.

Starting salary may vary based on permissible non-discriminatory factors such as experience skills qualifications and location.

This role may be eligible to participate in Fastlys equity and discretionary bonus programs.

Benefits:

We care about you. Fastly works hard to create a positive environment for our employees and we think your life outside of work is important too. We support our teams with great benefits that start on the first day of your employment with Fastly. Curious about our offerings We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to meet your needs. Our offerings may vary depending on the country where you work and are subject to change.