Principal Engineer – Authentication & Authorization (Hybrid)
Sunnyvale, CA - USA
Job Summary
As a global leader in cybersecurity CrowdStrike protects the people processes and technologies that drive modern organizations. Since 2011 our mission hasnt changed were here to stop breaches and weve redefined modern security with the worlds most advanced AI-native platform. We work on large scale distributed systems processing almost 3 trillion events per day and this traffic is growing daily. Our customers span all industries and they count on CrowdStrike to keep their businesses running their communities safe and their lives moving forward. Were proud to work for a mission-driven company leveraging AI to transform the way we work. CrowdStrikers drive their careers through flexibility and autonomy while also being expected to contribute to a culture of responsible AI adoption experimentation and innovation. We use an AI-first mindset as a force multiplier to proactively and continuously accelerate execution build expertise uncover insights and solve complex problems. Were always looking to add talented CrowdStrikers to the team who have limitless passion a relentless focus on innovation and a fanatical commitment to our customers our community and each other. Ready to join a mission that matters The future of cybersecurity starts with you.
About the Role:
We are looking for a Principal Engineer to own and drive the technical strategy for CrowdStrikes Authentication Platform. You will be the technical authority defining the architecture and long-term vision for identity and access management systems that secure thousands of enterprise customers globally.
The Auth Platform team is responsible for both internal and external AuthN and AuthZ. The team is a very critical part of CrowdStrikes cloud platform frequently collaborating with many product groups across the organization. The team builds and extends services that are capable of making 1 trillion decisions per day making reliability scale and security non-negotiable.
PLEASE NOTE: This role is hybrid requiring 2-3 days per week on-site at one of the posted locations.
What Youll Do:
- Own and drive the technical strategy and roadmap for the Auth Platform
- Architect and evolve our multi-tenant identity infrastructure supporting MSSP (Managed Security Service Provider) models including hierarchical tenancy delegated administration cross-tenant access patterns and fine-grained access controls
- Design and scale high-volume authentication systems and extremely high-volume authorization systems capable of handling millions of AuthN and trillions of AuthZ decisions with ultra-low latency and 99.999% (5 nines) availability
- Lead cross-region AuthN/AuthZ architecture ensuring consistent secure and performant identity operations across global deployments
- Drive the vision for next-generation authentication systems including passwordless continuous authentication and AI-driven adaptive access controls
- Lead the design of fine-grained access controls including ABAC ReBAC and policy engine frameworks
- Define standards for OAuth 2.0 OIDC SAML FIDO2/WebAuthn and token lifecycle management
- Drive Zero Trust and adaptive authentication initiatives
- Mentor senior engineers and elevate the technical bar across the organization
- Partner with Product Security and Engineering teams to align on priorities and deliver outcomes
What Youll Need:
- 15 years of software engineering experience with 6 years in identity/auth systems
- Deep expertise in multi-tenant SaaS architecture including MSSP or hierarchical tenancy models with fine-grained access controls at scale
- Proven experience building and operating high-volume authentication and extremely high-volume authorization systems handling millions of AuthN and trillions of AuthZ decisions with ultra-low latency and 99.999% availability
- Experience designing cross-region identity and authorization architectures with strong consistency and failover guarantees
- Experience with both internal (service-to-service machine identity) and external (user-facing) AuthN/AuthZ systems at hyperscale
- Hands-on experience or strong vision for next-gen auth systems passwordless device trust continuous verification and AI-driven access policies
- Strong knowledge of ABAC ReBAC RBAC and policy engines (OPA Cedar)
- Proficiency in Go Python or Java
- Experience with cloud-native platforms (AWS GCP or Azure) and Kubernetes
- Proven ability to own technical strategy and influence across organizations
- Strong communication skills for both technical and executive audiences
- Proven experience utilizing AI technologies to enhance decision-making streamline workflows and processes improve efficiency and drive business outcomes.
Bonus Points:
- Experience with Google Zanzibar-style authorization systems
- Prior experience in cybersecurity SaaS or MSSP platform products
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Benefits of Working at CrowdStrike:
Market leader in compensation and equity awards
Comprehensive physical and mental wellness programs
Competitive vacation and holidays for recharge
Paid parental and adoption leaves
Professional development opportunities for all employees regardless of level or role
Employee Networks geographic neighborhood groups and volunteer opportunities to build connections
Vibrant office culture with world class amenities
Great Place to Work Certified across the globe
CrowdStrike is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging where everyone is valued for who they are and empowered to succeed. We support veterans and individuals with disabilities through our affirmative action program.
CrowdStrike is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race color creed ethnicity religion sex (including pregnancy or pregnancy-related medical conditions) sexual orientation gender identity marital or family status veteran status age national origin ancestry physical disability (including HIV and AIDS) mental disability medical condition genetic information membership or activity in a local human rights commission status with regard to public assistance or any other characteristic protected by law. We base all employment decisions--including recruitment selection training compensation benefits discipline promotions transfers lay-offs return from lay-off terminations and social/recreational programs--on valid job requirements.
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CrowdStrike participates in the E-Verify program.
Notice of E-Verify Participation
CrowdStrike Inc. is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Placement within the pay range is dependent on a variety of factors including but not limited to relevant work experience skills certifications job level supervisory status and location. The base salary range for this position for all U.S. candidates is $195000 - $290000 per year with eligibility for bonuses equity grants and a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance 401k and paid time off.For detailed information about the U.S. benefits package please click here.
Required Experience:
Staff IC
About Company
CrowdStrike is a global cybersecurity leader with an advanced cloud-native platform for protecting endpoints, cloud workloads, identities and data.