Software Engineer, Networking (Dataplane)

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. Founded in 2019 and fully distributed, we're backed by Accel, CRV, Insight, Heavybit, and Uncork Capital.

About The Role

We’re seeking a skilled and diligent full-time Software Engineer to join our growing Dataplane Engineering Team. You will contribute to the core client connectivity features of Tailscale, evolve and enhance connectivity offerings, provide architectural insights, and resolve escalated customer network issues. As an early-stage and fully remote company, we’re looking for a strongly motivated individual who can help move the product forward, think on their feet, collaborate with highly technical teams, and work comfortably asynchronously.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, test, and document core Tailscale’s client-side networking software.
• Advance product features by building upon or merging established industry network protocols with Tailscale's specific designs and frameworks.
• Adopt a security-centric approach to both architecture and coding to guarantee the resilience and safety of networking modules.
• Evaluate and optimize the performance, reliability, and scale of our software across a wide array of technical platforms and hardware.
• Provide expert consultation and support the customer success teams with critical network escalations within key customer environments.
• Engage actively with the open-source community and contribute to relevant projects.

Requirements

• Significant experience with networking software and diagnosing networking issues.
• Comprehensive grasp of networking engineering, such as routing, VPNs, IP address management, and NAT traversal.
• Proficiency in Go or other low-level languages (e.g. C/C++, Rust), including a strong grasp of concurrent programming and techniques for optimizing performance.
• Experience with large scale distributed systems is highly desirable.
• Knowledge of low-level OS network stacks is highly desirable.
• Ability to give and process constructive feedback, as well as work independently.
• Flexibility to adjust to the dynamic nature of a startup.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Pay

US Pay Range: $163,000—$226,000 USD

Benefits

• An inclusive, flexible environment where you can be your authentic self.
• A competitive total compensation package including base salary, equity incentive plan, and variable commission (for quota-based roles).
• Comprehensive group benefits with no waiting period (health, vision, dental, and more for you and your family).
• Remote-first company with virtual and in-person social events, and a corporate co-working program (e.g., WeWork).
• Employer-funded retirement contributions with dollar-for-dollar matching up to 0.75% of eligible compensation.
• Annual company retreat, team off-sites, and opportunities to collaborate in person across Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Singapore.
• $1500 USD annually for professional development, mentorship, coaching, and internal promotion opportunities.
• Flexible, paid time off for any situation, supporting work-life integration.
• Build-your-own home office setup: company-owned laptop (Mac or PC), monthly home internet reimbursement, and $500 USD to customize your workstation.
• Paid parental leave program: 20 weeks for birthing parents, 16 weeks for non-birthing parents.