Principal Engineer - vDefend Firewall

Job Description:

The VMware vDefend Firewall team, part of the Application Networking and Security Division (ANS Division), is looking for best-in-class, senior-level, management plane engineers who share our real passion for innovating and designing scalable distributed systems.

A Principal Software Engineer is a technical leader. In this role, you will drive technical design discussions, decisions, planning, execution, and lead firewall-related engineering initiatives, ensuring the best possible products for our customers.

More information about the products and solutions we deliver can be found at:

• VMware vDefend Distributed Firewall
• VMware vDefend Advanced Threat Prevention
• VMware vDefend Gateway Firewall

Responsibilities

• Lead the design and development of software for the VMware vDefend Firewall platform, driving innovation and high-quality solutions
• Develop AI-powered conversational and agentic tools by crafting effective prompts and leveraging LLM capabilities for dynamic task execution.
• Apply cutting-edge prompt engineering techniques and AI-powered development tools (e.g., Copilot, LLMs) to drive improvements in product quality, performance, and development efficiency.
• Enhance unit testing, automation, code coverage, and debugging support to improve product quality
• Collaborate with development, QA, and product management teams to ensure seamless product integration and delivery
• Assess risks, develop mitigation strategies, and address issues throughout the product lifecycle
• Participate in design and code reviews, ensuring alignment with performance, scalability, and security of the codebase
• Continuously optimize product performance, reviewing code and system architectures for efficiency gains
• Document and improve engineering processes, architectures, and customer workflows
• Mentor and inspire the team to innovate, while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and quality delivery
• Proactively identify and communicate dependencies, challenges, and potential risks to management, along with recommended solutions or mitigation strategies

Requirements:

• Strong software development expertise with a deep understanding of algorithms, databases, and system design
• Fluent in Python or Golang, with experience in Java/C++ as a plus, and capable of fostering skill development across the teams
• Passionate about large-scale distributed systems design, emphasizing performance metrics and guiding teams in adopting best practices for scalability
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills, enabling seamless interaction with cross-functional teams and external partners
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and debugging skills, particularly in tackling complex and obscure issues
• Proven leadership in managing complex projects involving multiple teams, and with a proven track record of mentoring junior engineers
• Skilled in risk identification and mitigation, guiding teams in proactively addressing challenges and ensuring project success
• Proficiency in designing and maintaining AI-driven data pipelines, ensuring robustness, data quality, and observability across large-scale systems
• Expertise in prompt engineering for LLM-based applications, fine-tuning interactions through structured prompting and function calling

Legal authorization to work in the U.S. is required

Education/Experience

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Engineering and 12+ years of related experience or Master's Degree and 10+ years of related experience required

10+ years in building and supporting production-quality software required

Additional Job Description:

Compensation and Benefits

The annual base salary range for this position is $141,300 - $226,000

This position is also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus in accordance with relevant plan documents, and equity in accordance with equity plan documents and equity award agreements.

Broadcom offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package: Medical, dental and vision plans, 401(K) participation including company matching, Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), company paid holidays, paid sick leave and vacation time. The company follows all applicable laws for Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence.

Broadcom is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We will consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability status, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We will also consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records consistent with local law.

If you are located outside USA, please be sure to fill out a home address as this will be used for future correspondence.