Staff Software Engineer

Proofpoint is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to act as a hands-on Technical Lead/Architect. This role involves designing, building, and guiding the development of scalable, secure, and resilient systems for a large-scale SaaS platform. The engineer will own architectural decisions, lead delivery, and collaborate with product and engineering teams. Responsibilities include leading backend system design, driving technical decisions, championing engineering excellence, mentoring, and integrating machine learning models, utilizing modern open-source tools and cloud-native frameworks.

Must Have

• Lead design and implementation of core backend systems and microservice architectures
• Drive technical decision-making for performance, scalability, and security
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, DevOps, and data teams
• Champion code quality, automation, observability, and engineering excellence
• Mentor engineers and conduct design/architecture reviews
• Work with data scientists to integrate machine learning / AI models
• Stay ahead of emerging technologies, frameworks, and cybersecurity best practices
• 10+ years of experience building and scaling distributed systems or SaaS platforms
• Proven technical leadership and a track record of delivering high-quality, impactful products
• BSc in Computer Science or equivalent experience

Good to Have

• Exposure to security-by-design, data protection, and regulatory compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc.)

Perks & Benefits

• Competitive compensation
• Comprehensive benefits
• Learning & Development programs including leadership and professional development workshops, stretch project assignments, and mentoring opportunities
• Flexible work environment (Remote options, hybrid schedules, flexible hours, etc.)
• Annual wellness and community outreach days
• Always on recognition for your contributions
• Global collaboration and networking opportunities

The Role

We’re looking for a hands-on Technical Lead / Architect to design, build, and guide the development of scalable, secure, and resilient systems. As a key member of our engineering team, you’ll own architectural decisions and lead the delivery of a large-scale SaaS platform that powers mission-critical experiences for our customers. You’ll collaborate with seasoned engineers and product leaders to shape and implement our technology vision — spanning everything from REST APIs and distributed microservices to data pipelines and analytics infrastructure. You’ll work with modern open-source tools, cloud-native frameworks, and DevOps practices to deliver solutions that scale efficiently and securely.

What You’ll Do

• Lead the design and implementation of core backend systems and microservice architectures.
• Drive technical decision-making, ensuring performance, scalability, and security-by-design.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with product, DevOps, and data teams to align architecture with business goals.
• Champion code quality, automation, observability, and engineering excellence.
• Mentor engineers, conduct design and architecture reviews, and raise the team’s technical bar.
• Work closely with data scientists to integrate machine learning / AI models into the system.
• Stay ahead of emerging technologies, frameworks, and cybersecurity best practices relevant to SaaS architecture.

What You Bring

• 10+ years of experience building and scaling distributed systems or SaaS platforms.
• Proven technical leadership and a track record of delivering high-quality, impactful products.
• Intellectual curiosity and commitment to continuous learning.
• Deep customer focus: you start with the user and work backward to create value.
• Proficiency in Python (FastAPI, Flask).
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS preferred) and containerized deployments (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Solid Linux fundamentals and CI/CD experience.
• Understanding of lean software development and data-informed decision-making.
• A mindset of continuous improvement, questioning the status quo and driving innovation.
• BSc in Computer Science or equivalent experience.
• Bonus: exposure to security-by-design, data protection, and regulatory compliance (SOC 2, ISO 27001, etc.).

Why Proofpoint

Protecting people is at the heart of our award-winning lineup of cybersecurity solutions, and the people who work here are the key to our success. We’re a customer-focused and a driven-to-win organization with leading-edge products. We are an inclusive, diverse, multinational company that believes in culture fit, but more importantly ‘culture-add’, and we strongly encourage people from all walks of life to apply.

We believe in hiring the best and the brightest to help cultivate our culture of collaboration and appreciation. Apply today and explore your future at Proofpoint!