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Principal Software Developer - Security - Elasticsearch
Contract type
Ongoing
Work mode
Remote · Canada
Experience
Lead / principal · Not stated
Level inferred from job title
Job description
Principal Software Developer on the Elasticsearch Security team, leading architecture and design of Elasticsearch security features such as authentication, authorization, and tenant isolation. The role focuses on delivering high-performance security at scale in a distributed data store.
At a glance
- Employment
- Full-time · Employee (employment agreement)
- Work mode
- Remote · Canada
- Pay
- CAD 154,000 – 243,600 / year
What you'll do
- Owning core security initiatives from architecture to production, focusing on the delivery of new critical features
- Leading the technical design, plan, and execution for major security components inside the Elasticsearch core engine
- Developing the foundational security models for intricate features
- Optimizing security performance at scale in distributed systems environments
- Applying cryptographic solutions to address genuine customer use cases
- Ensuring robust data isolation within shared infrastructure supporting disparate customers
- Monitoring and applying the latest advancements and best practices in security, including authentication, identity management, cryptography, and data access management
- Collaborating with peers across the company to embed security into new customer features from the outset
- Drive vulnerability management efforts by collaborating closely with the InfoSec team to proactively identify, assess, and remediate security risks
- Leverage AI-driven tools to automate vulnerability triage, prioritization, and preliminary investigation, streamlining security workflows and reducing manual intervention
- Mentoring and coaching other engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and security-first development
What we're looking for
- Deep knowledge of Java internals and JVM memory management
- Understanding of how concurrency models work; ability to write high-performance, thread-safe, and lock-free code
- Experience working with large open-source and enterprise codebases
- Proven experience designing and building systems for authorization that can scale, including scalable RBAC/ABAC models and token validation pipelines, permission compilation and distributed cache invalidation strategies
- Solid comprehension of distributed systems security, including node-to-node mutual trust, zero-trust transport, partition tolerance, and cluster state propagation
- Deep knowledge of edge identity protocols (OAuth 2.0, SAML)
- Proven track record of using AI to accelerate development, debug complex systems, and optimize code, while still owning the final outcomes
- Ability to collaborate across functions and teams and seamlessly transition between different projects, codebases, or teams based on business priorities
- Ability to work autonomously, drive decisions, and lead a distributed team by leveraging asynchronous, direct, and transparent communication
Nice to have
- Knowledge of cipher suites, TLS handshakes, and PKI/certificate lifecycle management
- Cryptographic methods considering memory usage and delays
- Familiarity with the implications of Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and readiness to support the migration of services to quantum-resistant cryptographic algorithms
- Hands-on experience mapping engine-level technical controls to FedRAMP (Moderate/High), FIPS 140, and SOC 2 requirements
- Experience working on the internals of a data store or search engine
Your team
Elasticsearch Security team
Team responsible for security features inside the Elasticsearch core engine, including authentication, authorization, and tenant isolation.
Benefits
- Stock program participation
- Company-matched Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) with dollar-for-dollar matching up to 6% of eligible earnings
- Competitive pay based on the work you do here and not your previous salary
- Health coverage for you and your family in many locations
- Ability to craft your calendar with flexible locations and schedules for many roles
- Generous number of vacation days each year
- Match up to $2000 (or local currency equivalent) for financial donations and service
- Up to 40 hours each year to use toward volunteer projects you love
- Minimum of 16 weeks of parental leave
Apply
About Elastic
The Search AI Company
Elastic enables everyone to find the answers they need in real time, using all their data, at scale. The Elastic Search AI Platform, used by more than 50% of the Fortune 500, brings together the precision of search and the intelligence of AI, with complete, cloud-based solutions for search, security, and observability.
Key facts
- The Elastic Search AI Platform is used by more than 50% of the Fortune 500
- Distributed company
What they value
- Diversity
- Balance great work with great life
- Taking care of our people