Principal Engineer – Cloud Platform (10395, 10448)

Title of position: Principal Engineer – Cloud Platform

Position type: Hybrid - Full time ( As part of our hybrid work arrangement, this role is expected to be onsite three days per week at our San Jose, CA office)

Location: San Jose, CA

Position reports to: Director of SW Systems Engineering

Application deadline: Applications are being accepted on a rolling basis and this posting will remain open until filled.

Work authorization: We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa, including H-1B visas, at this time

Position Summary

We are seeking an exceptional Sr. Principal/Principal Engineer to lead the design, architecture, and development of a comprehensive cloud platform. This role requires a visionary technologist with 15+ years of experience in building and scaling large-scale distributed systems, microservices architectures, and cloud infrastructure. The successful candidate will provide technical leadership across multiple service domains, mentor engineering teams, and drive architectural excellence across our rapidly evolving platform.

• Design and architect a scalable, highly available cloud platform with 15+ microservices including Audit Logs, API Gateway, Device Health, Usage & Capacity, Device Status, Users, Applications, IAM, License, Alerts, Metrics, Network Visualization, and Orchestration.
• Establish and enforce architectural standards, best practices, and patterns across all platform services.
• Lead the technical strategy for cloud platform evolution, including infrastructure decisions, technology selections, and deployment architectures.
• Mentor and guide engineering teams in microservices design, providing code reviews and architectural guidance.
• Drive performance optimization, scalability improvements, and reliability enhancements across the platform.
• Collaborate with product, DevOps, and security teams to align platform capabilities with business objectives.
• Define and implement monitoring, observability, and alerting strategies for complex distributed systems.
• Lead technical investigations and resolution of complex production issues.
• Evaluate and integrate new technologies and frameworks to enhance platform capabilities.
• Participate in architectural review boards and technology steering committees.

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of software engineering experience with at least 8+ years in distributed systems and microservices architecture.
• Demonstrated expertise in designing and building large-scale cloud platforms or SaaS applications.
• Deep understanding of microservices architecture, API design, and event-driven systems.
• Strong proficiency in cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, or GCP) and containerization (Docker, Kubernetes).
• Expertise in modern programming languages (Java, Go, Python, or similar) and frameworks.
• Hands-on experience with database technologies (relational and NoSQL), data management, and eventual consistency patterns.
• Strong background in DevOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, and infrastructure-as-code.
• Proven ability to lead complex technical initiatives and guide cross-functional teams.
• Experience with security and compliance considerations in cloud platform design.
• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent professional experience.

Core Technical Skills

• Architecture & Design: Microservices, event-driven architecture, CQRS, API design, distributed systems patterns
• Cloud Platforms: AWS (EC2, ECS, EKS, Lambda, RDS, DynamoDB), Azure, or GCP
• Container & Orchestration: Docker, Kubernetes, Helm, container networking
• Programming Languages: Java, Go, Python, C#, or TypeScript
• Databases: PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis, Elasticsearch
• DevOps & Infrastructure: Terraform, CloudFormation, Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions
• Observability: Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack or similar
• Security: OAuth 2.0/OIDC, TLS/SSL, secrets management, vulnerability scanning

Soft Skills

• Strategic thinking and long-term vision for technology direction
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills
• Leadership and mentorship capabilities
• Problem-solving and analytical thinking
• Passion for operational excellence and continuous improvement
• Ability to make trade-offs and prioritize technical decisions

• Experience with identity and access management (IAM) systems and authentication/authorization frameworks.
• Knowledge of licensing systems, metering, and usage-based analytics.
• Background in network visualization, monitoring, or IT operations platforms.
• Experience with real-time data streaming platforms (Kafka, Kinesis, or similar).
• Expertise in audit logging, compliance monitoring, and regulatory frameworks.
• Prior experience with API management platforms and developer portals.
• Knowledge of orchestration platforms and workflow management systems.
• Experience mentoring and building high-performing engineering teams.
• Open-source contributions or speaking engagements at technical conferences.

• Extreme Networks will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, Philadelphia Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance, Illinois Human Rights Act, Cook County Human Rights Ordinance, Seattle Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, and the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance. An applicant's conviction history will not be considered until after a conditional offer of employment has been made. Following any individualized assessment, applicants will be provided with the opportunity to respond before any adverse action is taken.
• Extreme Networks does not seek salary history information from applicants and will not rely on salary history in determining whether to offer employment or in setting compensation.

This role offers a market‑competitive salary with an anticipated base compensation range of 175,000 to 210,000 USD. Actual compensation will depend on the selected candidate’s experience, qualifications, skills, and work location. The posted range reflects the amount Extreme Networks reasonably and in good faith expects to pay upon hire. This range is determined using objective, gender‑neutral criteria based on skills, experience, responsibility, and working conditions. In addition to base pay, this role is eligible for a performance‑based bonus and the full benefits package described below.

Extreme Networks offers a comprehensive benefits package. Specific benefits vary by country and may include:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Flexible work schedules and work-from-home opportunities where role permits
• Paid time off, including open time off in eligible markets and statutory leave in all markets
• Paid holidays in accordance with local practice
• Retirement savings programs, including 401K matching in the United States
• Employee Stock Purchase Program, where eligible
• Adoption assistance and fertility treatment support, where eligible
• Flexible spending accounts, where eligible
• Employee assistance program
• Tuition reimbursement, where eligible
• Life and disability insurance

Benefits eligibility is based on country of employment, role, and employment status. Complete benefits details will be provided during the interview process and in the formal offer of employment.

Extreme Networks, Inc. (EXTR) creates effortless networking experiences that enable all of us to advance. We push the boundaries of technology leveraging the powers of machine learning, artificial intelligence, analytics, and automation. Over 50,000 customers globally trust our end-to-end, cloud-driven networking solutions and rely on our top-rated services and support to accelerate their digital transformation efforts and deliver progress like never before. For more information, visit Extreme's website or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.

Over 50,000 customers globally trust our end-to-end, cloud-driven networking solutions. They rely on our top-rated services and support to accelerate their digital transformation efforts and deliver unprecedented progress. With double-digit growth year over year, no provider is better positioned to deliver scalable outcomes than Extreme.

Inclusion is one of our core values and in our DNA. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace that embraces our differences and creates an atmosphere where all our employees thrive because of their differences, not in spite of them.

Become part of Something big with Extreme! As a global networking leader, learn why there’s no better time to join the Extreme team.