Remote (Country)

Tailscale is hiring a Software Engineer, Networking (Rust)

About the Role

We’re looking for someone experienced in systems programming to help improve our distributed networking stack. The ideal candidate has deep knowledge of network protocols, Rust, and debugging complex distributed systems.

Responsibilities

  • Design and implement core networking components in Rust
  • Improve reliability and performance of secure tunneling systems
  • Debug distributed systems across diverse network environments
  • Collaborate with security and infrastructure teams on protocol design
  • Optimize data path efficiency for high-throughput scenarios
  • Maintain and extend cross-platform network libraries
  • Investigate and resolve production network issues
  • Contribute to secure default configurations
  • Evaluate new networking technologies for integration
  • Write clear technical documentation for internal and external use
  • Participate in code reviews with a focus on correctness and safety
  • Support the evolution of our WireGuard-based data plane
  • Help scale backend services handling connection coordination
  • Ensure compatibility across operating systems and network topologies
  • Monitor and analyze network telemetry for insights
  • Develop tools for internal debugging and diagnostics
  • Refactor legacy components for better maintainability
  • Assist in improving connection stability under poor network conditions
  • Work on congestion control and path selection logic
  • Integrate new cryptographic primitives where needed
  • Support interoperability with enterprise networking standards
  • Contribute to open-source projects related to networking
  • Respond to critical incidents involving network outages
  • Evaluate trade-offs between latency, bandwidth, and security
  • Improve test coverage for network edge cases

Nice to Have

  • Contributions to open-source networking projects
  • Experience with eBPF or kernel-level networking
  • Prior work on VPN or secure tunneling technologies
  • Knowledge of IPv6 deployment challenges
  • Familiarity with WebRTC or STUN/TURN protocols
  • Background in formal methods or protocol verification
  • Experience with fuzzing and security testing
  • Published work in systems or networking conferences
  • Involvement in Rust networking ecosystem
  • Understanding of QUIC or HTTP/3 internals

Benefits

  • Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
  • 401(k) with company match
  • Unlimited paid time off policy
  • Annual learning and development stipend
  • Home office setup allowance
  • Flexible parental leave
  • Mental health and wellness resources
  • Company-wide retreats
  • Stocked pantry at office locations
  • Remote work support tools
  • Annual performance bonus
  • Life and disability insurance
  • Commuter benefits where applicable
  • Employee assistance program
  • Inclusive family planning support

Compensation

$150,000–$250,000 base salary, equity included, varies by location and experience

Work Arrangement

Remote-first with optional hubs in select cities

Team

Part of the core networking team building secure, scalable infrastructure

Why This Role Matters

The systems built in this role directly impact how securely and reliably users connect across networks. Every improvement contributes to making secure access invisible and automatic.

Engineering Culture

We value clear writing, deep technical rigor, and ownership. Engineers are expected to ship high-quality code, document decisions, and mentor others. Production reliability is a shared responsibility.

Yes, available for qualified candidates

Required Skills
RustDistributed SystemsNetwork SecurityEmbedded Systems
About company
Tailscale
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.
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Job Details
Category other
Posted a year ago