Principal Software Engineer – Application Networking (Platform Infrastructure)

About the role

Elastic is looking for a Principal Software Engineer to shape the future of application networking for Elastic Cloud. You will own the design and delivery of ingress, private connectivity, DNS, and security controls that power Elasticsearch, Kibana, and the broader Elastic stack.

Key responsibilities

• Define technical direction and own designs for major application networking initiatives from proposal through general availability.
• Lead development of large‑scale ingress, private connectivity, DNS, and security controls, continuously improving performance, reliability, and operability.
• Drive multi‑quarter, cross‑organizational projects and guide them to successful delivery.
• Raise operational quality by leading incident investigations, reviews, and participating in on‑call rotation.
• Mentor engineers, act as a subject‑matter expert, and set standards for software development.
• Partner with product management and senior engineering stakeholders on trade‑offs, feasibility, and roadmap decisions.
• Identify and champion improvements to security, stability, and cost efficiency, providing architectural clarity across the platform.

Required profile

• Proven experience setting technical direction for complex, distributed systems at scale (Staff or Principal level).
• Deep expertise in application networking and cloud‑native architecture, including design, operation, and evolution of ingress, private connectivity, DNS, and security controls.
• Track record of building large‑scale distributed systems rather than relying solely on off‑the‑shelf services.
• Ability to own projects end‑to‑end, from technical design to component development, and to guide multiple engineers.
• Experience operating high‑availability SaaS platforms, handling incidents, and improving reliability with strong testing, observability, and operability practices.
• Demonstrated use of AI to accelerate development, debug complex systems, and optimize code while retaining ownership of outcomes.
• Strong collaboration skills across functions and the ability to transition between projects and codebases based on business priorities.
• Self‑driven communication style that influences direction without formal authority in a distributed team.

Required skills

• Application networking
• Cloud‑native architecture
• Ingress, private connectivity, DNS management, security controls
• Kubernetes networking (Cilium, external‑dns, Envoy Gateway, Crossplane)
• Major cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP)

What we offer

• Competitive base salary ranging from €61,100 to €96,600 per year.
• Health coverage for you and your family in many locations.
• Flexible locations and schedules with remote work options.
• Generous vacation allowance and parental leave of up to 16 weeks.
• Donation matching up to $2,000 (or local equivalent) and up to 40 volunteer hours per year.