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Staff Software Engineer - Rust and Distributed Systems (Bay Area, hybrid)
Fortanix·Staff·Hybrid · Santa Clara, California
Posted Aug 16, 2026·fortanix.com
Company: Fortanix
Role: Staff Software Engineer - Rust and Distributed Systems
Work Arrangement: Hybrid
Location: Santa Clara, California, United States
Department / Team: Confidential Computing Management Team
Work Authorization: Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire with a minimum of 24 months of current U.S. work authorization remaining without the need for employer sponsorship (supports H-1B transfers and F-1/J-1 sponsorship; no new lottery sponsorships from outside the U.S.).
Company & Product Overview
- Data-centric cybersecurity company specializing in hybrid multicloud environments, advanced cryptography, encryption, and confidential AI solutions.
- Proprietary technology includes Runtime Encryption® and unified data exposure management platforms.
Role Overview
- Hands-on technical leadership role responsible for designing, building, and owning core platform microservices powering confidential computing and secure distributed systems.
- Leads system design, architecture, and API definitions across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and build distributed microservices powering the Fortanix confidential computing platform across hybrid and multi-cloud environments.
- Own system architecture end-to-end, spanning service design, APIs, deployment, scaling, and production reliability.
- Drive technical direction and lead system design and API discussions across platform services.
- Build services with a security-first architecture ensuring systems are resilient, auditable, and safe by design.
- Write production-grade code in Rust, C/C++, or related systems languages, and conduct critical code reviews.
- Partner with engineering, product, and infrastructure teams to deliver cross-functional systems.
- Mentor engineers on system design, code quality, and engineering rigor.
- Contribute to core components including Runtime Encryption® technology and confidential computing services.
Requirements
Core Experience:
- 8+ years of software engineering experience with deep backend and distributed systems expertise.
- Proven experience designing and building microservices from scratch within large-scale architectures.
- Experience owning end-to-end services (design, development, deployment, scaling, and operations).
- Strong grounding in distributed systems concepts (scalability, reliability, fault tolerance, and data consistency).
Technical Skills:
- Strong programming experience in Rust (or C/C++, Go, and systems-level languages).
- Deep understanding of service architecture, API design, and system design.
- Hands-on experience with:
- Kubernetes and containerized environments.
- Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure).
- CI/CD and production deployment pipelines.
- Experience working in Linux environments, including debugging and performance tuning.
- Familiarity with data storage systems (SQL, NoSQL, distributed storage, caching).
Security & Systems Domain:
- Experience with or interest in:
- Confidential computing / Trusted Execution Environments (Intel SGX, AMD SEV, AWS Nitro Enclaves).
- Security infrastructure (key management, encryption, secure storage, access control).
Preferred (Nice to Have):
- Experience with performance-critical systems or systems programming.
- Exposure to secure AI or privacy-preserving systems.
- Background in infrastructure or developer platforms.
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation:
- Competitive base salary commensurate with location, skills, and experience.
- Equity grant and potential bonus/commission components.
Benefits:
- Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO).
- 40 hours of Volunteer Time Off (VTO) per year.
- Internet stipend.
- 401(k) retirement savings plan.
- Comprehensive Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance.
- Wellness Program, Short-term and Long-term Disability coverage.
Application & Employment Policies
- Equal Opportunity: Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).
- Work Authorization Details: Requires at least 24 months of current U.S. work authorization remaining. H-1B transfers and F-1/J-1 candidates considered; no new lottery filings for overseas candidates.
