# Software Engineer, Networking

**Company:** [Tailscale](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/tailscale)
**Location:** Remote
**Role:** Backend Engineering
**Salary:** $163k – $226k/yr
**Experience:** 5+ years
**Skills:** Go, C++, Rust, Networking, vpn, nat traversal, routing, ip address management, Distributed Systems, os network stacks, concurrent programming
**Posted:** 2026-07-23

> Software Engineer on the Dataplane team building and optimizing Tailscale's core client-side networking, VPN, and connectivity features using Go and low-level languages. Requires deep networking expertise (routing, NAT, VPNs) plus experience with distributed systems and low-level OS stacks.

## Job Description

## Key Responsibilities
- Design, build, test, and document core Tailscale’s client-side networking software.
- Advance product features by building upon or merging established industry network protocols with Tailscale's specific designs and frameworks.
- Adopt a security-centric approach to both architecture and coding to guarantee the resilience and safety of networking modules.
- Evaluate and optimize the performance, reliability, and scale of our software across a wide array of technical platforms and hardware.
- Provide expert consultation and support the customer success teams with critical network escalations within key customer environments.
- Engage actively with the open-source community and contribute to relevant projects.

## Requirements
- Significant experience with networking software and diagnosing networking issues.
- Comprehensive grasp of networking engineering, such as routing, VPNs, IP address management, and NAT traversal.
- Proficiency in Go or other low-level languages (e.g. C/C++, Rust), including a strong grasp of concurrent programming and techniques for optimizing performance.
- Ability to give and process constructive feedback, as well as work independently.
- Flexibility to adjust to the dynamic nature of a startup.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

## Nice-to-Haves
- Experience with large scale distributed systems.
- Knowledge of low-level OS network stacks.

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