Principal Developer

Ready to make an impact in cybersecurity?Arctic Wolf, a leader in security operations, is seeking a Principal Developer to drive the technical direction and architecture of our Network Appliance team—the group responsible for building and maintaining the software powering our globally deployed fleet of cybersecurity appliances.Our mission is to end cyber risk, and our network appliances are at the core of that mission. This is a unique opportunity to take a hands-on leadership role on a high-impact, highly technical team in a fast-growing company recognized on the Deloitte Fast 500, with a track record ofdoubling in size, revenue, and customer base year over year.About the RoleAs the Principal Developer on the Network Appliances team, you will be the technical authorityfor our appliance platform—designing, building, and mentoring across multiple teams andprojects. You will guide complex architectural decisions, champion engineering excellence, and ensure that technical solutions are robust, scalable, and aligned with our product vision.This role requires deep technical expertise, strong system-level thinking, and a passion formentorship. You'll collaborate closely with engineers, product managers, and technical leadersacross the organization to shape the direction of our platform and ensure successful delivery.Key Responsibilities
• Partner with product and R&D leadership to define and execute on product and technical vision.
• Lead the architectural design of complex systems spanning multiple components and teams.
• Own and drive implementation of key systems, features, and platform capabilities.
• Act as the primary technical mentor for the IDS team, guiding engineers of varying senioritylevels.
• Evaluate technical tradeoffs, project risks, and architectural decisions to ensure strategicalignment.
• Resolve technical disagreements, align teams around shared design goals, and uphold bestpractices.
• Champion quality standards, code hygiene, performance, and maintainability.
• Contribute code where necessary to accelerate critical projects or unblock the team
About You
• 20+ years of hands-on experience building production software in a Linux environment.
• Expert understanding of networking fundamentals, network stack behavior, and howdevices interact with network traffic.
• Proven track record designing and delivering complex systems and distributedarchitectures.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor engineers across a wide range of experience levels.
• Deep knowledge of systems-level software and Linux-based development.
• Strong experience with Docker and containerization practices.
• Excellent communication, collaboration, and technical leadership skills.
• Ability to identify technical risks, anticipate scaling challenges, and align architecture to business goals.Bonus Experience
• Experience with device drivers, especially in network appliance contexts.
• Familiarity with IDS/IPS technologies and how they operate in real-world networks.
• Understanding of network topologies and inter-device interactions.
• Exposure to performance testing and tuning across the hardware/software boundary.
• Multi-year experience working with AWS or other public cloud platforms.
• Background in cybersecurity, security operations, or related domains.Why Arctic Wolf?
• Equity for all employees
• Paid parental leave
• Professional development budget and leadership training
• Influence on product direction and technical strategy in a mission-driven company
• Recognized as a Best Place to Work, with a focus on inclusion, sustainability, and employee growthSecurity & ComplianceThis position requires the successful completion of background checks and ongoing adherence to our internal security protocols.