Principal Software Engineer II - Product Security
Principal Engineer · Principal · Full Time
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Role
What you'll do.
Snowflake is seeking a Principal Software Engineer II to lead their Product Security team, serving as the senior technical authority for security architecture and strategy. This role involves designing secure-by-default frameworks, driving AI security initiatives, and influencing security decisions across the organization while mentoring engineering teams and ensuring security excellence across all Snowflake products.
Responsibilities
- Technical Leadership: Serve as senior technical authority and architectural leader for Product Security, defining long-term technical vision and security architecture
- Security Strategy: Drive security strategy across key domains including AI security, authentication, authorization, data protection, and software supply chain security
- Framework Development: Design and develop scalable, secure-by-default frameworks, services, and tools to secure Snowflake's infrastructure and protect customer data
- AI Security Leadership: Define and implement proactive strategies to mitigate emerging AI-related threats while leveraging AI to enhance overall security posture
- Risk Mitigation: Anticipate emerging security risks and proactively define long-term mitigation strategies aligned with business and product goals
- Cross-team Alignment: Drive alignment across engineering, infrastructure, AI/ML, and security teams to ensure cohesive execution
- Security Partnership: Partner with product and engineering teams to implement security best practices throughout the development lifecycle
- Mentorship and Culture: Mentor engineers, influence engineering culture, and promote a strong security mindset company-wide
Qualifications
What we look for.
Technical
Large-scale Systems Experience
15+ years building and securing large-scale distributed systems and cloud-native platforms
Security Domain Expertise
Deep expertise in AI/ML system security, applied cryptography, identity and access management, secure distributed system design
AI/ML Security
Experience securing AI/ML systems or building security controls for AI-driven platforms
Systems Thinking
Strong systems thinking with experience identifying and mitigating systemic risks at scale
Programming Languages
Proficiency in Java, Go, Python, C, or C++ for security system development
Education
Bachelor's Degree
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science or related field, or equivalent practical experience
Experience
Technical Leadership
Demonstrated company-level technical leadership with cross-organizational impact
Complex Initiative Leadership
Track record of leading complex, multi-year technical initiatives with broad organizational impact
Executive Communication
Exceptional communication skills and ability to influence senior technical and executive audiences
Skills
Required
Distributed Systems Security
Expertise in securing large-scale distributed systems and cloud-native platforms
Applied Cryptography
Deep knowledge of cryptographic principles and implementation in production systems
AI/ML Security
Experience with securing AI/ML systems and building security controls for AI platforms
Identity and Access Management
Expertise in authentication, authorization, and identity management systems
Cloud Security
Comprehensive understanding of cloud and infrastructure security across multiple platforms
Software Supply Chain Security
Knowledge of secure software delivery, dependency management, and SBOM practices
Technical Leadership
Proven ability to lead technical initiatives and influence cross-organizational decisions
Systems Architecture
Experience designing and implementing secure system architectures at scale
Preferred
Threat Modeling
Nice to haveAdvanced threat modeling methodologies and risk assessment frameworks
Zero Trust Architecture
Nice to haveExperience implementing zero trust security principles and micro-segmentation
Kubernetes Security
Nice to haveContainer orchestration security, network policies, and runtime protection
Regulatory Compliance
Nice to haveKnowledge of SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, and other security compliance frameworks
Security Research
Nice to haveExperience in security research, vulnerability discovery, and threat intelligence
Executive Presentation
Nice to haveAbility to present technical security concepts to executive and board-level audiences
Tech stack
Languages
Frameworks
Databases
Tools
Other
Compensation
Pay and benefits.
Base·USD 280,000 – 402,500
Equity·Stock options
Benefits
Comprehensive Health Coverage
Medical, dental, and vision insurance with company contribution
Equity Participation
Stock options and equity grants as part of total compensation package
Professional Development
Learning and development opportunities including conference attendance and training
Flexible Work Arrangements
Hybrid work model with flexibility between office and remote work
Retirement Planning
401(k) plan with company matching contributions
Wellness Programs
Employee wellness initiatives and mental health support resources
Process
Interview steps.
- 01
Initial Screening
Phone or video screening with talent acquisition focusing on background and cultural fit
- 02
Technical Leadership Interview
Deep dive into technical leadership experience, security architecture decisions, and cross-organizational impact
- 03
Security Architecture Design
Whiteboard or collaborative session designing security solutions for complex distributed systems
- 04
AI/ML Security Case Study
Discussion of AI/ML security challenges and mitigation strategies with technical examples
- 05
Executive Interview
Interview with senior leadership focusing on strategic thinking and business impact
- 06
Team Collaboration Session
Meet with potential team members and stakeholders to assess collaboration and mentorship approach
- 07
Final Interview
Comprehensive discussion with hiring manager covering role expectations and cultural alignment
Full posting
Original listing.
Snowflake is about empowering enterprises to achieve their full potential — and people too. With a culture that’s all in on impact, innovation, and collaboration, Snowflake is the sweet spot for building big, moving fast, and taking technology — and careers — to the next level.
The Product Security team ensures that Snowflake products are built and shipped with the highest level of security. Our team drives the security posture of Snowflake products and is responsible for embedding security into every stage of the product lifecycle, from design through deployment and beyond. We design and build frameworks, systems and services that keep Snowflake secure.
As a Principal Software Engineer II on the Product Security team, you will be the senior technical authority for Product Security and play a critical leadership role in shaping and advancing Snowflake’s security. This is a unique opportunity to define and influence our long-term security strategy and have a direct impact on the security of the Snowflake platform and the trust of our customers. You will operate across organizational boundaries, guiding major security initiatives, influencing architectural decisions at the highest levels, setting the technical direction for the organization, and ensuring consistent security excellence across all product teams while working closely with business leaders to advance Snowflake’s business. The role requires deep expertise in security, software engineering, distributed systems, software infrastructure, AI/ML, applied cryptography, threat modeling and cloud security fundamentals.
IN THIS ROLE AT SNOWFLAKE, YOU WILL:
Serve as the senior technical authority and architectural leader for Product Security, defining the long-term technical vision and security architecture for Snowflake.
Drive the security strategy across key domains, including AI security, authentication, authorization, data protection, and software supply chain security.
Design and develop scalable, secure-by-default frameworks, services, and tools to secure Snowflake's infrastructure and protect customer data and accounts.
Define and implement proactive strategies to mitigate emerging AI-related threats, both by securing Snowflake’s AI offerings and leveraging AI to enhance the company's overall security posture.
Anticipate emerging security risks and proactively define long-term mitigation strategies aligned with business and product goals.
Ensure cohesive execution by driving alignment across engineering, infrastructure, AI/ML, and security teams.
Partner with product and engineering teams to implement security best practices.
Mentor engineers, influence the engineering culture, and promote a strong security mindset company-wide.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU IF YOU HAVE:
15+ years of software engineering experience building and securing large-scale distributed systems and cloud-native platforms.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field (or equivalent practical experience).
Demonstrated company-level technical leadership with cross-organizational impact.
Deep expertise in multiple security domains, including AI/ML system security, applied cryptography, identity and access management, secure distributed system design, cloud and infrastructure security and/or software supply chain security
Experience securing AI/ML systems or building security controls for AI-driven platforms.
Strong systems thinking with experience identifying and mitigating systemic risks at scale.
Track record of leading complex, multi-year technical initiatives with broad organizational impact.
Experience in software development working with one or more of the following languages: Java, Go, Python, C, C++
Exceptional communication skills and the ability to influence senior technical and executive audiences.
Every Snowflake employee is expected to follow the company’s confidentiality and security standards for handling sensitive data. Snowflake employees must abide by the company’s data security plan as an essential part of their duties. It is every employee's duty to keep customer information secure and confidential.
Snowflake is growing fast, and we’re scaling our team to help enable and accelerate our growth. We are looking for people who share our values, challenge ordinary thinking, and push the pace of innovation while building a future for themselves and Snowflake.
How do you want to make your impact?
For jobs located in the United States, please visit the job posting on the Snowflake Careers Site for salary and benefits information: careers.snowflake.com
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