Principal Software Engineer II - Product Security

Principal Engineer · Principal · Full Time

US-CA-Menlo ParkUSD 280k – 403k4mo ago
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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 have

    Advanced threat modeling methodologies and risk assessment frameworks

  • Zero Trust Architecture

    Nice to have

    Experience implementing zero trust security principles and micro-segmentation

  • Kubernetes Security

    Nice to have

    Container orchestration security, network policies, and runtime protection

  • Regulatory Compliance

    Nice to have

    Knowledge of SOC 2, ISO 27001, FedRAMP, and other security compliance frameworks

  • Security Research

    Nice to have

    Experience in security research, vulnerability discovery, and threat intelligence

  • Executive Presentation

    Nice to have

    Ability to present technical security concepts to executive and board-level audiences

Tech stack

Languages

JavaGoPythonCC++

Frameworks

Cloud Security FrameworksAI/ML Security FrameworksIdentity Management Frameworks

Databases

Snowflake Data CloudDistributed Databases

Tools

Cryptographic LibrariesThreat Modeling ToolsSecurity Scanning ToolsCloud Security Tools

Other

Kubernetes SecuritySoftware Supply Chain SecurityZero Trust Architecture

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.

  1. 01

    Initial Screening

    Phone or video screening with talent acquisition focusing on background and cultural fit

  2. 02

    Technical Leadership Interview

    Deep dive into technical leadership experience, security architecture decisions, and cross-organizational impact

  3. 03

    Security Architecture Design

    Whiteboard or collaborative session designing security solutions for complex distributed systems

  4. 04

    AI/ML Security Case Study

    Discussion of AI/ML security challenges and mitigation strategies with technical examples

  5. 05

    Executive Interview

    Interview with senior leadership focusing on strategic thinking and business impact

  6. 06

    Team Collaboration Session

    Meet with potential team members and stakeholders to assess collaboration and mentorship approach

  7. 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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