Senior Software Engineer - Identity & Access Management

Snowflake3 weeks ago

Location

US-WA-Bellevue

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 200,000 – 287,500

Level

Senior

Role

Senior Software Engineer

Posted

Jul 1, 2026

Full TimeSenior

The role

Summary

As a Senior Software Engineer on Snowflake's Identity and Access Management (IAM) team, you will design and implement critical AI-native security capabilities, authentication frameworks, and authorization systems that protect sensitive customer data and workloads on the cloud data platform. This role requires 7+ years of large-scale distributed systems experience with deep expertise in identity and access management, security protocols, and modern cloud infrastructure, working alongside Principal engineers in a collaborative environment focused on securing the future of AI-driven enterprises.

What you'll do

Design and Implement AI Security Capabilities: Architect and build critical AI security features for controlled, audited, and restricted agent workflows supporting both inbound and outbound access patterns. Create intelligent access control mechanisms that enforce least-privilege principles for AI agents operating within Snowflake infrastructure while maintaining comprehensive audit trails for compliance and security monitoring.

Develop Next-Generation Identity and Access Management Features: Design and implement advanced IAM capabilities including seamless integration with modern identity providers and cutting-edge authentication protocols such as OAuth, OIDC, SAML, and federated identity systems. Build solutions that simplify user authentication for both human users and service accounts while maintaining enterprise-grade security standards.

Build Scalable Authorization Frameworks: Architect fine-grained role-based access control (RBAC) systems capable of managing authorization decisions for millions of objects and users across distributed environments. Optimize authorization logic for sub-millisecond decision latency while supporting complex policy evaluation and dynamic access grant revocation.

Engineer Secure Data Sharing Solutions: Design and develop comprehensive solutions enabling seamless yet secure data sharing mechanisms, application access within Snowflake compute environments, and controlled external application integration. Implement cross-account access patterns, secure API token management, and auditable access trails for regulatory compliance.

Lead Large-Scale Project Execution: Own end-to-end delivery of substantial technical initiatives, managing project planning, cross-functional coordination, and execution across multiple engineering teams. Create technical roadmaps, break down complex problems into manageable work items, and ensure timely delivery of high-impact security features aligned with company strategy.

Establish Engineering Excellence Standards: Champion high-quality technical solutions by conducting thorough code and design reviews with team members and partner teams. Model best practices in software architecture, performance optimization, and security-by-design principles. Maintain elevated standards for code quality, testing coverage, and technical decision documentation.

Mentor and Guide Technical Teams: Actively participate in mentoring junior and mid-level engineers through technical guidance, design collaboration, and knowledge sharing. Facilitate professional growth through code review feedback, architectural discussions, and exposure to complex security problems. Help establish team culture emphasizing innovation, experimentation, and continuous learning.

What we look for

Technical

Distributed Systems ArchitectureExpert-level understanding of distributed systems principles including consistency models, consensus protocols, fault tolerance, and scalability patterns. Ability to design systems handling millions of objects and users while maintaining performance and reliability.

Security Protocols and StandardsAdvanced knowledge of industry-standard security protocols including SAML 2.0, OAuth 2.0, OIDC, SCIM, and federation protocols. Practical experience implementing or integrating these protocols in customer-facing systems with deep understanding of cryptographic primitives and secure token management.

Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)Expert experience designing and implementing RBAC systems capable of expressing complex authorization policies at scale. Understanding of attribute-based access control (ABAC) concepts, policy evaluation engines, and authorization decision caching mechanisms for performance optimization.

High-Performance Systems DesignProven ability designing systems with strict latency requirements where authorization decisions must complete in sub-millisecond timeframes. Experience with caching strategies, indexing optimization, and algorithmic efficiency improvements in security-critical code paths.

AI and Agent SecurityUnderstanding of emerging AI security challenges, agent orchestration patterns, and mechanisms for controlling AI behavior through access policies. Familiarity with concepts like Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers/clients and agent identity management is valuable.

Education

Computer Science or Related FieldAdvanced degree (Masters or Ph.D.) in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or closely related discipline. Coursework should include algorithms, distributed systems, security, and systems design foundations that demonstrate strong theoretical computer science fundamentals.

Experience

Large-Scale Distributed Systems7+ years of hands-on industry experience designing, building, and operating large-scale distributed systems in production environments. Recent, substantive experience with cloud services architecture, particularly building services that scale to enterprise-level customer bases with millions of concurrent users.

Identity and Access Management Domain ExpertiseDeep, demonstrated knowledge in one or more core IAM domains including authentication systems, authorization frameworks, identity federation, or privilege management. Proven track record implementing or integrating security protocols and standards in production systems serving enterprise customers.

Cloud Services and InfrastructureRecent, extensive experience building production-grade cloud services with exposure to cloud infrastructure patterns, API design, multi-tenancy challenges, and cloud-native security considerations. Understanding of managed service architectures and operational requirements for high-availability systems.

Database Systems KnowledgeStrong familiarity with database system internals, query optimization, and performance tuning. Experience with both relational and cloud data warehouse systems, particularly understanding how authorization policies impact query execution and system performance at scale.

Skills

Required skills

Java DevelopmentProduction-grade Java development expertise with deep understanding of concurrency, performance optimization, and building high-throughput systems. Experience with Java's security framework, cryptographic libraries, and enterprise middleware is highly valued.

System DesignAbility to design and communicate complex systems architecture supporting millions of users. Proficiency in capacity planning, identifying bottlenecks, designing fault-tolerant systems, and making technology trade-off decisions for large-scale systems.

Cloud ArchitectureHands-on experience with modern cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and understanding of managed service design patterns. Knowledge of containerization, serverless architectures, and cloud-native security considerations for multi-tenant environments.

Security EngineeringStrong grasp of security principles including threat modeling, secure coding practices, cryptographic concepts, and security audit/compliance mechanisms. Ability to design systems with security as a first-class concern rather than an afterthought.

Software Engineering FundamentalsExtremely strong foundational computer science knowledge including algorithms, data structures, complexity analysis, and system design principles. Ability to make optimal algorithmic and architectural decisions with clear trade-off analysis.

Nice to have

C# or C++ DevelopmentProduction experience with C# or C++ for systems programming. Particularly valuable for understanding memory management, performance-critical code optimization, and systems-level security considerations in low-latency environments.

Database Internals and Query OptimizationDeep knowledge of database query engines, optimization strategies, and execution planning. Experience understanding how authorization policies integrate with query processing pipelines and impact end-to-end query performance.

API Design and REST/gRPCExtensive experience designing secure, scalable APIs with careful attention to authentication, rate limiting, and authorization. Understanding of GraphQL, REST best practices, and efficient protocols for high-frequency client-server communication.

Open Source and Industry StandardsContributions to or deep familiarity with open-source IAM projects, standards bodies, or IETF working groups. Participation in defining authentication/authorization standards shows genuine passion for identity security.

Mentorship and Technical LeadershipDemonstrated ability mentoring engineers at junior and mid-levels, leading design reviews, and establishing technical standards. Experience scaling teams and building engineering cultures emphasizing excellence and innovation.

Machine Learning and AI IntegrationUnderstanding of machine learning systems, LLM integration patterns, and AI governance frameworks. Experience designing security controls and access policies for AI/ML platforms or agent-based systems.

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 200,000 – 287,500 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Professional Growth and Mentorship

Ample opportunities for professional development working alongside Principal engineers and security experts. Exposure to cutting-edge AI security challenges and participation in architectural decisions shaping Snowflake's platform evolution.

Collaborative Team Culture

Work within a highly collaborative IAM team emphasizing knowledge sharing, technical excellence, and mentoring culture. Regular design reviews, architecture discussions, and opportunities to influence security strategy across the platform.

High-Impact Work

Design and implement features protecting Snowflake's most sensitive customer data. Your work directly impacts customer trust, platform security, and enables adoption of AI-native enterprise capabilities at scale.

Emerging Technology Focus

Opportunity to work on frontier security challenges including AI agent identity management, Model Context Protocol (MCP) security, and emerging access control patterns for agentic enterprise systems.

Competitive Compensation and Equity

Comprehensive compensation package including base salary, performance bonus potential, and equity grant participation enabling you to benefit from Snowflake's growth as a leading cloud data platform.

Career Advancement Opportunities

Clear pathways to Staff and Principal engineer roles. Snowflake's rapid growth creates leadership opportunities, mentoring positions, and technical career advancement within identity and security domains.

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