Staff Software Engineer, Identity & Access Management

Snowflake2 weeks ago

Location

US-WA-Bellevue

Type

Full Time

Salary

USD 236,000 – 339,200

Level

Staff

Role

Staff Software Engineer

Posted

Feb 23, 2026

Full TimeStaff

The role

Summary

Snowflake is seeking a Staff Software Engineer to join their Identity & Access Management team, focusing on building critical AI security capabilities and authentication/authorization systems for the Data Cloud platform. This role requires 10+ years of distributed systems experience and deep IAM knowledge to design scalable security solutions for millions of users and objects.

What you'll do

AI Security Architecture: Design and implement critical AI security capabilities for controlled, audited, restricted agent workflows, both inbound and outbound

IAM Feature Development: Design and implement features that provide critical identity and access management capabilities, including integration with next generation identity providers and authentication protocols

Authorization Framework Design: Build authorization frameworks to provide fine grained access control, scaling to seamlessly manage millions of objects and users

Data Sharing Solutions: Design and develop solutions for seamless and secure data sharing, access to applications running in Snowflake, and access via external applications

Cross-Team Project Leadership: Lead and deliver multi-engineer cross-team projects, including managing low-level project planning and execution

Technical Mentorship: Actively guide the team and partners via high-quality code and design reviews

Strategic Product Direction: Play a critical role in shaping the strategic direction for your product focus area

Partner Team Collaboration: Collaborate, influence and guide partner teams on IAM-related features and architecture

Quality Standards Leadership: Showcase and hold a high bar for quality, speed, and sound technical decisions

What we look for

Technical

Distributed Systems Experience10+ years of industry experience designing, building, and supporting large-scale distributed systems in production

Cloud Services ExpertiseRecent experience in building large scale cloud services and infrastructure

IAM Domain KnowledgeDeep knowledge and experience with one or more areas of identity and access management such as authentication, authorization

Security ProtocolsKnowledge of industry standard security concepts and protocols like SAML, SCIM, OAuth, OIDC, Federation and RBAC

Database SystemsExperience with database systems and database internals, such as query engines and optimizers

Computer Science FundamentalsExtremely strong fundamental computer science skills

Education

Advanced DegreeAdvanced degree in Computer Science or related field required

Experience

Senior Engineering Experience10+ years of industry experience in software engineering roles

Production SystemsProven track record of building and supporting large-scale systems in production environments

Programming Language ProficiencyStrong development skills in Java, C# or C++ preferred

Skills

Required skills

Java/C#/C++Strong development skills in one or more of these programming languages

Distributed Systems10+ years experience with large-scale distributed systems design and implementation

Identity & Access ManagementDeep knowledge of authentication, authorization, and security protocols

Cloud ArchitectureExperience building large-scale cloud services and infrastructure

Database SystemsUnderstanding of database internals, query engines, and optimizers

Computer Science FundamentalsStrong algorithmic thinking and system design capabilities

Nice to have

Security ProtocolsKnowledge of SAML, SCIM, OAuth, OIDC, Federation and RBAC standards

AI SecurityExperience with AI agent security, MCP servers, and controlled AI workflows

Multi-Factor AuthenticationImplementation experience with MFA systems and identity providers

Database OptimizationAdvanced knowledge of query optimization and database performance tuning

Cross-Team LeadershipExperience leading multi-engineer projects across different teams

Compensation & benefits

Salary

USD 236,000 – 339,200 (annual)

Stock options

Available

Benefits

Equity Compensation

Stock options and equity participation in Snowflake's growth

Comprehensive Health Benefits

Full health insurance coverage including medical, dental, and vision

Professional Development

Ample opportunities for growth and mentorship from Principal engineers

Collaborative Culture

Work in a highly collaborative team environment focused on impact and innovation

Career Advancement

Opportunities to shape strategic direction and lead cross-functional initiatives

Interview process

1
Initial Screening — Phone or video call with recruiting team to discuss background and role fit
2
Technical Phone Screen — 45-60 minute technical discussion covering distributed systems design and IAM concepts
3
System Design Interview — Design a large-scale identity and access management system with focus on scalability and security
4
Coding Interview — Live coding session in Java/C#/C++ focusing on algorithms and data structures
5
IAM Deep Dive — Technical discussion on authentication protocols, authorization frameworks, and security best practices
6
Leadership Interview — Behavioral interview focusing on cross-team collaboration, project leadership, and mentorship experience
7
Final Interview — Meet with senior engineering leadership to discuss strategic thinking and cultural fit