Klaviyo

Principal Engineer, Core Infrastructure

Klaviyo$244K — $366K *
Information Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 10+ years of experience in building and operating cloud platforms including compute, networking, and storage.
  • Deep expertise in Kubernetes, service mesh, Terraform, CI/CD, and observability.
  • Familiarity with SQL and NoSQL databases and various storage platforms.
  • Proficient in integrating AI tools into platform engineering processes.
  • Strong operational leadership demonstrated through design reviews and incident management.

Responsibilities

  • Architect and enhance the Kubernetes platform and related infrastructure.
  • Define and track platform SLOs, leveraging error budgets.
  • Improve developer speed and efficiency in build and deployment processes.
  • Lead capacity planning and establish compliance guardrails in collaboration with Security and FinOps.
  • Write impactful code and automation tools, mentoring across teams on operational excellence.
  • Incorporate AI into developer workflows for improved speed and reliability.

Benefits

  • Participation in the company's annual cash bonus plan.
  • Variable compensation options for sales and customer success roles.
  • Equity opportunities as part of compensation package.
  • Comprehensive health and wellness benefits based on eligibility.
Full Job Description
As a hands-on principal for compute, networking, storage, runtimes (e.g., Kubernetes), CI/CD, and observability, you'll architect the service platform that lets teams ship fast and safely. IC role-no direct reports-you lead via design, code, and incident excellence, setting technical standards and SLOs for platform services. What You'll Do • Architect and evolve the Kubernetes platform, service mesh, networking, storage, and CI/CD pipelines; ship golden paths and IaC modules. • Define platform SLOs; use error budgets to guide reliability vs. velocity trade-offs; drive incident learning and readiness reviews. • Improve developer velocity (build/deploy times, flaky tests, local dev ergonomics) with measurable results. • Lead capacity planning and commitments; build guardrails for cost, security, and compliance with Security/FinOps partners. • Write high-impact code, automation, and tooling; mentor across teams and raise the bar on operational excellence • Embed AI in the developer experience-from code generation to observability and incident response-so teams ship faster and safer by default. Who You Are • Experience: 10+ years building and operating cloud platforms (compute, networking, storage, runtimes like Kubernetes), with a track record of multi-region HA and SLO rigor. • Technical expertise: Deep in Kubernetes, service mesh, Terraform/IaC, CI/CD, and production observability; you ship golden paths and guardrails that lift the whole org. • Experience with databases and storage systems, including SQL and NoSQL databases, and object, block, or file storage platforms. • AI tools & automation: You've brought AI into platform engineering-from copilot-assisted workflows and intelligent test generation to AIOps for incident triage, anomaly detection, and runbook automation-with clear security and cost boundaries. • Ops leadership: You lead via design reviews, incident excellence, and SLO/error-budget tradeoffs communicated in business terms. • AI fluency: You're hands-on with AI tools and help teams adopt them responsibly. Nice to Haves • Core SLOs & velocity: 6495.95% SLOs for core services; 25-50% faster build/deploy times; developer-reported friction trending down. • AI-enabled platform: Approved AI tooling is integrated into IDE/CI/CD with repo policies and auditability; 64970% MAU among eligible engineers; MTTR down 20-30% via AI-assisted triage; flaky-test rate decreases through targeted, AI-suggested fixes. • Guardrails in place: Cost, security, and compliance controls are codified as IaC modules and enforced in paved roads. • Experience with enterprise governance, including compliance and audit requirements. • Familiarity with GDPR and data privacy considerations in large-scale, production environments. Success in 6-12 Months • 6495.95% SLOs for core services; 25-50% faster build/deploy times; reduced developer-reported friction; incident recurrence trending down. We use Covey as part of our hiring and / or promotional process. For jobs or candidates in NYC, certain features may qualify it as an AEDT. As part of the evaluation process we provide Covey with job requirements and candidate submitted applications. We began using Covey Scout for Inbound on April 3, 2025. Please see the independent bias audit report covering our use of Covey here Massachusetts Applicants:It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability. Our salary range reflects the cost of labor across various U.S. geographic markets. The range displayed below reflects the minimum and maximum target salaries for the position across all our US locations. The base salary offered for this position is determined by several factors, including the applicant's job-related skills, relevant experience, education or training, and work location. In addition to base salary, our total compensation package may include participation in the company's annual cash bonus plan, variable compensation (OTE) for sales and customer success roles, equity, sign-on payments, and a comprehensive range of health, welfare, and wellbeing benefits based on eligibility. Your recruiter can provide more details about the specific salary/OTE range for your preferred location during the hiring process. Base Pay Range For US Locations: $244,000-$366,000 USD This role may require up to 10% travel for purposes such as new hire onboarding, client or partner work if applicable, team meetings, and industry events. Travel is coordinated in advance.

About Klaviyo

Klaviyo is a cloud-based marketing automation platform that helps eCommerce businesses create personalized experiences across email, social media, and other channels. The platform offers a range of features, including email marketing, SMS marketing, list segmentation, A/B testing, and more. Klaviyo's mission is to help businesses grow by providing them with the tools they need to build strong relationships with their customers.
Learn more about Klaviyo
Size
500 employees
Industry
Founded
2012

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