Proofpoint

Staff Software Engineer

Proofpoint$152K — $224K *
Enterprise Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or equivalent
  • 10+ years in distributed systems and backend architecture
  • Knowledge of CAP theorem, consistency models, partitioning, replication, and sharding strategies
  • Experience with streaming/messaging systems (Kafka, Pulsar) and real-time/batch processing frameworks (Flink, Spark, Beam)
  • Proficiency in NodeJs, Go, Java, Scala, or Rust; familiarity with Python or C/C++ is a plus
  • Experience with NoSQL and SQL databases, including Postgres, Cassandra, MongoDB, Redis, and DynamoDB
  • Knowledge of enterprise security frameworks and compliance standards (SOC2, ISO, GDPR) is a plus

Responsibilities

  • Build and scale a big data platform processing billions of data points daily
  • Design resilient systems using synchronous and asynchronous paradigms
  • Develop RESTful APIs in a microservices architecture
  • Establish standards for scalability, fault tolerance, and performance optimization
  • Drive design decisions across processing and storage layers for efficiency
  • Support time-series, event-driven, and analytical workloads
  • Work with distributed messaging systems and scalable data stores
  • Champion AI-powered tools to enhance development velocity

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation
  • Comprehensive benefits package
  • Flexible work environment
  • Annual wellness and community outreach days
  • Global collaboration and networking opportunities
  • Recognition for contributions
  • Career success on your terms
Full Job Description
Responsibilities
  • Build and scale a big data platform processing billions of data points daily
  • Design resilient systems across synchronous and asynchronous (event-driven, streaming) paradigms
  • Develop RESTful APIs in a microservices architecture
  • Establish standards for scalability, fault tolerance, and performance optimization
  • Drive design decisions across streaming, processing, and storage layers for performance and cost efficiency
  • Support time-series, event-driven, and analytical workloads
  • Work with distributed messaging systems, scalable data stores (DynamoDB, Elasticsearch, etc.) and processing frameworks (Flink, Spark)
  • Ensure alignment with security, compliance, and data governance requirements
  • Champion AI-powered tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude Code) to accelerate development velocity across design, coding, testing, and review

Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or equivalent
  • 10+ years in distributed systems and backend architecture
  • Knowledge of CAP theorem, consistency models, partitioning, replication, and sharding strategies
  • Experience with streaming/messaging systems (Kafka, Pulsar) and real-time/batch processing frameworks (Flink, Spark, Beam)
  • Proficiency in one or more of: NodeJs, Go, Java, Scala, or Rust; familiarity with Python, or C/C++ a plus
  • Experience with NoSQL and SQL databases (Postgres, Cassandra, MongoDB, Redis, DynamoDB, etc.)
  • Experience with graph databases (Neptune, Neo4J, etc.)
  • Cloud experience (AWS, GCP, Azure, or similar)
  • Familiarity with edge-to-cloud and multi-cloud/hybrid environments
  • Exposure to AI/ML data pipelines, large-scale analytics platforms, and AI-assisted developer tooling
  • Knowledge of enterprise security frameworks and compliance standards (SOC2, ISO, GDPR) is a plus


At Proofpoint, we believe that an exceptional career experience includes a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Here are just a few reasons you'll love working with us:

  • Competitive compensation
  • Comprehensive benefits
  • Career success on your terms
  • Flexible work environment
  • Annual wellness and community outreach days
  • Always on recognition for your contributions
  • Global collaboration and networking opportunities


Our culture is rooted in values that inspire belonging, empower purpose and drive success-every day, for everyone.

How to Apply

Interested? Submit your application along with any supporting information- we can't wait to hear from you!

Consistent with Proofpoint values and applicable law, we provide the following information to promote pay transparency and equity. Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several U.S. geographic markets, and we pay differently based on those defined markets as set out below. Pay within these ranges varies and depends on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The actual offer will be based on the individual candidate. The range provided may represent a candidate range and may not reflect the full range for an individual tenured employee. This role may be eligible for variable compensation and/or equity. We offer a competitive benefits package, including flexible time off, a comprehensive well-being program with two paid Wellbeing Days and two paid Volunteer Days per year, plus a three-week Work from Anywhere option.

Base Pay Ranges:

SF Bay Area, New York City Metro Area:
Base Pay Range: 200,300.00 - 293,810.00 USD

California (excludes SF Bay Area), Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Washington DC Metro, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, Washington, Virginia, and Alaska:
Base Pay Range: 167,300.00 - 245,355.00 USD

All other cities and states excluding those listed above:
Base Pay Range: 152,900.00 - 224,235.00 USD

About Proofpoint

Proofpoint is a cybersecurity company that provides cloud-based solutions for threat protection, compliance, governance, and secure communication. The company's products include email security, advanced threat protection, information protection, digital risk protection, and compliance and archiving. Proofpoint serves customers in various industries, including healthcare, financial services, government, and education. The company was founded in 2002 and is headquartered in Campbell, California.
Learn more about Proofpoint
Size
3,658 employees
Market Cap
$10 billion
Industry
Net Income
-$163.8 million
Founded
2002
5 Year Trend
+31.7%
Revenue
$1 billion
NASDAQ

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