Security Software Engineer (L6), Security Protocols & Foundations

At Netflix, our mission is to entertain the world. Together, we are writing the next episode - pushing the boundaries of storytelling, global fandom and making the unimaginable a reality. We are a dream team obsessed with the uncomfortable excitement of discovering what happens when you merge creativity, intuition and cutting-edge technology. Come be a part of what’s next.

Open Connect (OC) is a critical group within Netflix that builds and manages a content delivery network (CDN) that delivers all of Netflix’s streaming video. In addition to streaming video, we work on projects within Netflix that leverage physical infrastructure, such as our Cloud Games and Live initiatives. According to a 2023 Sandvine report, data delivered by OC accounts for approximately 15% of all downstream traffic volume across the entire internet. Most of this traffic is delivered by our edge cache servers.
 

A small team of talented software engineers develops and maintains the software that runs on OC edge appliances. Because of the critical role of these appliances for Netflix and the Internet, they have to be both efficient and secure. As we scale Live and Cloud Games, the protocols and appliances that deliver our content across the open internet need security designed and built in as foundational primitives, without compromising our industry-leading efficiency and economics.

We are looking for a Security Software Engineer to own protocol and foundational security for the OC edge appliances, with the opportunity to directly impact a critical area of the business.

In this role, you will:

• Design and build security primitives that are necessary for existing and innovative new streaming protocols for large scale content delivery.

• Partner with business and product stakeholders to translate their goals into security requirements and technical design and implementation.

• Develop and own a consolidated set of application security primitives used across our delivery paths, built once rather than separately per application, extending and going beyond what libraries like OpenSSL provide.

• Optimize the crypto and transport security layers on OC appliances for performance and resource efficiency.

• Develop primitives and mitigations for host-side DoS resilience, including kernel integration to throttle abusive traffic, partnering with adjacent teams for end-to-end protection of our infrastructure.

• Conduct vulnerability research and mitigation for application and protocol-level vulnerabilities across the OC platform.

• Serve as the security owner for OC's protocols and cryptographic foundations and as a liaison with partner organizations, staying ahead of the industry through engagement with key cryptography and security communities.

• Demonstrate versatility by learning and adapting to new architectures and features as they evolve.

Qualifications:

• Proven track record of architecting and implementing security features that meaningfully improve system security.

• Deep, hands-on expertise in applied cryptography and security protocols and techniques (TLS, DTLS, QUIC, signatures, key management, AEAD).

• Experience with design, development, and deployment of end-to-end security controls, from architecture through production.

• Success at partnering with others to improve the security posture through cross-functional changes.

You will be successful in this role if you:

• Have the ability to define and self-manage cross-functional projects fueled by ambiguous questions.

• Able to collaborate with business and product stakeholders to translate their goals into security requirements and technical design and implementation.

• Are a self-starter, curious and not afraid to ask when in doubt.

• Are a quick learner and excited about learning new technologies.

• Advocate thoughtful collaboration, take pride in your work and enjoy taking full ownership of projects from conception to production.

Nice to have:

• Experience designing DoS / resource-exhaustion mitigations for high-scale services.

• Contributions to OpenSSL or similar crypto libraries, or to security protocol standards.

• Active participation in IETF, Crypto Forum Research Group (CFRG), or Real World Crypto.

• Experience securing live streaming or media delivery protocols.

• Experience working on highly distributed systems and fuzzing complex systems.

• Experience securing FreeBSD and Linux.

• Experience with C, Golang, Python.

Be sure to review our culture page to learn more about the unique Netflix culture and the opportunity to be part of our team.

 

Generally, our compensation structure consists solely of an annual salary; we do not have bonuses. You choose each year how much of your compensation you want in salary versus stock options. To determine your personal top of market compensation, we rely on market indicators and consider your specific job family, background, skills, and experience to determine your compensation in the market range. The range for this role is $499,000.00 - $900,000.00. This compensation range will vary based on location.

Netflix provides comprehensive benefits including Health Plans, Mental Health support, a 401(k) Retirement Plan with employer match, Stock Option Program, Disability Programs, Health Savings and Flexible Spending Accounts, Family-forming benefits, and Life and Serious Injury Benefits. We also offer paid leave of absence programs. Full-time hourly employees accrue 35 days annually for paid time off to be used for vacation, holidays, and sick paid time off. Full-time salaried employees are immediately entitled to flexible time off. See more details about our Benefits here.

Netflix is a unique culture and environment. Learn more here.

Inclusion is a Netflix value and we strive to host a meaningful interview experience for all candidates. If you want an accommodation/adjustment for a disability or any other reason during the hiring process, please send a request to your recruiting partner.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and celebrate diversity, recognizing that diversity builds stronger teams. We approach diversity and inclusion seriously and thoughtfully. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, ancestry, national origin, caste, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, age, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic makeup, marital status, or military service.

Job is open for no less than 7 days and will be removed when the position is filled.