Software Engineer, Systems

Smallstep​ is building an open source identity authority plus toolchain - called ​step​ - that lets software teams securely connect and operate apps running across clouds, containers, serverless, and connected devices. We believe the only way to successfully secure cloud-native computing is to move past perimeter security using world-class PKI (certificates) and mutual TLS.

Smallstep is a nimble deep-tech startup of seasoned experts in San Francisco. We are looking to add a systems software engineer to join our small engineering team working remotely. You’ll be responsible for building out features for smallstep’s identity authority (APIs, CLI, & SDKs) as well as tighter integrations into traditional platforms and the rapidly emerging cloud-native ecosystem with the goal to bring the myriad benefits of PKI & mTLS to a broader audience.

You are a great engineer

• You feel comfortable building software infrastructure & integrations
• You have an prior experience with cryptography & protocols (X.509, OAuth, JWT, HTTPS/TLS, etc) and operations of non-trivial distributed systems
• You have experience with Golang, C/C++, or similar languages
• You have spent 7+ years shipping software in professional environments and have prior experience working remotely
• You have built and optimized systems in virtualized / containerized environments running in Docker, Mesos, or Kubernetes using service meshes, such as Linkerd, Istio, or Envoy

You want to join a tight-knit team

• You love open source software and communities
• You believe distributed systems deserve great security out-of-the-box
• You want to be part of the paradigm shift to move past network perimeter security
• You are collaborative, low-ego, and results-driven
• You like making impactful contributions but also enjoy helping others do the same
• You want to work with founders in a fast-growing startup with excellent investors
• Interest or passion to evangelize through speaking & writing (nice to have)

At smallstep, we work reasonable, flexible hours. We look for people who are thoughtful, can break down problems, and often work individually. You are trusted to work on your own and to ask for help when blocked. As an early stage startup, smallstep teams get the benefit of working across many areas and contributing directly to the success of the organization. smallstep is a two-year-old well-funded startup backed by Accel, boldstart.vc and upside partnership.