Staff Software Development Engineer

As a Staff Software Development Engineer (Staff SDE), you will play a key technical leadership role — driving architecture, design, and development of complex systems. You’ll partner with engineering leadership and cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality software while mentoring and guiding other engineers.

This is a hands-on role requiring deep technical expertise, system-level thinking, and a passion for solving hard problems at scale.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and development of large-scale, distributed systems or mission-critical components
• Set technical direction and establish best practices for architecture, coding, testing, and deployment
• Collaborate with Product, QA, and other teams to drive high-impact projects from concept to completion
• Break down complex problems, propose solutions, and make sound engineering trade-offs
• Review code, mentor engineers, and promote engineering excellence across the team
• Continuously improve system performance, reliability, and maintainability
• Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies, bringing fresh ideas to the team

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field
• 5+ years of software development experience with a proven track record of technical leadership
• Backend Development: Strong foundation in backend engineering principles, including API design, performance optimization, and observability
• Strong system design and architecture skills for scalable, high-performance systems
• Deep understanding of algorithms, data structures, design patterns, and distributed systems
• Experience with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and modern development practices (CI/CD, Docker, Kubernetes)
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills
• Passion for mentoring and growing other engineers
• Expert-level coding skills in Golang, Python, Rust, Java will be plus

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience in Networking, SaaS, Storage Systems, Data analysis etc.]
• Experience leading cross-team or multi-year technical projects
• Contributions to open-source projects or technical publications

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $166,100-$214,900. Fortinet offers employees a variety of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, 401(k), 11 paid holidays, vacation time, and sick time as well as a comprehensive leave program.

Wage ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, and job level. Exact salary offers will be determined by factors such as the candidate's subject knowledge, skill level, qualifications, experience, and geographic location.

All roles are eligible to participate in the Fortinet equity program, Bonus eligibility is reviewed at time of hire and annually at the Company’s discretion.

Why Join Us:
We encourage candidates from all backgrounds and identities to apply. We offer a supportive work environment and a competitive Total Rewards package to support you with your overall health and financial well-being. Embark on a challenging, enjoyable, and rewarding career journey with Fortinet. Join us in bringing solutions that make a meaningful and lasting impact to our 660,000+ customers around the globe.