Staff Software Engineer - K9 Security
WFA Digital Insight
As the remote job market continues to evolve, demand for skilled software engineers with expertise in Linux environments and eBPF has grown significantly. With a 25% increase in cloud security investments in 2025, companies like Datadog are at the forefront of innovation. This role stands out for its focus on security capabilities and the opportunity to influence technical direction across multiple product teams. Candidates should be prepared to showcase their technical leadership and experience in building and maintaining production software. Before applying, consider highlighting your skills in Linux internals, kernel APIs, and systems programming, as well as your ability to drive end-to-end delivery of new features.
Job Description
About the Role
The Staff Software Engineer - K9 Security role is part of Datadog's Security Agent team, responsible for powering critical security capabilities across various products. As a technical leader, you will be instrumental in shaping the future of Datadog's security platform. Your day-to-day responsibilities will involve leading the design and development of low-level Linux instrumentation and runtime security technologies.The Security Agent team is a hub of innovation, with a focus on delivering high-quality solutions that meet the evolving needs of customers. As a key member of this team, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including product, security, infrastructure, and engineering.
What You Will Do
- Lead the architecture and development of security agent capabilities that power runtime threat detection and workload protection across Datadog Security products
- Design and build reusable eBPF-based monitoring functionality for process, file, and network visibility within Linux environments
- Drive end-to-end delivery of new features, from technical strategy and design through implementation, testing, and rollout
- Establish and evolve testing methodologies that improve platform coverage, detection quality, reliability, and performance
- Partner with product, security, infrastructure, and engineering teams to deliver shared platform capabilities used across multiple Datadog products
- Provide technical leadership by influencing engineering direction, mentoring peers, and helping resolve complex cross-functional challenges
- Collaborate with the engineering team to identify and prioritize areas for improvement
- Develop and maintain technical documentation for internal and external stakeholders
- Participate in code reviews and ensure high-quality code standards
What We Are Looking For
- Significant experience building software in Linux environments, including knowledge of Linux internals, kernel APIs, or systems programming
- Hands-on experience with eBPF, kernel-level instrumentation, driver development, networking systems, agent development, or related low-level technologies
- Experience building and running systems where performance and reliability actually matter
- Experience building and maintaining production software across diverse Linux distributions and kernel versions
- Product-minded and customer-focused approach, balancing technical excellence with customer impact and usability
- Demonstrated technical leadership, influencing architecture and execution across teams while communicating effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Strong problem-solving skills and ability to debug complex issues
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills
Nice to Have
- Experience with security technologies, such as threat detection, vulnerability management, or cloud security
- Familiarity with DevOps practices and tools, such as CI/CD pipelines and containerization
- Knowledge of programming languages, such as Python, C++, or Java
- Experience with agile development methodologies and version control systems
Benefits and Perks
- Competitive salary and benefits package
- New hire stock equity (RSUs) and employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)
- Continuous professional development, product training, and career pathing
- Intradepartmental mentor and buddy program for in-house networking
- An inclusive company culture, ability to join our Community Guilds (Datadog employee resource groups)
- Flexible working hours and remote work options
- Access to cutting-edge technologies and tools
- Opportunity to work on high-impact projects and contribute to the growth of the company
How to Stand Out
- Highlight your experience with eBPF, kernel-level instrumentation, and Linux internals in your resume and cover letter
- Prepare to discuss your approach to technical leadership and how you've influenced engineering direction in previous roles
- Showcase your problem-solving skills by walking the interviewer through a complex issue you've debugged in the past
- Emphasize your ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
- Ask about the company culture and opportunities for growth and professional development during the interview
- Be prepared to provide examples of your experience with agile development methodologies and version control systems
- Research the company's products and services to demonstrate your interest in the role and the industry
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