EBPF Principal Developer

About Us:

Proofpoint is a global leader in human- and agent-centric cybersecurity. We protect how people, data, and AI agents connect across email, cloud, and collaboration tools. Over 80 of the Fortune 100, 10,000 large enterprises, and millions of smaller organizations trust Proofpoint to stop threats, prevent data loss, and build resilience across their people and AI workflows. Our mission is simple: safeguard the digital world and empower people to work securely and confidently. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people.

How We Work:

At Proofpoint you’ll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity guided by our BRAVE core values: 

Bold in how we dream and innovate

Responsive to feedback, challenges and opportunities

Accountable for results and best in class outcomes

Visionary in future focused problem-solving

Exceptional in execution and impact

About the role:

We are seeking a highly skilled Principal eBPF Developer to join and support an established engineering team. This role is ideal for an expert in eBPF and Linux

systems programming who can contribute immediately, provide technical leadership, and help drive advanced observability, networking, and security

capabilities.

Key Responsibilities:

eBPF Development:

- Design, develop, and optimize eBPF programs for networking, observability, and/or security use cases

- Guide best practices in eBPF development and Linux systems programming

- Work with kernel-level instrumentation, tracing, and performance monitoring

- Ensure efficiency, safety, and scalability of eBPF-based solutions

- Act as a senior technical contributor within an existing team

- Collaborate on the design of systems leveraging eBPF for deep visibility and control

- Help define architecture for data collection, processing, and integration with user-space components

Collaboration:

- Work closely with platform, infrastructure, and security teams

- Assist in troubleshooting complex system-level issues

- Contribute to cross-functional initiatives and technical discussions

Required Qualifications:

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field

- 6+ years of software engineering experience, with strong Linux systems background

- Deep expertise in eBPF, including writing, debugging, and optimizing programs

- Strong knowledge of Linux kernel internals, networking stack, and performance tuning

- Proficiency in C/C++ (for kernel-side work) and familiarity with user-space integrations

- Experience with tools such as BCC, libbpf, bpftrace, or similar frameworks

Preferred Skills:

- Experience with observability platforms, tracing systems, or security monitoring tools

- Familiarity with container environments (Docker, Kubernetes) and cloud-native architectures

- Experience integrating eBPF with Go, Rust, or Python-based systems

- Background in high-performance or distributed systems

Why Proofpoint?

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:

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

We encourage applications from individuals of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. If you need accommodation during the application or interview process, please reach out to accessibility@proofpoint.com.

How to Apply

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