SonicWall is a cybersecurity forerunner with more than 30 years of expertise and is recognized as a leading partner-first company, ensuring our partners and their customers are never alone in the fight against cybercrime. With the ability to build, scale and manage security across the cloud, hybrid and traditional environments in real-time, SonicWall provides relentless security against the most evasive cyberattacks across endless exposure points for increasingly remote, mobile and cloud-enabled users. With its own threat research center, SonicWall can quickly and economically provide purpose-built security solutions to enable any organization—enterprise, government agencies and SMBs—around the world. For more information, visit www.sonicwall.com or follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
About the Role
SonicWall is looking for a Principal Software Engineer to own the technical direction and hands-on development of our Content Filtering Service (CFS) server platform — a high-throughput, multi-threaded C++17 system that SonicWall firewalls worldwide rely on in real time to categorize URLs and enforce content filtering policies.
This is a heavily hands-on role. You will write and own production code daily, set technical direction, drive the roadmap, and mentor senior engineers — all while remaining deeply involved in the code itself. You will also be the primary bridge between the India-based engineering team and US-based management, requiring strong communication and the ability to work effectively across time zones.
Responsibilities
- Write, review, and own production C++ code across the server platform: the URL rating server, the cloud categorization relay server, and the shared common libraries.
- Drive security hardening of the binary UDP protocol, including encryption key management and protocol integrity.
- Continuously improve code quality: modernize memory ownership patterns, improve concurrency safety, and reduce technical debt.
- Set coding standards, conduct code reviews, and provide technical mentorship to the Senior Engineers on the team.
- Build and maintain comprehensive architecture documentation and design knowledge across the platform.
- Establish and drive an automated testing strategy, including C++ unit testing frameworks and integration test standards.
- Identify and prioritize technical debt and drive a realistic roadmap to address it.
- Oversee GitLab CI/CD pipelines, DEB/RPM packaging, and production deployment processes.
- Maintain platform-wide awareness to contribute to architecture decisions spanning the server, firewall client, and web platform.
- Work closely with US-based engineering and management to communicate project status, priorities, and risks clearly and proactively.
Requirements
- Expert-level C++17: move semantics, smart pointers, concurrency primitives (std::shared_mutex, std::atomic), RAII, and performance-sensitive systems code.
- Strong Linux systems programming: POSIX threads, epoll-based I/O multiplexing, and high-throughput UDP socket programming.
- Experience with high-throughput server design: thread pool patterns, cache architecture, lock-free data paths, and performance benchmarking.
- Applied cryptography: symmetric encryption (AES-CBC), key management, and integrity checks.
- Familiarity with CMake-based build systems, Linux packaging (DEB/RPM), and GitLab CI/CD pipelines.
- Comfortable taking ownership of a complex, production codebase and driving it forward independently.
- Excellent written English for asynchronous collaboration with a US-based team.
Nice to have:
- Experience with binary protocol design (TLV framing, protocol versioning, wire compatibility).
- Knowledge of DNS protocol internals.
- Experience with RabbitMQ or AMQP from a C++ client perspective.
- Background in network security, UTM appliances, or content filtering products.
- Experience integrating closed-source third-party SDKs into a CMake build.
Education & Experience
- At least 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor's degree; or 8 years with a Master's degree; or a PhD with 6 years' experience; or equivalent experience preferred. Degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field preferred.
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SonicWall is an equal opportunity employer.
We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
At SonicWall, we pride ourselves on recruiting a diverse mix of talented people and providing active security solutions in 100+ countries.
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Skills Required
- Expert-level C++17 (move semantics, smart pointers, RAII, concurrency primitives)
- Strong Linux systems programming (POSIX threads, epoll-based I/O multiplexing)
- High-throughput UDP socket programming and server design (thread pools, lock-free paths, performance benchmarking)
- Applied cryptography experience (symmetric encryption such as AES-CBC, key management, integrity checks)
- Familiarity with CMake-based build systems
- Experience with Linux packaging (DEB/RPM) and production deployment processes
- Experience managing and maintaining GitLab CI/CD pipelines
- Ability to own complex production codebases, set technical direction, and mentor senior engineers
- Excellent written English for asynchronous collaboration with US-based team
- Minimum experience: ~10 years with Bachelor's (or 8 years with Master's, or PhD with 6 years, or equivalent)
- Binary protocol design (TLV framing, protocol versioning, wire compatibility)
- Knowledge of DNS protocol internals
- Experience with RabbitMQ or AMQP from a C++ client perspective
- Background in network security, UTM appliances, or content filtering products
- Experience integrating closed-source third-party SDKs into a CMake build
SonicWall Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about SonicWall and has not been reviewed or approved by SonicWall.
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Healthcare Strength — Health, dental, vision, mental-health support, and wellness programs are part of the package. Feedback suggests coverage breadth is a dependable component of total rewards.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Generous PTO, paid holidays and sick time, and bereavement leave are described alongside flexible or remote options. Feedback suggests ample time away meaningfully supports balance.
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Retirement Support — A 401(k) and core financial protections such as life and disability insurance are included. Feedback suggests these fundamentals meet standard expectations for many.
SonicWall Insights
What We Do
SonicWall has been fighting the cyber-criminal industry for over 25 years defending small, medium-size businesses and enterprises worldwide. Backed by research from the Global Response Intelligent Defense (GRID) Threat Network, our award-winning real-time breach detection and prevention solutions, coupled with the formidable resources of over 10,000 loyal channel partners around the globe, are the backbone securing more than a million business and mobile networks and their emails, applications and data. This combination of products and partners has enabled a real-time cyber defense solution tuned to the specific needs of the more than 500,000 global businesses in more than 215 countries and territories.
