Backend Engineer, Control Plane

Tailscale delivers software that makes it easy to securely connect people and their devices, helping teams protect their networks and share access to internal tools. Its product serves users ranging from hobbyists to multinational corporations.

• Develop the Tailscale product, contributing to open-source client code and related backend services
• Take ownership of the entire product lifecycle, from writing code to product ideation and strategic decision-making
• Work with UX/UI designers and product managers to shape features
• Design, build, test, and document core software components as part of an engineering team
• Develop features for the control plane, relay infrastructure, and identity integrations
• Build observability into running services, participate in incident response, and handle customer support escalations
• Analyze and improve the efficiency, scalability, and stability of system resources
• Apply a security-first mindset to design and implementation

• Experience with distributed systems
• Experience with Go
• Experience with one or more SQL databases
• Familiarity with networking, including IP addressing and routing
• Ability to give and receive constructive feedback and work independently
• Flexibility to adapt to the dynamic nature of a startup
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Competitive total compensation package, including base salary, an equity incentive plan, and variable commission for quota-based roles
• Comprehensive group health, vision, and dental benefits for employees and their families, with no waiting period
• Employer-funded retirement contributions matched dollar-for-dollar, up to 0.75% of eligible compensation annually
• $1,500 USD annually for professional development; mentorship, coaching, and internal promotion opportunities
• Flexible paid time off
• Company-owned laptop (Mac or PC), monthly home internet reimbursement, and $500 USD for workstation setup
• Paid parental leave top-ups: 20 weeks for birthing parents and 16 weeks for non-birthing parents