Principal Software Engineer – Sensor, Telemetry & Observability (Hybrid)

As a global leader in cybersecurity, CrowdStrike protects the people, processes and technologies that drive modern organizations. Since 2011, our mission hasn’t changed — we’re here to stop breaches, and we’ve redefined modern security with the world’s most advanced AI-native platform. We work on large scale distributed systems, processing almost 3 trillion events per day and this traffic is growing daily. Our customers span all industries, and they count on CrowdStrike to keep their businesses running, their communities safe and their lives moving forward. We're proud to work for a mission-driven company leveraging AI to transform the way we work. CrowdStrikers drive their careers through flexibility and autonomy while also being expected to contribute to a culture of responsible AI adoption, experimentation, and innovation. We use an AI-first mindset as a force multiplier to proactively and continuously accelerate execution, build expertise, uncover insights, and solve complex problems. We’re always looking to add talented CrowdStrikers to the team who have limitless passion, a relentless focus on innovation and a fanatical commitment to our customers, our community and each other. Ready to join a mission that matters? The future of cybersecurity starts with you. About the Role : CrowdStrike Falcon protects customers with a lightweight endpoint sensor that observes system activity, blocks malicious behavior, and streams telemetry to the Falcon cloud for correlation across the fleet. Reliable telemetry is what makes all of this possible. This is a Principal Software Engineer role and the senior technical architect for sensor telemetry and observability. You will own the architecture and direction for how the sensor collects, transports, and surfaces reliability data end-to-end — from the on-endpoint collection SDK through cloud ingestion and analytics — across Windows, macOS, and Linux. This is a builder's role with significant greenfield scope and broad technical influence across the sensor organization. What You'll Do: Own the architecture and technical strategy for a unified telemetry and observability platform, from endpoint collection SDK to cloud ingestion, decode, and analytics. Design for the realities of the endpoint: crash-survivable in-memory telemetry, resource-constrained collection, priority stream separation, and performance-sensitive paths. Drive structured logging and data governance — type safety, PII auditability, and privacy compliance for telemetry collected at scale. Evolve the platform without breaking existing consumers, and serve as the connective technical authority for telemetry across multiple teams. Own designs from concept through shipped code, on-endpoint and in-cloud, with cross-platform deliverables. Lead, mentor, and raise the technical bar across a distributed engineering team. What You'll Need: Deep, hands-on experience architecting at-scale telemetry, observability, or crash-reporting platforms end-to-end — agent SDK through cloud ingestion and analytics — with systems you designed running in production. Strong low-level and systems engineering in C/C++, with a track record of performance-sensitive, resource-constrained design. Experience with structured logging, telemetry data governance, and privacy/PII handling at scale. A record of shipping and evolving platforms without breaking consumers, and of influencing technical direction across teams. Strong debugging fundamentals: crashes, memory issues, contention, and system performance. Ability to lead, mentor, and collaborate in a distributed team. Proven experience utilizing AI technologies to enhance decision-making, streamline workflows and processes, improve efficiency and drive business outcomes. Bonus Points: Scalable, lightweight, high-performance systems and OS internals across more than one platform. OS-level performance and diagnostic instrumentation (e.g., ETW, PMU/hardware telemetry). Data lake and analytics stacks (KQL, SQL, Snowflake) and Go-based cloud services. Endpoint security domain knowledge; comfort in an Agile, frequently-shipping team. #LI-CW1 Benefits of Working at CrowdStrike: Market leader in compensation and equity awards Comprehensive physical and mental wellness programs Competitive vacation and holidays for recharge Paid parental and adoption leaves Professional development opportunities for all employees regardless of level or role Employee Networks, geographic neighborhood groups, and volunteer opportunities to build connections Vibrant office culture with world class amenities Great Place to Work Certified™ across the globe CrowdStrike is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging where everyone is valued for who they are and empowered to succeed. We support veterans and individuals with disabilities through our affirmative action program. CrowdStrike is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy or pregnancy-related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, veteran status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, or any other characteristic protected by law. We base all employment decisions--including recruitment, selection, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, promotions, transfers, lay-offs, return from lay-off, terminations and social/recreational programs--on valid job requirements. If you need assistance accessing or reviewing the information on this website or need help submitting an application for employment or requesting an accommodation, please contact us at recruiting@crowdstrike.com for further assistance. Find out more about your rights as an applicant. CrowdStrike participates in the E-Verify program. Notice of E-Verify Participation Right to Work CrowdStrike, Inc. is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Placement within the pay range is dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications, job level, supervisory status, and location. The base salary range for this position for all U.S. candidates is $195,000 - $290,000 per year, with eligibility for bonuses, equity grants and a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance, 401k and paid time off. For detailed information about the U.S. benefits package, please click here .