Go Core Client Engineer

About Tailscale

Tailscale is building the new Internet by delivering software that makes it easy to securely interconnect people and their devices, no matter where they are. From hobbyists to multinational corporations, teams of every size use Tailscale each day to protect their networks, share access to internal tools, and more. We're building a future for the Internet that's easy, sensible, and safe, like it used to be. Founded in 2019 and fully distributed, we're backed by Accel, CRV, Insight, Heavybit, and Uncork Capital.

Job Description

We’re hiring a Go Core Client Engineer. This remote role is for an engineer who will design, implement, and operate the Go-based shared client code that powers our product. You’ll work on core client subsystems: connection management, NAT traversal, control connection, encrypted transport, client lifecycle, and cross-platform runtime. You will be expected to ship end-to-end features, and improve reliability, performance, and observability.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, test, and maintain core client features in Go: connection orchestration, reconnection strategies, NAT traversal, encrypted transport lifecycle, and sync logic.
• Ship end-to-end client work: design, implementation, launch, and observability (metrics, logs, traces).
• Diagnose and reduce client performance and reliability issues.
• Collaborate closely with product, per-platform clients, and platform teams.
• Champion engineering excellence by driving code quality, architectural reviews, and design documentation.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to other engineers, fostering a culture of learning and knowledge sharing.

What We Are Looking For

The list below captures the skills and experiences we use to evaluate candidates. A strong candidate will typically demonstrate a subset of those items. You don’t need to meet every bullet to be a good fit, and we consider the overall combination of skills, growth potential, and impact.

• Strong production experience writing and shipping Go code (experience with Go is required).
• Experience operating large Go codebases and designing robust client or distributed systems.
• Startup mindset: flexibility to adjust to changing priorities and thrive in an async, remote environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication and the ability to collaborate across product and engineering stakeholders.

Nice to Have

• Experience with concurrency, performance tuning, and debugging.
• Solid networking and systems fundamentals: IP, routing, NATs, TCP/UDP, and TLS.
• Experience with P2P, WireGuard or similar encrypted transports and NAT traversal techniques.

Compensation and Benefits

Tailscale maintains fair and equitable compensation practices. The compensation package includes base salary, equity, and comprehensive benefits. The salary range displayed represents the target range for a new hire's base salary. Individual offers may vary based on experience and skill set.

• US Pay Range: $163,000 - $226,000 USD

What We Offer

• An inclusive, flexible environment where you can be your authentic self. We recognize the impact of diverse voices and backgrounds on the growth of our people, product, and company. Flexibility in how and when you work empowers our team to integrate work and life.
• A competitive total compensation package, including base salary, an equity incentive plan, and variable commission (for quota-based roles).
• Comprehensive group benefits with no waiting period for you and your family.
• Remote-first company: Enjoy a change of scenery wherever you can get Wi-Fi, participate in virtual and in-person social events, and leverage our corporate co-working program.
• Connect with other Tailscalars IRL through our annual company retreat, team off-sites, and collaboration opportunities.
• Support for your personal and professional development, including $1500 USD annually for professional development, mentorship, coaching, and internal promotion opportunities.
• Paid time off and a healthy work-life integration.
• A build-your-own home office setup with a company-owned laptop, monthly home internet reimbursement, and $1000 USD for workstation customization.
• Generous parental leave program from your first day, with parental leave top-ups for up to 26 weeks.

Accessibility and Inclusion

Tailscale is committed to providing an accessible and inclusive hiring process. If you require an accommodation at any stage of the recruitment process or related to any aspect of this role, please contact your recruiter.

Hiring Process Note

Our hiring process uses AI-assisted tools to help screen and assess candidates. All hiring decisions are made by people.

Please be aware that legitimate emails from Tailscale's talent team will only originate from @tailscale.com, @greenhouse.io, and @interviews.modernloop.io email addresses. For more information about protecting yourself from impersonators and scams, please visit https://tailscale.com/scam-awareness.