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 also a mission-driven company. We cultivate a culture that gives every CrowdStriker both the flexibility and autonomy to own their careers. 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 is seeking a Principal Engineer to lead the technical strategy and execution of our most transformative infrastructure initiative: the design, architecture, and implementation of OpenStack as a unified platform to innovate in our environments. This role will set the technical direction for our entire data center strategy, impacting over 100,000 compute nodes across a global deployment
As the highest-ranking individual contributor in this domain, you will serve as the architect and technical authority for our on-premises infrastructure transformation, bridging virtualization, storage, and bare metal orchestration disciplines. You will provide strategic technical leadership across multiple engineering teams while remaining deeply hands-on in solving our most complex technical challenges.
What You'll Do:
Define and drive the multi-year technical roadmap for OpenStack deployment, replacing existing infrastructure across our global data center footprint (100,000+ nodes)
Architect end-to-end solutions spanning compute (Nova), storage (Cinder, Swift integration with MinIO and VAST), networking (Neutron), and bare metal provisioning (Ironic)
Establish technical standards and best practices for infrastructure-as-code, automation frameworks, and operational excellence
Lead architectural reviews and provide decisive technical guidance on the most complex infrastructure challenges
Drive technology evaluation and make critical build-vs-buy decisions for platform components
Serve as the definitive technical authority on OpenStack, virtualization, and data center infrastructure strategy
Partner extensively with Virtualization, Object Storage, Systems Engineering, SRE, Hardware Development, and Software Development teams to ensure cohesive platform integration
Collaborate with Product and Engineering leadership to align technical strategy with business objectives
Interface with vendor partners (Canonical, ODM/OEMs, storage vendors) on technology roadmaps and integration strategies
Bridge technical and operational requirements across Development, TechOps, Security, and Compliance teams
Design and implement critical components of the OpenStack platform, including automation tooling, integration layers, and operational frameworks
Develop reference architectures for compute, storage, and network topologies supporting large-scale deployments
What You'll Need:
15+ years of engineering experience in production infrastructure roles
10+ years of hands-on experience with large-scale virtualization platforms in production environments
Deep expertise with OpenStack components (Nova, Neutron, Ironic, Cinder, Keystone, Horizon) at scale (100,000+ nodes)
Proven experience migrating from legacy virtualization platforms to OpenStack or similar cloud platforms
Production operations experience managing mission-critical 24x7 environments at massive scale
Experience leading large-scale technical initiatives spanning multiple teams and organizations
Expert-level knowledge of hypervisor technologies (KVM/QEMU, VMware ESXi, libvirt) and bare metal provisioning systems (Canonical MaaS, Ironic, Foreman)
Strong understanding of data center design including power/cooling, rack topology, and physical infrastructure
Deep knowledge of storage architectures including SAN, NAS, distributed storage (Ceph), and object storage at scale (100+ PB)
Extensive experience with software-defined networking, overlay networks, and network virtualization
Expert-level Linux engineering skills with deep knowledge of kernel optimization, performance tuning, and troubleshooting at scale
Expert-level infrastructure-as-code experience with configuration management and orchestration tools
Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction and drive consensus across stakeholders
Exceptional communication skills with ability to articulate complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
Tech Stack / What You'll Use:
OpenStack (Nova, Neutron, Ironic, Cinder, Keystone, Horizon)
KVM/QEMU, libvirt, VMware ESXi
Canonical MaaS
Python (Pandas, NumPy, SQLAlchemy, Flask/FastAPI)
Go (Golang)
Bash/Shell scripting
PowerShell
Ansible, Chef, Terraform, Salt, Puppet
Docker, Kubernetes
Software-defined networking
S3-compatible object storage
Ceph (distributed storage)
SAN, NAS, NFS, iSCSI
Block and object storage at 100+ PB scale
Prometheus, Grafana, ELK Stack (Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana), Zabbix, OpenTracing
Bonus Points:
Direct experience leading OpenStack migrations or deployments at hyper-scale
Active contributions to OpenStack or other open-source infrastructure projects
Experience with public cloud platforms (AWS, OCI, GCP) and hybrid cloud architectures
Familiarity with OpenStack Kolla, TripleO, or other deployment frameworks
Experience with AI/ML infrastructure requirements and GPU computing platforms
Knowledge of composable infrastructure and disaggregated server architectures
Experience with object storage at exabyte scale
Background in cybersecurity, threat intelligence, or security-focused infrastructure
Deep experience with compliance automation and audit frameworks
Security architecture and zero-trust networking experience
#LI-LY1
#LI-Remote
#HTF
This role will require the candidate to periodically undergo and pass additional background and fingerprint check(s) consistent with government customer requirements.Benefits of Working at CrowdStrike:
Remote-friendly and flexible work culture
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.
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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.
