Principal Software Engineer, Snyk Code (SAST)

Job Summary

As a Principal Software Engineer on the Snyk Code team, you will be responsible for driving our technical future, tackling our most difficult and strategic challenges in static analysis. This role is centered on advancing the quality and accuracy of our SAST analysis, with a deep focus on the program analysis, corresponding rules, and data-driven feedback systems that power our engine. Your leadership will be instrumental in designing and evolving the foundational systems that allow us to scale our analysis in the new era of AI-assisted development, ensuring Snyk remains the trusted leader in developer security.

Opportunity & Impact

This is a defining role at the intersection of Program Analysis, Machine Learning, and Application Security. You will have the authority and autonomy to solve our most complex technical problems, directly influencing Snyk’s long-term direction. You will not just contribute to our systems; you will invent them, creating the feedback loops and data-driven architecture that form the basis of our core technology. You will work across teams and groups, shaping the technical direction of Snyk Code and mentoring our next generation of senior technical leaders. This is an opportunity to leave a lasting mark on the future of code security and solve problems that have a direct and massive impact on our customers and the industry.

Role Responsibilities

• Set Technical Vision: Define and champion the long-term (12-24 month) technical roadmap for Snyk Code's program analysis capabilities. Identify and prioritize the foundational investments needed to maintain our industry-leading performance and scale for an AI-driven world.
• Advance Analysis Quality: Architect and lead the development of the core systems that drive the continuous improvement of our SAST analysis. Design the data pipelines, feedback mechanisms, and automated testing frameworks required to systematically measure and enhance the accuracy, coverage, and performance of our analysis engine.
• Solve the Hardest Problems: Tackle the most complex, ambiguous, and cross-cutting technical challenges in program analysis. This includes designing novel techniques for analyzing new languages and frameworks, ensuring the reliability of our findings at scale, and building systems that are resilient to the explosion in code volume.
• Lead Through Influence: Drive technical consensus across multiple engineering teams and groups. Author the critical design documents and RFCs that align the organization on a coherent technical strategy. Your technical leadership will be crucial in unifying efforts towards common, extensible solutions.
• Hands-On Technical Contribution: Remain deeply hands-on, making critical contributions in code, design, and debugging our most challenging problems. You are the expert others turn to for guidance and the person who can dive in to unblock the most critical projects.
• Mentor and Elevate: Act as a key mentor and force-multiplier for senior engineers across the division. Share your expertise, foster a culture of technical excellence, and build the next generation of technical leadership at Snyk.

Qualifications & Required Skills

• Education & Experience:
• At least 10 years of commercial software engineering experience, with a proven track record of leading the design and delivery of large-scale, complex, and ambiguous technical projects.
• Extensive experience as a technical leader, setting the technical direction for a significant product area or multiple services.
• A deep and demonstrable background in Computer Science. A PhD or MSc in a relevant field such as Programming Languages, Compilers, Machine Learning, Application Security, or Static Analysis is a strong asset.
• Required Skills:
• World-class expertise in at least one of the following domains: static program analysis, application security, or applied machine learning for code. This is complemented by a deep, practical understanding of compiler theory, language design, and data-driven systems.
• Proven ability to design, build, and evolve highly complex, distributed systems, particularly those involving rule engines, large-scale data processing, or compiler/interpreter technology.
• Mastery of one or more core programming languages (e.g., Go, Python, Java, C++, Rust) and the ability to quickly become proficient in new technologies.
• Exceptional ability to lead through influence, with outstanding written and verbal communication skills demonstrated through a history of impactful design documents, RFCs, and presentations.
• A strategic, scalable approach to building systems, with a relentless focus on automation, reliability, performance, and operational excellence.
• A history of successfully mentoring and growing senior engineers.

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