Backend Engineer, Control Plane - Tailscale

About Tailscale

Tailscale is making safe connection effortless 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 seeking a skilled and diligent full-time Software Engineer to join our growing Control Plane Team. You will work as part of the engineering team to:

• Develop the Tailscale product, contributing to both 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 closely with UX/UI designers and product managers to shape features

Because we’re an early-stage and fully remote company, we’re looking for a strongly motivated individual who can help move the product forward at crucial intersections of the technology and organization: in this case, the control plane and the various services it comprises and supports. The ability to think on your feet, collaborate with highly technical teams, and comfort working asynchronously are essential.

Key Responsibilities

• Work as part of a team of engineers to design, build, test, and document core software components.
• Develop product features in areas that include our control plane, our relay infrastructure, and our identity integrations.
• Exhibit ownership over the running services that comprise Tailscale’s product by building for observability, participating in incident response, and fielding customer support escalations.
• Analyze and improve efficiency, scalability, and stability of various system resources.
• Bring a security-first mindset to both design and implementation.

What We Are Looking For

• Experience with distributed systems
• Experience with the Go programming language
• Experience with one or more SQL databases
• Familiarity with networking (IP addressing, routing, etc.)
• Ability to give and process constructive feedback, as well as work independently
• Flexibility to adjust to the dynamic nature of a startup
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

What We Offer

• Inclusive & Flexible Environment: High-autonomy culture that empowers you to integrate work and life.
• Compensation & Equity: Competitive base salary plus an equity incentive plan.
• Health Coverage: Comprehensive group benefits with no waiting period for health, vision, dental, and more for you and your family.
• Remote-First Work & Coworking: Work remotely with access to a corporate co-working membership (WeWork and similar spaces).
• Retirement Matching: Dollar-for-dollar match up to 0.75% of eligible compensation.
• Team Gatherings: Annual company retreat and team off-sites across North America, Europe, and Asia.
• Professional Growth: $1,500 USD annual professional development budget, plus internal mentorship and coaching.
• Flexible Time Off: Generous paid time off to recharge and manage life events.
• Home Office Setup: Choice of laptop (Mac or PC), monthly home internet reimbursement, and a $500 USD workstation setup stipend.
• Parental Leave: 20 weeks for birthing parents and 16 weeks for non-birthing parents.