Principal Engineer - Authentication & Authorization

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:

We are looking for a Principal Engineer to own and drive the technical strategy for CrowdStrike's Authentication Platform. You will be the technical authority defining the architecture and long-term vision for identity and access management systems that secure thousands of enterprise customers globally.

The Auth Platform team is responsible for both internal and external AuthN and AuthZ. The team is a very critical part of CrowdStrike's cloud platform, frequently collaborating with many product groups across the organization. The team builds and extends services that are capable of making 1+ trillion decisions per day — making reliability, scale, and security non-negotiable.

PLEASE NOTE: This role is hybrid, requiring 2-3 days per week on-site at one of the posted locations.

What You'll Do:

• Own and drive the technical strategy and roadmap for the Auth Platform
• Architect and evolve our multi-tenant identity infrastructure supporting MSSP (Managed Security Service Provider) models — including hierarchical tenancy, delegated administration, cross-tenant access patterns, and fine-grained access controls
• Design and scale high-volume authentication systems and extremely high-volume authorization systems capable of handling millions of AuthN and trillions of AuthZ decisions with ultra-low latency and 99.999% (5 nines) availability
• Lead cross-region AuthN/AuthZ architecture ensuring consistent, secure, and performant identity operations across global deployments
• Drive the vision for next-generation authentication systems — including passwordless, continuous authentication, and AI-driven adaptive access controls
• Lead the design of fine-grained access controls including ABAC, ReBAC, and policy engine frameworks
• Define standards for OAuth 2.0, OIDC, SAML, FIDO2/WebAuthn, and token lifecycle management
• Drive Zero Trust and adaptive authentication initiatives
• Mentor senior engineers and elevate the technical bar across the organization
• Partner with Product, Security, and Engineering teams to align on priorities and deliver outcomes

What You'll Need:

• 15+ years of software engineering experience with 6+ years in identity/auth systems
• Deep expertise in multi-tenant SaaS architecture including MSSP or hierarchical tenancy models with fine-grained access controls at scale
• Proven experience building and operating high-volume authentication and extremely high-volume authorization systems — handling millions of AuthN and trillions of AuthZ decisions with ultra-low latency and 99.999% availability
• Experience designing cross-region identity and authorization architectures with strong consistency and failover guarantees
• Experience with both internal (service-to-service, machine identity) and external (user-facing) AuthN/AuthZ systems at hyperscale
• Hands-on experience or strong vision for next-gen auth systems — passwordless, device trust, continuous verification, and AI-driven access policies
• Strong knowledge of ABAC, ReBAC, RBAC and policy engines (OPA, Cedar)
• Proficiency in Go, Python, or Java
• Experience with cloud-native platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and Kubernetes
• Proven ability to own technical strategy and influence across organizations
• Strong communication skills for both technical and executive audiences
• Proven experience utilizing AI technologies to enhance decision-making, streamline workflows and processes, improve efficiency and drive business outcomes.

Bonus Points:

• Experience with Google Zanzibar-style authorization systems
• Prior experience in cybersecurity SaaS or MSSP platform products

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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.

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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.