Senior Principal Architect - Firewall / Network Security

Role Overview: As a Software Architect at SonicWall, you will be responsible for defining, designing, and guiding the development of the next-generation Firewall and Network Security platform. Your role will involve shaping the technical direction, architecture, and scalability of core product components, such as the data plane, control plane, and management layers. To excel in this position, you must possess a deep understanding of systems software, product development, networking, and performance optimization. Additionally, you will be required to mentor teams and influence design decisions across various modules. Key Responsibilities: - Own the system and component architecture for major subsystems like Data Plane, Control Plane, Policy Engine, and Management/UI. - Design with a focus on scalability, throughput, and reliability in distributed and high-performance systems. - Evaluate and select technologies, frameworks, and algorithms that align with performance and maintainability goals. - Collaborate with other architects and the Director to maintain architectural consistency across the platform. - Translate product and customer requirements into detailed technical designs and interfaces. - Review design documents, APIs, and code for architectural alignment and quality. - Guide engineers in implementing robust, modular, and maintainable code. - Lead performance profiling, debugging, and root-cause analysis of complex system issues. - Establish design patterns, coding standards, and system documentation practices. - Act as a technical advisor to engineering managers and senior engineers during implementation. - Work closely with Product Management to assess the technical feasibility of new features. - Coordinate with QA, DevOps, and Security teams to ensure testability, observability, and release readiness. - Provide support for customer escalations requiring deep technical insight. Required Skills & Experience: - Several years of experience in C/C systems software development. - Strong expertise in network security concepts such as TCP/IP, IPsec, VPN, routing, NAT, and DPI. - Proven track record in designing multi-threaded, high-performance, and low-latency systems. - Deep understanding of OS internals, memory management, concurrency, and networking stacks. - Experience with frameworks like DPDK, Netfilter, or equivalent. - Excellent analytical, debugging, and performance-tuning skills. - Demonstrated ability to create and review detailed design and architecture documents. - Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and roles. SonicWall is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where all qualified applicants are considered without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. SonicWall operates in 100 countries, providing active security solutions and prides itself on recruiting a diverse mix of talented individuals. Role Overview: As a Software Architect at SonicWall, you will be responsible for defining, designing, and guiding the development of the next-generation Firewall and Network Security platform. Your role will involve shaping the technical direction, architecture, and scalability of core product components, such as the data plane, control plane, and management layers. To excel in this position, you must possess a deep understanding of systems software, product development, networking, and performance optimization. Additionally, you will be required to mentor teams and influence design decisions across various modules. Key Responsibilities: - Own the system and component architecture for major subsystems like Data Plane, Control Plane, Policy Engine, and Management/UI. - Design with a focus on scalability, throughput, and reliability in distributed and high-performance systems. - Evaluate and select technologies, frameworks, and algorithms that align with performance and maintainability goals. - Collaborate with other architects and the Director to maintain architectural consistency across the platform. - Translate product and customer requirements into detailed technical designs and interfaces. - Review design documents, APIs, and code for architectural alignment and quality. - Guide engineers in implementing robust, modular, and maintainable code. - Lead performance profiling, debugging, and root-cause analysis of complex system issues. - Establish design patterns, coding standards, and system documentation practices. - Act as a technical advisor to engineering managers and senior engineers during implementation. - Work closely with Product Management to assess the technical feasibility of new features. - Coordinate with QA, DevOps, and Security teams to ensure testability, observability, and release readi