Senior Software Engineer - Linux Kernel/eBPF
About The Position
Cloud Network Monitoring (CNM) provides visibility into network traffic between services, containers, availability zones, and other tags in Datadog. The core responsibility is tracking network flows on the host using eBPF, ensuring deep visibility into network health and signals across various Linux distributions and kernel versions. Datadog is heavily investing in Network Monitoring for comprehensive Layer 1 to Layer 7 visibility. The Cloud Network Monitoring team develops the agent-side instrumentation using eBPF programs to capture kernel-level network activity at scale. Key challenges include handling high volumes of network data and kernel events while maintaining a minimal footprint on the customer's host, balancing exhaustive observability with performance. In this role, you will work at the intersection of eBPF, the Linux kernel, and network infrastructure, contributing to Network Monitoring capabilities within the Datadog Agent, investigating production incidents, improving reliability, and shaping the architecture of a widely deployed eBPF solution. Datadog operates as a hybrid workplace, valuing office culture, relationships, collaboration, and creativity, while ensuring work-life harmony.
Requirements
- Deep technical experience in Linux kernel development, whether through eBPF, core kernel contributions, or engineering low-level systems in C
- Robust understanding of fundamental network protocols, including TCP and UDP
- Proven track record of architecting and building high-throughput, low-latency infrastructure
- 5+ years of experience engineering complex applications and tooling, with the ability to reason about systems in depth
- Prioritize solving customer-facing problems by building elegant, high-impact products that users love
- Thrive in fast-paced environments, taking full ownership of initiatives and driving them to resolution with minimal guidance
- Genuinely enjoy tackling hard technical problems and feel energized by navigating complex challenges across the full stack
- Collaborate effectively within a team-oriented environment to achieve shared goals
Responsibilities
- Contribute to the end-to-end development of Network Monitoring features, from ideation to implementation within the Datadog Agent
- Build and maintain shared eBPF functionality for product teams to use in their eBPF-based products
- Investigate and debug complex production issues that span the kernel, eBPF programs, and agent runtime
- Research, prototype, develop, and document solutions to hard problems in the eBPF and network monitoring space
- Provide technical input to product and architecture decisions
Benefits
- New hire stock equity (RSUs)
- Employee stock purchase plan (ESPP)
- Continuous professional development
- Product training
- Career pathing
- Intra-departmental mentor and buddy program for in-house networking
- An inclusive company culture
- Ability to join our Community Guilds
- Access to Inclusion Talks, our Internal panel discussions
- Free, global Spring Health benefits for employees and dependents age 6+
- Competitive global benefits
- Healthcare
- Dental
- Parental planning
- Mental health benefits
- 401(k) plan and match
- Paid time off
- Fitness reimbursements
- Discounted employee stock purchase plan
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
