Sr. Engineer II, Sensor - Sensor Performance Engineering (Cybersecurity)

TL;DR

Sr. Engineer II, Sensor - Sensor Performance Engineering (Windows Kernel): Developing and optimizing the performance of the Falcon sensor on Windows with an accent on kernel-mode internals and ETW/WPA trace analysis. Focus on solving complex performance bottlenecks, implementing diagnostic instrumentation, and ensuring minimal system impact for enterprise customers.

Location: Hybrid, requiring 2x days per week on-site in Sunnyvale, CA, USA

Salary: $160,000 - $250,000 per year

Company

Global leader in cybersecurity protecting organizations with an AI-native platform designed to stop breaches.

What you will do

• Own deep-dive performance analysis of the Falcon sensor on Windows, from initial triage through root cause to shipped fix.
• Drive development and improvement of ETW-based diagnostic instrumentation and WPP providers to increase code path visibility.
• Perform WPA/ETL analysis for customer support cases and internal benchmarking, including CPU attribution across sensor subsystems.
• Review and author PRs targeting Windows sensor performance improvements, including load image callbacks and registry filter drivers.
• Identify sensor observability gaps and push for new tooling to close them.

Requirements

• 10+ years of hands-on Windows kernel-mode development or deep Windows systems engineering.
• Expert-level proficiency with Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA), xperf, ETW/WPP tracing, and ETL file analysis.
• Strong working knowledge of Windows kernel APIs related to endpoint security (registry filter manager, process/thread notification callbacks).
• Experience navigating complex multi-process interactions and their cascading effects on application performance.
• Must be based in or able to work hybrid in Sunnyvale, CA.
• Proven experience utilizing AI technologies to enhance decision-making and streamline workflows.

Nice to have

• Background in enterprise performance benchmarking (e.g., SQL Server under load, VDI/AVD multisession, VPN stack interactions).
• Track record of generating architectural ideas and advocating for them in multi-team environments.

Culture & Benefits

• 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 and a vibrant office culture with world-class amenities.