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Senior Backend Software Engineer

Washington, DC - Remote

About Virtru:

Virtru is a leading data protection provider backed by some of the foremost venture capital firms in Silicon Valley and the Mid-Atlantic region, including Iconiq Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Foundry Capital, and Tiger Global. Today, more than ever, data demands respect, and that’s why Virtru is committed to changing the rules for data privacy. At Virtru, we equip our customers to take granular control of their data—everywhere it’s shared—through end-to-end encryption for Google, Microsoft, and other data sharing platforms. Our market-leading portfolio of data encryption and privacy enhancing applications are remarkably easy to use, fast to implement, affordable for all, and built on the Trusted Data Format (TDF) open standard.

At Virtru, our motto is "Respect the people. Respect the data." Respecting data to us means keeping it secure and protected at all times across its entire lifecycle. We firmly believe that when you respect data, you’re demonstrating respect for the people who own that data.

Working at Virtru, you'll be inspired by colleagues who are passionate about the work they do. We are dedicated to creating an atmosphere that sparks creativity, connection, and professional growth while empowering each other to do our best work. We're building something special at Virtru. We hope you consider joining our team and helping us create a brighter future for data privacy.

Compensation: $155,000-200,000/year 

 

Team & Position Details: 

As a Senior Backend Software Engineer you will be reporting to the Staff Architect 2. You will be a core contributor to our Go-based backend and the open-source OpenTDF project, building the foundational services that power our entire data security platform. This is a hands-on role where you will tackle complex engineering challenges, architecting and implementing solutions that serve a diverse range of enterprise and federal customers.

You will thrive in this role if you are a resilient problem-solver who is comfortable navigating the unique challenges of on-premise, air-gapped, and cloud-native environments. If you are passionate about building robust, secure, and scalable systems and want to make a significant impact on a growing platform, we encourage you to apply.

As a Senior Backend Software Engineer, your responsibilities will include:

  • Design, build, and maintain our core backend platform and services using Go.
  • Contribute directly to the open-source OpenTDF project, shaping its future and ensuring its success.
  • Tackle complex engineering challenges related to data security, scalability, and distributed systems in a multi-language environment.
  • Engineer solutions for complex enterprise and federal customer deployments, including on-premise and air-gapped environments.
  • Collaborate on the architecture and implementation of our multi-language SDKs (Go, Java, JavaScript) to ensure they integrate seamlessly with the backend.
  • Mentor fellow engineers through constructive code reviews, pair programming, design discussions, and knowledge sharing.
  • Develop well-defined written design documents and contribute to a culture of technical excellence.

Skills that will help you thrive in this role:

  • 5+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a significant focus on backend development.
  • Strong proficiency in Go (Golang) and experience building production-grade, scalable services with it.
  • Experience with both microservice and monolithic architectures, APIs (gRPC, REST), and distributed systems.
  • Solid understanding of containerization (Docker, Kubernetes) and CI/CD principles.
  • A demonstrated ability to independently own complex technical projects from design to deployment.
  • Nice to have:
    • Deep experience in cryptography, including knowledge of cryptographic primitives, protocols, and secure key management.
    • Deep understanding of identity federation principles beyond just protocol usage (OIDC, SAML), including experience designing or contributing to federated trust systems.
    • Experience architecting for and deploying into complex customer environments, including on-premise, air-gapped, or sovereign clouds.
    • Experience with modern API protocols like ConnectRPC.
    • Familiarity with container standards and runtimes like the Open Container Initiative (OCI).
    • Experience building and maintaining multi-language SDKs.
    • Contributions to open-source projects, especially in the security or data space.
    • Experience with other programming languages like Java, JavaScript, Python, or Rust.
    • Demonstrable experience as an active contributor or maintainer of an established open-source project.

Virtruvian qualities that will set you up for success:

  • Thinking outside of the box to respectfully challenge your teammates and managers in the pursuit of excellence
  • Strong sense of urgency with an action-oriented mindset
  • Able to collaborate and adapt to shifting priorities as business needs evolve
  • Comfortable with asynchronous communication including slack, email, zoom, etc.

 

Perks & Benefits:

At Virtru, we believe people do their best work when their wellbeing is put first. This is why we make your wellbeing our priority with a thoughtful and holistic program that encompasses Occupational, Mental, Social, Physical, and Environmental Wellness by offering benefits such as…

  • A Flexible PTO policy — we strongly encourage you to take time off (in addition to 14 holidays) to ensure that you are getting the proper time needed to unplug and recharge. 
  • A $1,500 annual Learning & Development Stipend focused on providing you the resources to continually learn and professionally grow.
  • Frequent company-sponsored team celebrations that provide ample opportunities to connect with teammates and be social!
  • Access to an Employee Assistance Program
  • Access to Headspace, a mental health app tailored to your specific needs.
  • A flat 3% contribution to your retirement account
  • A high degree of flexibility — Have an appointment, errand, or family emergency to take care of? Hop to it! We give you the time and space to take care of you and your own first.

 

In addition to wellbeing, Virtru places a strong emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our DE&I Council is dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace and making the psychological safety of each and every one of our teammates a top priority. 

 

Additional perks include: 

  • Competitive compensation
  • Generous parental, medical, and bereavement policies
  • 401K contribution and stock options
  • Full medical, dental, and vision benefits
  • New Hire Swag and IT Welcome boxes
  • Structured semi-annual 360° performance reviews

 

Virtru is committed to building an inclusive environment for people of all backgrounds and everyone is encouraged to apply. Virtru is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, disability, national origin, protected veteran status, age, or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state, or local law.

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