F5

F5

Principal Software Engineer

San Jose, USA · Principal

Sponsorship not specified$203k-$305kDetected 89 days ago
GoC++CDistributed SystemsAWSDockerKubernetesHRISVPNBGP/OSPFLoad BalancingLeadershipCommunicationCollaborationPublic Speaking

Stay score

odds of building a lasting career here

64Sponsors, lottery-bound
Cap-exempt (no lottery)0
Sponsors this role100
Entry-level history0
PERM / green-card track0
Lottery odds (Level IV)94
Fits your clock70

Sponsors, but it's cap-subject — you still face the weighted lottery (~61% per draw at Level IV). Good if you win; have a cap-exempt backup on your list.

Lottery odds assume a STEM candidate.

Personalize to your clock →

H-1B wage level

the lottery is wage-weighted — each level is one more entry

Level II · 2×
Level I$152,7971 entry
Level II$187,0752 entries
Level III$221,3743 entries
Level IV$255,6534 entries

$18,174 more — $221,374 — moves this role to Level III and 3 lottery entries. That figure is inside the range the employer already advertised.

Based on the DOL prevailing wage for this occupation and worksite, a base salary of $221,374 would place this position at wage Level III. That figure is within the posted range, and I'd like to target it. This role classifies under "Software Developers" for prevailing-wage purposes.

DOL prevailing wage, 2026-27 wage year · Software Developers (15-1252) · San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA. Wage level is derived by USCIS from the offered wage, occupation and worksite; the occupation shown is inferred from the job title.

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About the role

  • The Data Plane Team at F5 is seeking an experienced Principal Engineer with deep technical knowledge of Routing technologies, networking fundamentals, and distributed systems.
  • The ideal candidate will have deep technical expertise in BGP, MP-BGP, MPLS, networking fundamentals, and distributed systems, with Kubernetes orchestration.
  • You will be responsible for designing and implementing scalable and resilient control and data plane solutions while bringing leadership experience and technical acumen to influence the future direction of our product.

Responsibilities

  • Lead data path development for the CNE product line, focusing on scalability and high availability in distributed cloud environments.
  • Design and implement scalable, high-performance solutions for Data plane.
  • Technically lead major system components in distributed systems, from design to implementation.
  • Create and maintain functional specifications and design documents to clearly communicate design decisions and solutions.

Requirements

  • 14+ years of software engineering experience, with 10+ years in designing and implementing large-scale distributed systems.
  • Prior experience in cloud technologies, particularly AWS, Kubernetes (K8s), and distributed, scalable systems and their deployment models, with a focus on scalability, performance, and security.
  • Deep expertise in BGP, MPLS, EVPN and IPSec routing, as well as networking fundamentals (TCP, UDP, L4-L7, HTTP, BGP, MPLS, EVPN).
  • Experience with cloud networking platforms and commercial BGP routing solutions.
  • Strong coding proficiency in C/C++/Golang, with a proven track record of leading complex software development efforts.
  • Hands-on experience with Docker, K8s, and microservices architecture in cloud environments.
  • Strong architectural skills in designing highly available, real-time systems in distributed environments.
  • Excellent communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, with the ability to lead and mentor teams effectively.
  • The Job Description is intended to be a general representation of the responsibilities and requirements of the job. However, the description may not be all-inclusive, and responsibilities and requirements are subject to change.
  • The annual base pay for this position is: $203,200.00 - $304,800.00
  • F5 maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, geographic locations, and market conditions, as well as to reflect F5's differing products, industries, and lines of business. The pay range referenced is as of the time of the job posting and is subject to change.
  • You may also be offered incentive compensation, bonus, restricted stock units, and benefits. More details about F5's benefits can be found at the following link: https://www.f5.com/company/careers/benefits. F5 reserves the right to change or terminate any benefit plan without notice.
  • Please note that F5 only contacts candidates through F5 email address (ending with @f5.com) or auto email notification from Workday (ending with f5.com or @myworkday.com ).
  • Equal Employment Opportunity

Compensation

  • $203,200.00 - $304,800.00
  • F5 maintains broad salary ranges for its roles in order to account for variations in knowledge, skills, experience, geographic locations, and market conditions, as well as to reflect F5's differing products, industries, and lines of business.
  • The pay range referenced is as of the time of the job posting and is subject to change.
  • You may also be offered incentive compensation, bonus, restricted stock units, and benefits.

Benefits

  • https://www.f5.com/company/careers/benefits.
  • F5 reserves the right to change or terminate any benefit plan without notice.
  • This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, discipline, and termination.

Company info

  • At F5, we strive to bring a better digital world to life.
  • We are passionate about cybersecurity, from protecting consumers from fraud to enabling companies to focus on innovation.
  • That means we obsess over how to make the lives of our customers, and their customers, better.

Equal opportunity

  • It is the policy of F5 to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, sensory, physical, or mental disability, marital status, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws.
  • F5 offers a variety of reasonable accommodations for candidates.
  • Requesting an accommodation is completely voluntary.
  • F5 will assess the need for accommodations in the application process separately from those that may be needed to perform the job.
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This listing is sourced directly from F5's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.