Principal Software Engineer, R2 Storage

At Cloudflare, we are on a mission to help build a better Internet. Today the company runs one of the world's largest networks that powers millions of websites and other Internet properties for customers ranging from individual bloggers to SMBs to Fortune 500 companies. Cloudflare protects and accelerates any Internet application online without adding hardware, installing software, or changing a line of code.

We realize people do not fit into neat boxes. We are looking for curious and empathetic individuals who are committed to developing themselves and learning new skills, and we are ready to help you do that. We cannot complete our mission without building a diverse and inclusive team.

Emerging Technologies & Incubation (ETI)

ETI at Cloudflare is where we build and launch bold new products. We leverage Cloudflare's unique global network and edge to deliver innovative tools and solutions, solving problems at a scale impossible for most organizations.

About the Team: R2

The R2 team builds Cloudflare's object storage platform, offering developers durable, reliable storage seamlessly integrated with our Developer Platform (e.g., Workers). We own foundational infrastructure operating at massive scale, powering critical workloads across Cloudflare's global network.

You'll join a highly motivated and collaborative team that owns the full R2 stack, tackling complex distributed systems problems with a focus on global reliability and performance.

What You'll Do

• Set the technical direction for some of our most critical and complex infrastructure projects.
• Drive large-scale architectural decisions that span multiple teams and services.
• Design and implement systems that operate reliably under heavy load and at massive scale.
• Lead technical investigations and break down ambiguous problems into clear plans of action.
• Collaborate closely with engineers across teams, product managers, and infrastructure stakeholders to align goals and deliver on timelines.
• Be a key contributor to our roadmap - helping shape the future of R2's architecture, performance, and reliability.

Examples of desirable skills, knowledge, and experience

• Experience setting the architecture and technical direction for large, cross-team, and cross-functional engineering efforts.
• Strong systems-level programming skills.
• A deep understanding of distributed systems concepts such as consistency, consensus, data replication, and partition tolerance.
• Proven experience building and maintaining high-throughput, low-latency systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to explain technical decisions clearly and drive alignment.
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced environments with tight deadlines and evolving priorities.
• Experience with storage systems, networking, or large-scale cloud infrastructure is a strong plus.

Compensation

Compensation may be adjusted depending on work location.

• For New York City, Washington, and California (excluding Bay Area) based hires: Estimated annual salary of $230,000 - $281,000
• For Bay Area-based hires: Estimated annual salary of $234,000 - $286,000

Equity

This role is eligible to participate in Cloudflare's equity plan.

Benefits

Cloudflare offers a complete package of benefits and programs to support you and your family.

• Medical/Rx Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Commuter Spending Accounts
• Fertility & Family Forming Benefits
• On-demand mental health support and Employee Assistance Program
• Global Travel Medical Insurance

Time Off

• Flexible paid time off covering vacation and sick leave
• Leave programs, including parental, pregnancy health, medical, and bereavement leave

What Makes Cloudflare Special?

We're not just a highly ambitious, large-scale technology company. We're a highly ambitious, large-scale technology company with a soul.

Cloudflare is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all people and place great value in both diversity and inclusiveness.

Cloudflare provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job.