- Company: Elastic
- Location: United Kingdom
- Job type: Full-time
- Salary: Competitive pay based on the work you do here and not your previous salary
✅ Visa sponsor check: Elasticsearch Limited (London) is on the UK Home Office register of licensed sponsors for Skilled Worker, Global Business Mobility: Senior or Specialist Worker (A rating), checked 22 October 2026. Being a licensed sponsor doesn’t guarantee sponsorship for this role: confirm it with the employer, and never pay anyone for a Certificate of Sponsorship.
About the role
Elastic is looking for a Principal Software Developer to join the Elasticsearch Security team in the United Kingdom. In this position, you will lead the architecture and design of Elasticsearch’s main security features, including authentication, authorization, and tenant isolation. You will work closely with engineering and product leaders to ensure high-performance security across the distributed data store at scale.
Responsibilities
- Own core security initiatives from architecture through to production, focusing on delivering new critical features.
- Lead the technical design, planning, and execution for major security components within the Elasticsearch core engine.
- Develop foundational security models for complex features and optimize security performance in distributed systems.
- Apply cryptographic solutions to address customer use cases and ensure robust data isolation within shared infrastructure.
- Monitor and apply the latest advancements in security, including authentication, identity management, and cryptography.
- Collaborate with peers to embed security into new customer features from the outset.
- Drive vulnerability management efforts with the InfoSec team and leverage AI-driven tools to automate vulnerability triage.
- Mentor and coach other engineers to foster a culture of technical excellence and security-first development.
Requirements
- Deep knowledge of Java internals, JVM memory management, and concurrency models.
- Experience writing high-performance, thread-safe, and lock-free code in large open-source or enterprise codebases.
- Proven experience designing scalable authorization systems, including RBAC/ABAC models and token validation pipelines.
- Solid comprehension of distributed systems security, including node-to-node mutual trust and zero-trust transport.
- Deep knowledge of edge identity protocols such as OAuth 2.0 and SAML.
- Track record of using AI to accelerate development and debug complex systems while owning final outcomes.
- Ability to collaborate across functions and lead distributed teams using asynchronous communication.
Pay and benefits
- Competitive pay based on the work you do, not your previous salary.
- Health coverage for you and your family in many locations.
- Flexible locations and schedules for many roles.
- Generous number of vacation days each year.
- Matching of up to $2000 (or local currency equivalent) for financial donations and service.
- Up to 40 hours each year for volunteer projects.
- Minimum of 16 weeks of parental leave.
How to apply
Apply directly on Elastic’s own careers website. Omadaily never charges job seekers.
