Fastly helps people stay better connected with the things they love. Fastly’s edge cloud platform enables customers to create great digital experiences quickly, securely, and reliably by processing, serving, and securing our customers’ applications as close to their end-users as possible — at the edge of the Internet. The platform is designed to take advantage of the modern internet, to be programmable, and to support agile software development. Fastly’s customers include many of the world’s most prominent companies, including GitHub, Yelp, Paramount, and JetBlue.
We're building a more trustworthy Internet. Come join us.
Posting date: April 21, 2026
Anticipated Posting Close Date*: May 1, 2026
*Job posting may close early due to the volume of applicants.
Staff Software Engineer - Edge Systems
The Edge Systems Team develops software that interacts with the full systems stack of Fastly’s infrastructure, from the kernel up to core systems software. Projects range from implementing new protocols, optimizing existing systems, routing among the edge nodes, designing distributed systems, and more. We expect this position to focus on enhancing the overall efficiency of our edge platform. We are looking for a Staff Software Engineer passionate about applying their talents to make the Internet fast and reliable.
What You'll Do
Work across layers from the Linux kernel to core edge systems such as Varnish and WebAssembly.
Use a data-driven approach to identify and implement performance and efficiency improvements across the Fastly platform.
Write, test, and deploy C, Rust, and Go code.
Enhance, maintain and optimize network protocols such as TCP and QUIC for performance and efficiency.
Lead full lifecycle projects from design to deployment in support of Fastly’s edge systems.
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Collaborate with cross-functional teams and stakeholders to shape a clear technical roadmap - prioritizing key initiatives and proactively identifying and mitigating risks - to deploy, support, troubleshoot, and deliver performance and efficiency improvements.
Mentor and support the professional growth of engineers, fostering a culture of respect, knowledge sharing, innovation, and collaboration within the team.
What We're Looking For
Proven ability to design & implement reliable, scalable, low latency systems. Most Staff Engineers at Fastly have at least 7 years of domain relevant engineering experience.
Significant production experience with coding in C, C++, and/or Rust
Experience with Linux systems and network programming
Hands-on experience in building distributed infrastructure and maintaining it over time
Advanced knowledge of Linux as a development environment: git, compilers
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear and comprehensive documentation
A collaborative mindset with experience working across cross-functional teams, fostering a culture of respect, knowledge sharing and innovation
Proven ability to mentor and support the growth of engineers, both within a specific area of expertise and more broadly
We’ll be super impressed if you have experience in any of these:
Web/Internet protocols such as TCP, HTTP, TLS, DNS, QUIC
Linux kernel
Ability to systematically profile and benchmark complex cross-layer distributed systems
Comfortable working in a geographically distributed team and highly available environments
Work Hours:
This position will require you to be available during core business hours and occasionally nights and weekends as required for on call support.
Work Location(s) & Travel Requirements:
This position is open to the following preferred office locations:
San Francisco, CA
Denver, CO
New York, NY
Fastly currently embraces a largely hybrid model for most roles which allows employees flexibility to split their time between the office and home.
There is a strong preference for Hybrid near a local office. However, we may be willing to consider remote candidates within the US and Canada.
This position may require travel as required by your role or requested by your manager.
SF / LA Fair Chance Ordinance Statement
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance and the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Salary:
If hired in the United States, the estimated salary range for this position is $211,370 to $253,644
Starting salary may vary based on permissible, non-discriminatory factors such as experience, skills, qualifications, and location.
This role may be eligible to participate in Fastly’s equity and discretionary bonus programs.
Benefits:
We care about you. Fastly works hard to create a positive environment for our employees, and we think your life outside of work is important too. We support our teams with great benefits that start on the first day of your employment with Fastly. Curious about our offerings?
We offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance. Family planning, mental health support along with Employee Assistance Program, Insurance (Life, Disability, and Accident), a Flexible Vacation policy and up to 18 days of accrued paid sick leave are there to help support our employees. We also offer 401(k) (including company match) and an Employee Stock Purchase Program. For 2026, we offer 11 paid local holidays, 12 paid company wellness days.
Why Fastly?
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We have a huge impact. Fastly is a small company with a big reach. Not only do our customers have a tremendous user base, but we also support a growing number of open source projects and initiatives. Outside of code, employees are encouraged to share causes close to their heart with others so we can help lend a supportive hand.
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We value diversity. Growing and maintaining our inclusive and diverse team matters to us. We are committed to being a company where our employees feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work and have the ability to be successful -- every day.
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We are passionate. Fastly is chock full of passionate people and we’re not ‘one size fits all’. Fastly employs authors, pilots, skiers, parents (of humans and animals), makeup geeks, coffee connoisseurs, and more. We love employees for who they are and what they are passionate about.
We’re always looking for humble, sharp, and creative folks to join the Fastly team. If you think you might be a fit please apply! A fully completed application and resume or CV are required when applying.
All job applications must be submitted through our official careers site at www.fastly.com/about/careers. We will never request sensitive information, such as your Social Security number, bank account or credit card information during the application process. All official communication will come from an @fastly.com or @recruiting.fastly.com email address.
Fastly is committed to ensuring equal employment opportunity and to providing employees with a safe and welcoming work environment free of discrimination and harassment. Our employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, family or parental status, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.
Consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and federal or state disabili
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