Senior Software Engineer, Certificates Management
Coinbase
About the role
Ready to do the most impactful work of your career? At Coinbase, we are uncompromising on our mission to increase economic freedom. The bar is high, the environment is intense, and we like it that way. This isn't a place for complacency, it’s a place to be pushed past your perceived limits. If you're ready to build the future of finance alongside people who refuse to settle for "good enough," you belong here. Coinbase is a remote-first, but not remote-only company. Expect to get together quarterly for intense in-person working sessions called “surges.” learn more about working at Coinbase.
As a Senior Software Engineer within the Security Platform Engineering group, you'll serve as the primary execution anchor for our most critical regulatory and cryptographic initiatives. This team owns Coinbase's Public and Internal Certificate Management based systems, which is the bedrock for all Coinbase systems. You'll lead the development of high-availability services which provide novel certificate needs internally and with external partners.
What you'll do:
Lead the architecture and execution of critical cryptographic infrastructure
Define technical strategies with a multi-quarter horizon, bringing clarity to highly ambiguous requirements for novel cryptographic solutions
Own risky and ambitious initiatives, implementing secure and resilient cryptographic protocols in a high-stakes, zero-trust environment
Shape engineering quality practices as a technical anchor and mentor within a team of senior engineers, driving rigorous code reviews and eliminating single points of failure
Build alignment and secure commitment from cross-functional partners across Security, Product, and Policy to drive flawless execution
Required Skills and Experience:
5+ years of experience in software engineering with demonstrated success building highly available, distributed systems
Deep domain expertise in Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and applied cryptography, with proven experience operating certificate authorities, automating X.509 certificate lifecycles (issuance, renewal, revocation, and trust-chain distribution), and safely protecting private key material with HSMs or cloud KMS
Extensive programming experience in systems languages such as Golang, Java, C++, or Rust, with ability to operate in a Golang-heavy environment
Proven track record operating Tier-0 or highly critical infrastructure where system resilience, security, and low latency are absolute prerequisites
Demonstrated experience leading a team's technical strategy, architecture, and deliverables for large-scale projects, including navigating complex regulatory requirements and translating them into robust engineering solutions
Utilizes generative AI responsibly, maintaining human oversight to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in workflow efficiency, cost, and quality.
Position ID: P78375
#LI-Remote
Pay Transparency Notice: Base salary varies by location (see range below). Total compensation may also include equity and bonus eligibility, and benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)).
Annual base salary range (excluding equity and bonus):
$186,065—$218,900 USD
Application Limit: Candidates may submit a maximum of 3 applications within a 6-month period.
Equal Opportunity Employer: Coinbase is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. Applicants with criminal histories will be considered consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
US Applicants: View Employee Rights, Know Your Rights, and E-Verify Notice of Participation.
Accommodations: If you are an individual with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation, email us your request and contact info at accommodations[at]coinbase.com. Need screen reading technology? Click here to download a free compatible screen reader and view the tutorial.
Data Privacy & Arbitration: By submitting your application, you agree to our Candidate Privacy Notice. US applicants: By submitting your application, you agree to Arbitration of Disputes.
Responsibilities
- Lead architecture and execution of critical cryptographic infrastructure.
- Set multi-quarter technical strategies and clarify ambiguous requirements.
- Own secure, resilient cryptographic initiatives in a zero-trust environment.
- Mentor engineers, strengthen code review practices, and reduce single points of failure.
- Align cross-functional partners across Security, Product, and Policy.
Qualifications
- 5+ years of software engineering experience building highly available distributed systems.
- Expertise in PKI, applied cryptography, certificate authorities, and X.509 certificate lifecycle automation.
- Experience protecting private keys with HSMs or cloud KMS.
- Proficiency in Golang, Java, C++, or Rust, with ability to work in a Golang-heavy environment.
- Experience operating Tier-0 or other highly critical infrastructure.
- Track record leading technical strategy, architecture, and large-scale project delivery, including regulatory requirements.
- Ability to use generative AI responsibly with human oversight.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits.
- 401(k).
- Potential equity and bonus eligibility.
Skills mentioned
About Coinbase
Powering a global community of developers building the future onchain.
H-1B sponsorship history
Historical employer filing data was found for Coinbase. The employer record includes 983 historical certified applications. This is employer-level history, not a guarantee that this role currently offers sponsorship.