Sr. Staff Platform Security Engineer, Cloud Infrastructure

About Groq

Inference is the engine that powers AI, and Groq was built from the silicon up to deliver the world's fastest inference at scale. We pioneered the LPU-the first processor designed specifically for AI inference-and are transforming that innovation into a global cloud platform powering production AI workloads.

With the capital, infrastructure, and team to execute, we're uniquely positioned to define the next era of AI infrastructure. The opportunity is massive, and it's still wide open. Now let's go build it!

Mission:

Build and scale the security foundations that enable customers to run sensitive AI workloads with confidence on Groq's inference platform. You will set technical direction and build critical security capabilities across identity and access, Kubernetes, multi-tenant infrastructure, secrets, encryption, and key and certificate management. As a senior software engineer and technical leader, you will partner across Platform Engineering to turn complex security requirements into durable, automated systems that scale with the platform.

Location: We prioritize hiring in or near the SF Bay Area, New York City and Dallas.

Responsibilities & opportunities in this role:

• Set technical direction and own the architecture for critical platform security capabilities across identity, authorization, infrastructure security, encryption, key management, and auditability.
• Design and build identity and access systems spanning authentication, federation, authorization, workload identity, lifecycle provisioning, and administrative access.
• Build and scale security capabilities for Kubernetes and other distributed infrastructure using software, policy, automation, APIs, controllers, Infrastructure-as-Code, and GitOps.
• Architect security controls and isolation mechanisms for multi-tenant systems across compute, network, storage, and control-plane boundaries.
• Own infrastructure lifecycle security, including secure provisioning, secrets and credential management, encryption, and certificate lifecycle.
• Build production software and automation that make secure infrastructure patterns reliable, scalable, and easy for engineering teams to adopt.
• Lead security-sensitive platform designs and changes, translating complex risks and requirements into practical engineering decisions and scalable platform capabilities.
• Shape security architecture and technical standards across Platform Engineering, influencing designs beyond the systems you directly own.
• Partner across engineering and security to build capabilities that strengthen customer trust, platform reliability, and support compliance requirements.
• Clearly communicate security architecture, technical tradeoffs, and risk to engineers, technical leaders, and security leadership.

Ideal candidates have/are:

• 6+ years of software engineering experience building complex infrastructure or distributed systems, with deep experience in cloud and platform security, identity and access, Kubernetes, or related infrastructure security domains.
• Demonstrated experience setting technical direction and owning complex security architecture across multiple systems, teams, or infrastructure domains.
• Deep experience with identity and access technologies such as OIDC, SAML, SCIM, RBAC, workload identity, short-lived credentials, and multi-factor authentication.
• Deep experience designing security for multi-tenant systems and isolation across network, compute, storage, and control-plane boundaries.
• Hands-on Kubernetes security expertise, including RBAC, admission control, service-account and workload identity, secrets and encryption, policy enforcement, and node security.
• Strong understanding of secrets management, encryption, key management, certificate lifecycle, and secure credential management.
• Strong software engineering skills in Go, Python, or similar languages, with experience designing, building, and operating production systems.
• A software-first approach to security, with experience building controls through APIs, controllers, automation, policy, Infrastructure-as-Code, GitOps, or similar approaches.
• Experience leading ambiguous, cross-functional technical initiatives and influencing engineering direction across teams.
• Ability to reason about complex security systems end to end and communicate technical risk and architectural tradeoffs clearly to different audiences.
• Experience building identity, key-management, network security, or infrastructure security capabilities for cloud platforms is valuable.
• Experience with network policy and encryption or security for high-performance storage and distributed infrastructure is valuable.
• Experience translating security and compliance requirements into automated evidence and production-ready controls is valuable.
• Experience building Kubernetes operators, admission webhooks, or similar infrastructure automation is valuable.

Why Join Us

• Purposeful Hiring: You’re not here by accident, and neither is anyone else. Every teammate is handpicked with intention because who we build with matters.
• Builders Wanted: You’re not just riding the rocket ship, you’re building it. Your work directly shapes the trajectory of our company.
• Mission-Driven Work: We’re here to make a real impact. Our mission fuels everything we do.
• Tackling Hard Problems: If easy isn’t your thing, you’re in the right place. We solve some of the most complex and exciting challenges in our space.
• Excellence Is The Standard: High performance isn’t just encouraged, it’s the baseline. And it’s contagious.

If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you!

Compensation

Groq is committed to providing competitive compensation through our Total Cash philosophy, which incorporates potential bonus value directly into base pay. The total cash salary range for this position, which is inclusive of the potential bonus value, is $341,400 - $401,600, with individual placement determined by your geographic location, experience, skills, and alignment with internal compensation standards. This range is specific to candidates located in the United States. Compensation for international candidates will vary based on local market dynamics. Beyond cash compensation, Groq also offers a Long-Term Incentive (LTI) Program and a robust suite of employee benefits.

US Job Posting

This position may require access to technology and/or information subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). To comply with these requirements, candidates for this role must meet certain citizenship or residency criteria. Specifically, they must qualify as U.S. Persons for export control purposes (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (Green Card holder), or a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3) such as a refugee or asylee), or otherwise be eligible for an applicable export license.

Groq is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Groq complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any protected characteristic.

Groq iscommitted to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application or to participate in the hiring process, please contact us at [email protected]. This contact is for accommodation requests only, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

All offers of employment are contingent upon verification of the applicant’s identity and employment authorization in accordance with federal law.

Groq encourages people with criminal record histories to apply for employment, and values diverse experiences, including prior contact with the criminal legal system. To that end, Groq welcomes such applicants in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles City Fair Chance Act Ordinance, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Act Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Act Ordinance. Philadelphia applicants can review information pertaining to Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance here: https://www.phila.gov/documents/fair-chance-hiring-law-poster.

As part of our hiring process, Groq may use artificial intelligence (“AI”) tools or automated systems to assist with activities such as reviewing applications, evaluating qualifications, scheduling interviews, analyzing assessment responses, or supporting recruiting operations. These tools are designed to assist-not replace-human decision-making, and hiring decisions are subject to human review. We may process information you provide during the application process, including resumes, application materials, interview responses, assessments, and, where applicable, audio, video, or transcript data. If legally required, we will request consent before using technologies that analyze biometric or video interview data. Candidates may request reasonable accommodations, an alternative evaluation process, additional information regarding the use of AI in the hiring process, or review of certain automated decisions by contacting [email protected].