Principal Software Engineer

Principal Software Engineer, CVAD

About This Team

Citrix is the recognized leader in VDI, Desktop-as-a-Service, and application delivery solutions. We empower enterprises of all sizes to enable secure hybrid and remote working from anywhere, using any device. Our platform delivershigh-performance user experience, zero-trust security, and operational cost efficiency across cloud, on-premises, and hybrid deployments.

TheCVAD (Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops)team is a unique blend of structured vision and startup-like innovation. You will develop leading-edge software alongside a talented team to create innovative cloud solutions. By joining us,you'llhelp buildcutting-edgesolutions for 100 million people worldwide to securely access their desktops and applications.

Job Description

We are looking for aPrincipal Software Engineerwith12-15 years ofexpertiseinC/C++ systems programming(or 8 years with a Master's / 5 years with a PhD).The ideal candidate is driven by solving complex operating system challenges andpossessesa deep mastery of data structures, algorithms, and kernel-level frameworks

You are well-rounded in driving innovation and managing the entire software development life cycle. You are self-driven, proactive, and a team player withstrong communicationskills. You thrive in collaborative environments and understand the power of a team over the individual. If you have a "can-do" attitude and a passion for ever-improving performance, we would love to talk to you!

Position Overview

The position within CVAD (Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops) will focus on the development of Citrix-Managed Cloud Services product line, which will present you with a unique opportunity tosolve complex problems.

In this role, you will tackle high-stakes challenges withinPVS (Provisioning Services)while building elite-levelexpertiseacross major platforms likeAzure, GCP, AWS, VMware, andXenServer.

Our team culture is a unique blend that combines the structured vision and process maturity of a well-established software company with the dynamism and vibrancy of a small startup.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Design andmaintainlow-level streaming drivers, including custom networking and storage stacks. Expertly manage the Windows boot process by implementing custom miniport drivers that provide the system boot disk at the earliest stages of OS initialization.

• Utilize deepexpertiseinNDIS(Network Driver Interface Specification) andSTORPORTto architect high-performance data paths that bridge network communication with disk I/O.

• Develop and support UEFI firmware applications based on industry standards (e.g.,Tiano Core/EDK II) to manage pre-boot execution and hardware handoffs.

• Architect and troubleshoot end-to-end network boot pipelines usingPXE, TFTP, DHCP, and DNStofacilitatebare-metal and virtual machine provisioning.

• Own the development ofVHD/VHDXstack implementations, ensuring compatibility and high performance across both user-mode applications and kernel-mode operations.

• Engineer sophisticated "write cache" solutions usingVHDX differencing disks. Design andmaintainstorage filter drivers (Upper Filters for STORPORT) tooptimizeI/O redirection for non-persistent environments

• Lead the development of system utilities for configuring local boot media (ISOs, local disk partitions) andmaintainingthe underlying C++ SDKs and PowerShelllibraries.

Required Experience & Skills

• Advanced Systems Programming:Expert-levelC and C++skills with a focus on resource-constrained environments, memory safety, and high-performance optimization.

• Kernel-Mode Development:Proventrack recordof developing andmaintainingdrivers or core operating system components within complex kernel frameworks.

• Firmware Engineering:Practical experience withUEFI/BIOSenvironments and developing pre-boot applications thatfacilitatethe handoff between hardware and the OS.

• Software Lifecycle & Process:Experience leading technical initiatives within mature, large-scale agile development environments.

• Platform Security:Understandingtrusted execution environments, secure boot sequences, and cryptographic code-signing standards.

• Technical Strategy:Demonstratedability to translate highly technical low-level constraints into clear requirements for product stakeholders and cross-functional teams.

Good tohave Experience& Skills

• Storage & Networking Subsystems:Extensive experience architecting and debugging data paths for network and storage I/O, including miniport and filter driver logic.

• Advanced System Debugging:Proficiencywith low-level debuggers to diagnose kernel-mode crashes, race conditions, and system-level performance bottlenecks.

• OS Architecture & Internals:Deep understanding of system execution flows, interrupt handling, memory management, and I/O request lifecycles.

• Network-Based Deployment:Comprehensive knowledge of pre-boot networking infrastructure and automated provisioning protocols.

• Virtual Disk & Storage Standards:Technical understanding of virtualized storage formats, including the management of snapshots, differencing disks, and metadata structures.

• Cross-Layer System Design:Ability to architect solutions that integrate seamlessly across user-mode applications, system libraries, and kernel-mode services.