# Software Engineer - Datapath at Alkira

- Company: Alkira
- What the company does: Backed by Kleiner Perkins, Sequoia and GV.
- Company website: https://www.alkira.com/
- Type: Startups
- Level: Mid level
- Location: San Jose, California
- Work setup: On-site
- Pay: $125K to $150K base salary per year (USD)
- Posted: 2026-07-06
- Apply by: 2026-10-12
- Apply: https://alkira.bamboohr.com/careers/232
- Page: https://www.1752.vc/careers/jobs/alkira-software-engineer-datapath/

## About the role

This role begins on the layer that programs the fastpath: the Go agents, Python tooling, and Ansible automation that configure the datapath, push state onto it, and report what it is doing. It progresses into the C fastpath itself, and into ownership of datapath features. On-call is a required part of this role. Engineers join the datapath rotation once ramped, with coverage shared across the US and India.

## What they're looking for

- Build and extend the Go agents that program the datapath, pushing configuration onto the fastpath and reconciling running state against intended state
- Build the Python tooling and CLI used to drive, inspect, and debug the datapath
- Write the Ansible automation that stands up and configures the networking stack on our nodes
- Develop the exporters and observability that report fastpath behavior: counters, flow state, and packet-level signals
- Write tests and reproduction cases for datapath behavior
- Measure and tune datapath performance: packet rates, latency, and where cycles are spent

Tags: Engineering - R&D