Sr. Engineering Manager, Platform API - Sensor Foundations at CrowdStrike

Job description

As a global leader in cybersecurity, CrowdStrike protects the people, processes and technologies that drive modern organizations. Since 2011, our mission hasn’t changed — we’re here to stop breaches, and we’ve redefined modern security with the world’s most advanced AI-native platform. We work on large scale distributed systems, processing almost 3 trillion events per day and this traffic is growing daily. Our customers span all industries, and they count on CrowdStrike to keep their businesses running, their communities safe and their lives moving forward. We re proud to work for a mission-driven company leveraging AI to transform the way we work. CrowdStrikers drive their careers through flexibility and autonomy while also being expected to contribute to a culture of responsible AI adoption, experimentation, and innovation. We use an AI-first mindset as a force multiplier to proactively and continuously accelerate execution, build expertise, uncover insights, and solve complex problems. We’re always looking to add talented CrowdStrikers to the team who have limitless passion, a relentless focus on innovation and a fanatical commitment to our customers, our community and each other. Ready to join a mission that matters? The future of cybersecurity starts with you. About the Role: The Platform API team builds the cross-platform APIs and abstractions that give the CrowdStrike Falcon sensor a consistent programming interface across Windows, Linux, and macOS. The team owns the foundational layer that separates feature development from OS-specific implementation, including threading, file I/O, hashing, work queues, and memory management. Every engineering team that builds sensor capabilities depends on this layer, so its quality and correctness directly shape how quickly and safely CrowdStrike can deliver protection to customers. The team s scope is growing. A central focus is building a shared platform for on-sensor machine learning inference runtime: a stable C API, backed by an isolated out-of-process service, that runs models on hardware-accelerated backends on each platform. This runtime will make inference-based threat detection as accessible to engineering teams as rules-based detection is today, and it will enable CrowdStrike to bring the next generation of AI-powered protection to hundreds of millions of endpoints. We are looking for a Senior Engineering Manager with deep systems expertise and strong organizational leadership to guide this team. You will own the technical roadmap, lead the inference runtime from early design through production delivery, make key decisions on API design and long-term compatibility, and build the partnerships needed for broad adoption across the sensor organization. You will collaborate closely with Windows, Linux, and macOS engineering teams, platform infrastructure teams, and partners in product and program management. What You re Stepping Into The Platform API team is at an inflection point. As the Falcon sensor continues to grow in capability and reach, a unified, well-tested platform abstraction layer has become essential to how CrowdStrike builds. Consolidating platform behavior across Windows, Linux, and macOS into a single consistent foundation will improve quality, performance, and delivery speed for every team that builds on the sensor. This is a multi-year effort, and you will own its roadmap, its strategy, and its execution. At the same time, the team is building one of the most significant new capabilities in the sensor platform: an on-sensor ML inference runtime designed from the ground up. The API design, execution model, and first production integrations are in active development now. Your leadership will shape how quickly CrowdStrike can deliver AI-powered detections to hundreds of millions of endpoints, and how easily teams across the company can bring new models to the sensor. If you are energized by building, this is your opportunity to shape a team s identity, expand its scope, and earn broad organizational trust through technical excellence. Your work will be visible across the entire sensor organization, and you will lead a team whose platform the rest of the company relies on every day. Location: This role is hybrid, requiring 2x days per week on-site at one of the posted locations. What You ll Do: Technical leadership Set architectural direction for cross-platform API components, including threading, file I/O, hashing, work queues, and memory management Lead the architecture and delivery of the centralized platform for on-sensor ML inference runtime, including C API design for ABI stability and cross-language use, the out-of-process execution and sandboxing model, and backend selection and versioning policy across platforms Make critical design decisions on what is implemented once versus per platform, what runs in-process versus out-of-process, and how kernel-mode and user-mode constraints shape each component Drive consistent adoption of platform APIs through linting, automated code review, and clear usage guidance, so that standards scale across a large engineering organization Participate actively in design and code reviews, and develop a deep understanding of the team s API contracts, compatibility constraints, and failure modes Team leadership Hire, coach, and grow engineers through honest, frequent feedback and genuine investment in their careers; lead the full recruitment process from initial contact through successful onboarding Build team cohesion, resolve interpersonal friction, and create an environment where engineers can do their best work Support your team through resourcing decisions, career development, and difficult conversations when they are needed Delivery and operations Own project resourcing and workload, including knowing when to say no and when to defer; keep the team on track and adapt as priorities change Own the quality bar for everything the team ships; manage support escalations and build strong working relationships with the platform and partner teams who depend on your components Drive continuous improvement in end-to-end testing and validation for components with strict correctness and compatibility requirements, including tooling that lets engineers validate against the platform without building the full sensor Build a data-driven roadmap that uses performance telemetry and defect trends to prioritize work, and communicate investment needs and progress clearly to senior leadership Engineering Managers at CrowdStrike are hands-on technical leaders. You will not be expected to write code on the critical path, but you will need a deep understanding of the API contracts, compatibility constraints, and cross-platform systems your team owns. That understanding lets you troubleshoot effectively, give substantive feedback in code reviews, and redirect a design when it is heading the wrong way. It also makes you a trusted advisor to leadership, able to represent your team in cross-functional discussions and turn complex technical tradeoffs into clear recommendations. What You ll Need Proven experience managing software engineering teams, built on a strong foundation as a software developer Hands-on background in low-level systems software, with deep expertise in C and/or C in both user-mode and kernel-mode environments Strong grounding in API and interface design, including interface clarity, ABI stability, backward compatibility, and managing the downstream impact of breaking changes across a large codebase Cross-platform experience across Windows, Linux, and macOS, with the ability to reason about portability, behavioral consistency, and platform-specific constraints Familiarity with out-of-process architecture patterns, including sandboxed service isolation, inter-process communication (IPC), and the performance tradeoffs of crossing process boundaries Experience owning production software at scale, with a clear understanding of the cost of correctness regressions on software that runs continuously on customer endpoints Strong design and problem-solving skills, a genuine passion for engineering excellence, quality, security, and performance, and the ability to raise those standards across a team Demonstrated success mentoring, coaching, and developing engineers Experience leading distributed teams while maintaining trust, velocity, and clarity Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with a track record of building credibility and influence across engineering, product, and program management Clear, direct communication at every level, from individual contributors to executive leadership Intellectual curiosity and a commitment to deeply understanding systems before changing them Ability and willingness to travel occasionally for team offsites and in-person meetings Proven experience utilizing AI technologies to enhance decision-making, streamline workflows and processes, improve efficiency and drive business outcomes. Bonus Points Background in endpoint security, EDR, kernel-level software, or sensor platform engineering Experience designing or maintaining cross-platform API layers consumed by multiple teams in a large C/C codebase Experience building or leading teams that build on-device ML inference infrastructure, including running machine learning models and small language models (SLMs) on resource-constrained endpoints while balancing model size, latency, and resource consumption Experience with hardware-accelerated inference across GPU, NPU, and Apple Neural Engine (ANE), including hardware capability detection, backend selection, and graceful fallback to CPU Familiarity with model execution frameworks such as ONNX Runtime, OpenVINO, or Core ML, including runtime versioning and static versus dynamic linking tradeoffs Experience designing out-of-process inference pipelines, including sandboxed execution for resource isolation and fault containment, low-latency IPC for model input and output, and telemetry for inference performance and hardware utilization Understanding of the model lifecycle at fleet scale, including staging, versioning, and silent validation before production rollout, particularly for SLM and large language model (LLM) workloads where inference cost and behavioral correctness both matter Experience designing cross-language integration surfaces, such as C APIs consumed from Rust, Swift, and C Experience establishing API governance through tooling, such as lint rules, automated policy checks, and structured feedback loops with consuming teams Experience leading teams through significant growth or an expanding scope Prior work in environments where reliability is non-negotiable at massive fleet scale #LI-CW1 Benefits of Working at CrowdStrike: Market leader in compensation and equity awards Comprehensive physical and mental wellness programs Competitive vacation and holidays for recharge Paid parental and adoption leaves Professional development opportunities for all employees regardless of level or role Employee Networks, geographic neighborhood groups, and volunteer opportunities to build connections Vibrant office culture with world class amenities Great Place to Work Certified™ across the globe CrowdStrike is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering a culture of belonging where everyone is valued for who they are and empowered to succeed. We support veterans and individuals with disabilities through our affirmative action program. CrowdStrike is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, creed, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy or pregnancy-related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status, veteran status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, or any other characteristic protected by law. We base all employment decisions--including recruitment, selection, training, compensation, benefits, discipline, promotions, transfers, lay-offs, return from lay-off, terminations and social/recreational programs--on valid job requirements. If you need assistance accessing or reviewing the information on this website or need help submitting an application for employment or requesting an accommodation, please contact us at recruiting crowdstrike.com for further assistance. Find out more about your rights as an applicant. CrowdStrike participates in the E-Verify program. Notice of E-Verify Participation Right to Work CrowdStrike, Inc. is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Placement within the pay range is dependent on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, relevant work experience, skills, certifications, job level, supervisory status, and location. The base salary range for this position for all U.S. candidates is $160,000 - $250,000 per year, with eligibility for bonuses, equity grants and a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance, 401k and paid time off. For detailed information about the U.S. benefits package, please click here .

Requirements

Must-haves

What You re Stepping Into
Location: This role is hybrid, requiring 2x days per week on-site at one of the posted locations.
Technical leadership
Set architectural direction for cross-platform API components, including threading, file I/O, hashing, work queues, and memory management
Make critical design decisions on what is implemented once versus per platform, what runs in-process versus out-of-process, and how kernel-mode and user-mode constraints shape each component
Drive consistent adoption of platform APIs through linting, automated code review, and clear usage guidance, so that standards scale across a large engineering organization
Participate actively in design and code reviews, and develop a deep understanding of the team s API contracts, compatibility constraints, and failure modes
Team leadership
Hire, coach, and grow engineers through honest, frequent feedback and genuine investment in their careers; lead the full recruitment process from initial contact through successful onboarding
Build team cohesion, resolve interpersonal friction, and create an environment where engineers can do their best work
Support your team through resourcing decisions, career development, and difficult conversations when they are needed
Delivery and operations
Own project resourcing and workload, including knowing when to say no and when to defer; keep the team on track and adapt as priorities change
Own the quality bar for everything the team ships; manage support escalations and build strong working relationships with the platform and partner teams who depend on your components
Build a data-driven roadmap that uses performance telemetry and defect trends to prioritize work, and communicate investment needs and progress clearly to senior leadership
What You ll Need

Nice-to-haves

Background in endpoint security, EDR, kernel-level software, or sensor platform engineering
Experience designing or maintaining cross-platform API layers consumed by multiple teams in a large C/C codebase
Experience with hardware-accelerated inference across GPU, NPU, and Apple Neural Engine (ANE), including hardware capability detection, backend selection, and graceful fallback to CPU
Familiarity with model execution frameworks such as ONNX Runtime, OpenVINO, or Core ML, including runtime versioning and static versus dynamic linking tradeoffs
Experience designing cross-language integration surfaces, such as C APIs consumed from Rust, Swift, and C
Experience establishing API governance through tooling, such as lint rules, automated policy checks, and structured feedback loops with consuming teams
Experience leading teams through significant growth or an expanding scope
Prior work in environments where reliability is non-negotiable at massive fleet scale

Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

Keywords to mirror

aiapimachine learningmlrestllmrustswift

Platform: workday
Effort: long

Benefits

Benefits detected in the listing.

Health Insurance

401k

Paid Time Off

Wellness

Professional Development