Drive Architect

At Proton, we believe that privacy is a fundamental human right and the cornerstone of democracy. Since our inception in 2014, founded by a team of scientists from CERN, we have dedicated ourselves to providing free and open-source technology to millions worldwide, ensuring access to privacy, security, and freedom online.

Our journey began with Proton Mail, the largest secure email service globally, and has since expanded to include Proton VPN, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, and Proton Pass. These tools empower individuals and organizations to take control of their personal data, break away from Big Tech’s invasive practices, and defeat censorship. Our work impacts hundreds of millions of lives, from activists on the front lines defending freedom to leaders in governments protecting sensitive information. In some cases, Proton’s services have even been instrumental in saving lives by enabling secure and private communications in high-risk situations.

Proton is a profitable company that does not rely upon VC funding, supporting over 100 million user accounts with a growing team of over 500 people from over 50 different countries, from the world's top companies and universities. We value intelligence, learning potential, and ambition in our hiring process. Adaptability is key as we navigate uncharted territories and redefine how business is conducted online.

Hiring at Proton is highly selective, with less than 1% of candidates hired. We believe smaller teams of exceptional talent will always prevail over larger teams with lower talent density. You will have the opportunity work with many of the world's top minds in their fields, ranging from former international math and science olympiad winners to chess champions.

We have a global mindset and big ambitions but remain a start-up at heart. We value empowerment and flexibility and keep our structure flat to keep moving fast and avoid unnecessary politics. Tired of blending into the crowd? Join us and do work you can truly be proud of. Check our open-source projects here!

Drive Foundation

Drive Foundation is the backbone of Proton Drive. We ensure that cross-client initiatives are executed consistently and efficiently. Whether it’s aligning multiple clients, maintaining documentation or the RFC process, or building robust SDKs, our team lays the groundwork that makes the entire Drive experience work seamlessly.

We’re currently focused on developing SDKs that encapsulate the core functionality of Proton Drive. The SDK comes with two implementations, one in C# for desktop and mobile clients and second in TypeScript for web client. Our SDKs primarily serve internal clients today, but our long-term vision includes integrating them across the Proton ecosystem—and even enabling third-party applications to interface with Drive.

As a Drive Foundation Engineer, you will play a crucial role in designing, implementing, and maintaining the foundational components that power Proton Drive applications. You will work collaboratively with Drive teams, including backend, web, mobile, or desktop developers, to ensure seamless integration and optimal performance across various client applications.

• Tech Stack and Tools:
  • Languages we see daily is C# and TypeScript. We also need to provide bindings for Swift and Kotlin, and we plan to add Rust to avoid the need to have two SDK implementations. We use Grafana and Prometheus to instrument our SDK, Sentry to get details issues from the SDK usage, GitLab CI for running tests including e2e tests written using Playwright for both SDKs, or GitLab in general to work on the code base.
• Future Plans:
  • We are planning to revamp our cryptographic model to boost performance and efficiency across all clients. We will finish ongoing first generation of SDK to cover all core Drive features and new crypto model. Then we will do second generation in Rust with lessons learned and include full support of all features such as Photos, Public Sharing, and Docs.
• Impact Opportunities:
  • Foundation work touches every aspect of Drive. The SDKs and infrastructure you build will be used by every Drive client—and getting it right is both critical and deeply rewarding.
  • Drive is rapidly expanding. As it evolves into a true platform, we expect more teams to emerge—each owning different verticals built on top of Drive. This opens up immense opportunities to grow as an IC, tech lead or engineering manager.
  • You’ll have the chance to shape not only the future of Drive, but also your own career path in a variety of domains and technologies.

What you will do:

• Architect and develop core libraries: Lead the design and development of core C#/TypeScript/Rust libraries that serve as the backbone for Proton Drive's applications.
• Cross-platform compatibility: Ensure compatibility and optimal performance across various platforms.
• Code review and optimization: Conduct code reviews and provide constructive feedback to ensure code quality, maintainability, and performance optimization.
• Collaboration: Work closely with backend, frontend, mobile and desktop developers to integrate core libraries seamlessly into Proton Drive's applications.
• Testing: Develop and implement comprehensive testing strategies, including unit tests and integration tests, to ensure the reliability of core libraries.
• Documentation: Create and maintain thorough documentation for core libraries to assist other developers in understanding and utilizing the components.

Job requirements:

• Experience: 5+ years of professional software development experience, with a focus on the Rust programming language.
• Rust proficiency: Strong expertise in Rust language features, concurrency, and ownership models.
• Web, mobile, and/or desktop development: Experience in developing libraries for client applications.
• Collaborative skills: Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and excellent communication skills.
• Problem-solving: Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to troubleshoot issues efficiently.

Even if you don’t meet all the requirements listed above, but feel you could still be a great fit, please still apply.

What We Offer

• Office First: Collaboration is easier and more effective in person, which is why we have offices in Geneva, Zurich, Prague, Barcelona, Paris, London, Vilnius, Skopje, and Taipei. You can also enjoy working from home up to 30% of the time, while enjoying great company during our three core days in the office. Depending on the role, fully remote positions may also be available.
• Technology: We provide all the devices and software you need to excel in your role, ensuring you have the best tools at your disposal to achieve your goals.
• Food: Lunch and snacks are provided by Proton every day at our offices.
• Transport: We will always support our employees with transport costs through subsidizing public transport, bike allowances, or parking spaces based on your office location.
• Stock Options: At Proton, we are all owners of the company and you get stock options when you join us.
• Flexible Working: You can define your own working hours as long as it works with team meetings.
• Learning and Development: We are committed to your professional growth. Proton offers various learning opportunities, including training programs, conferences and events, and continual learning.
• Employee Benefits: Comprehensive health insurance plans, competitive retirement savings options, generous vacation and leave policies, and wellness programs.
• Work that Matters: Proton is a community-first organization, started with the support of a crowdfunding campaign and built with community input. To this day, Proton’s only source of revenue is user subscriptions. Over 100 million people trust and support Proton, and we put our users and community first in everything we do. Read more about our impact here.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Proton, we believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our mission to provide privacy as a default for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical ability, or socio-economic background, feel valued and empowered. We strive to create equal opportunities, promote open dialogue, and support continuous learning to ensure every voice is heard and respected.

If you need any extra support or reasonable adjustments during the hiring process, please let your talent partner know.

Candidate Privacy Notice

When you apply for a position, refer a candidate, or are considered for a role at Proton Technologies AG (Proton, we, us, or our), your information is stored in Greenhouse, in accordance with their Service Privacy Policy. This information is used to evaluate your suitability for the posted position. We also retain this information for consideration for future roles that you may apply for or that we believe may align with your background and skills.

If we no longer have a legitimate business need to process your information, we will either delete or anonymize it. Should you have any inquiries about how we use or manage your information, or if you wish to access, correct, or delete your data, please contact our privacy team at careers@proton.ch.

Proton does not accept unsolicited resumes from any sources other than directly from candidates. We will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from an unsolicited offer, even if the candidate is subsequently hired by Proton.

To learn more about our privacy policy, please visit our privacy policy page.

#LI-Onsite