---
title: 'Senior Systems & Reliability Engineer (VPN) at Proton'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-systems-reliability-engineer-vpn-proton-barcelona-byrzx5hj37dq'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-11'
---

# Senior Systems & Reliability Engineer (VPN) at Proton

- **Company:** Proton
- **Location:** Barcelona, Spain / Geneva, Switzerland
- **Posted:** 2025-05-14
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-11
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io/proton/jobs/4588886101

## Job description

Join Proton and build a better internet where privacy is the default

Proton was founded in 2014 by scientists from CERN on a simple truth: privacy is a fundamental human right. Since then, we’ve built the world’s largest encrypted email service (Proton Mail) and expanded into Proton VPN, Proton Drive, Proton Pass, and Proton Calendar—tools used by millions globally to protect their freedom, fight censorship, and keep their data safe. In some situations, Proton has literally helped save lives!

We are profitable, independent (no VC control), and selectively hire from the top ~1% of applicants. Our 500+ team members across 50+ countries come from leading organizations and elite academic backgrounds. We move fast, keep hierarchy light, and prioritize impact over optics. If you want to do meaningful work with exceptionally high-caliber people, this is it. Join us and do work you can truly be proud of. Check our open-source projects [here](https://proton.me/community/open-source)!

Purpose of the role:

At ProtonVPN, we're on a mission to provide secure, private internet access to everyone—even in the most restrictive environments. Our infrastructure spans thousands of servers worldwide, operating on a distributed architecture that connects our suite of applications across platforms.

As a Systems and Reliability Engineer on the VPN Infrastructure team, among several areas, you'll be at the forefront of our battle against censorship regimes worldwide. You'll help design, implement, and maintain the robust systems that keep our users connected when they need privacy and security most.

What you will do:

- Infrastructure Management: Oversee and optimize our rapidly expanding global network of thousands of servers
- Automation & Reliability: Design and implement automation systems that ensure 99.95%+ uptime across our infrastructure
- Problem Solving: Serve as an active member of the on-call rotation, troubleshooting complex technical challenges across different network environments and censorship scenarios
- Monitoring Excellence: Develop and enhance sophisticated monitoring and alerting systems that provide real-time visibility into our global infrastructure
- Technical Implementation: Engineer solutions to improve connectivity, stability, performance, scalability, security, and resilience—particularly in adversarial network environments

Job requirements:

- Linux Expertise: Knowledge of Debian/Linux operating system internals, including NFtables, networking stack, and kernel tuning
- Infrastructure as Code: Experience with orchestration and automation using Ansible or similar tools
- Programming Skills: Python proficiency for developing automation tools and operational scripts
- Observability Tools: Hands-on experience with monitoring solutions like VictoriaMetrics and Grafana dashboards
- Security Knowledge: Understanding of security principles and best practices for infrastructure

What We Value:

- Strong problem-solving abilities, especially in high-pressure situations
- Adaptability and willingness to learn new technologies as our infrastructure evolves
- Collaborative mindset for working with the VPN R&D Team and Procurement on infrastructure initiatives
- Innovative thinking to address challenges in censorship-heavy environments

Bonus points for:

- Understanding of UDP and TCP/IP protocols, including troubleshooting and optimization techniques
- Experience implementing and troubleshooting VPN protocols, particularly OpenVPN and WireGuard
- Working knowledge of cryptography concepts, including TLS certificates and public key infrastructure (PKI)
- Experience with high-availability systems and resilient architecture design
- Background in fighting network censorship or working in restricted internet environments

What We Offer:

- Work that Matters: millions of people trust Proton with their privacy. We answer only to our users — not advertisers, not investors with conflicting agendas, not governments. The work you do here is real, and the impact is measurable. (read more about our impact [here](https://proton.me/about/impact))
- Stock Options: at Proton, we all have the opportunity to be owners of the company. From day one, you have a real stake in what we're building. When Proton wins, you win.
- Technology: you'll get the right hardware and the right software you need to do your best work.
- Learning & Development: we invest in your growth because sharp people make us better. Proton is one of the fastest ways to accelerate your career because you'll be thrown into real challenges, with real ownership, from day one.
- Employee Benefits: your wellbeing isn't an afterthought. We offer strong health coverage, solid retirement options, generous leave, and wellness support so you can bring your best self to work every day
- In-Person Collaboration: Amazing things happen when passionate, smart, and purposeful people get together in the same room. With offices across Geneva, Zürich, Barcelona, London and more, you'll spend most of your time collaborating face-to-face with people who genuinely care about what they're building
- Food: Lunch and snacks are on us every day in our offices so you can focus on the work and not on what's for lunch.
- Transport: getting to the office shouldn't cost you. We cover public transport, bike allowances, or parking, whichever works for you.
- Flexible Working: you own your schedule. Set hours that work for you and your team — because outcomes matter more than when the clock says you started.

Compensation:

- Barcelona: 61,000 - 116,000 EUR gross annually
- Other locations: Compensation will be discussed during the interview process
- Final compensation will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, skills, and previous experience

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.](https://www.greenhouse.com/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](https://boards.eu.greenhouse.io/protongdpr).

#LI-Onsite

## About Proton

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Proton provides a suite of end-to-end encrypted, privacy-first online services including email, VPN, cloud storage, password management, and AI assistant.
- **Entity Type**: Private (owned by the non-profit Proton Foundation, community-funded, profitable with no VC dependency)
- **Headquarters**: Geneva, Switzerland
- **Founded**: 2014
- **Founders**: Scientists from CERN (individual names not listed in provided sources)

## Core Business
- Primary industry/industries: Technology, Information and Internet; online privacy and security services
- Target customers: B2C (individuals, journalists, activists) and B2B (businesses of all sizes, NGOs, public sector)
- Mission or purpose statement: "To make privacy the default for everyone." – also described as defending freedom and building a better internet.

## Products & Services
- **Proton Mail**: End-to-end encrypted email service (SaaS)
- **Proton VPN**: Secure, fast VPN with no-logs policy (SaaS)
- **Proton Calendar**: Encrypted calendar that keeps schedules private (SaaS)
- **Proton Drive**: Encrypted cloud storage with secure file sharing and collaborative Proton Docs (SaaS)
- **Proton Pass**: Password manager with built-in 2FA authenticator, hide-my-email aliases, and secure notes (SaaS)
- **Proton Authenticator**: Free, open-source two-factor authentication app (Mobile/Desktop App)
- **Proton Meet**: Encrypted video call service launched in 2026 (SaaS)
- **Lumo by Proton**: Privacy-respecting AI assistant integrated with the Proton ecosystem (SaaS/API)
- **Proton for Business**: Bundled suite for organizations with admin controls and compliance features (SaaS)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (company is profitable, not VC-funded)
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue of USD 20,000,000 (per LinkedIn); over 100 million user accounts
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Primary shareholder is the non-profit Proton Foundation; key partnerships with CERN and MIT (origins); acquired Standard Notes Ltd. (2024) and SimpleLogin SAS (2022)
- **Growth Signals**: 600+ employees across 8+ offices globally; monthly headcount growth of +1.2%; 118 active job postings; expanding product line (e.g., Proton Meet, Lumo AI); trusted by over 100,000 businesses

## Competitive Advantages
- **Swiss jurisdiction**: Data protected by some of the world’s strongest privacy laws outside of US surveillance reach
- **Zero-access encryption**: Proton cannot technically access user data (end-to-end encryption by default)
- **Open source & audited**: All apps are open source and independently audited for trust and transparency
- **Not ad-driven**: Subscription-based business model with no ads or data selling
- **Non-profit ownership**: Proton Foundation ensures mission before profit
- **Highly selective hiring**: <1% acceptance rate, attracting top global talent

## Strategic Focus
- **Ecosystem expansion**: Integrating all services under a single Proton Account, launching new products (Proton Meet, Proton Docs, Lumo AI)
- **B2B growth**: Scaling Proton for Business with dedicated sales and compliance features
- **Migration from Big Tech**: Tools to easily import from Gmail/Outlook/Google Drive to Proton
- **AI done right**: Developing privacy-respecting AI (Lumo) that does not compromise user data
- **Open source community**: Continued commitment to open source and external audits

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven work**: Impact the privacy and security of over 100 million users, including activists and journalists
- **Culture**: Small, empowered teams with high talent density; real ownership from day one
- **Remote/hybrid/office policy**: Flexible working (outcomes-focused); offices in Geneva, Zurich, Skopje, Taipei, Vilnius, Barcelona, Paris, and Prague; in-person collaboration encouraged (daily lunch and snacks provided)
- **Notable perks**: Stock options for all employees, strong health coverage, generous leave, learning & development investment, public transport/bike allowance, top-of-the-line hardware
- **Engineering culture**: Open-source codebase, modern stack (migrating to TypeScript/GPL3), focus on product engineering and impact

## Sources
1. [proton.me](https://proton.me/)
2. [LinkedIn Company Profile](https://ch.linkedin.com/company/protonprivacy)
3. [Greenhouse Job Board](https://job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io/proton)
4. [Greenhouse Job Application (Frontend Engineer)](https://job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io/proton/jobs/4857528101)
5. [Levels.fyi - Proton Careers](https://www.levels.fyi/companies/proton)

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