Staff/Senior Software Engineer - Desktop Application

Nexthink; Lausanne; Hybrid; CHF 170,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Relocation package

Unlimited vacation

Job summary

Nexthink is seeking a Staff or Senior Desktop Application Developer to lead the architecture and delivery of a native desktop client distributed to 20M+ endpoints worldwide. You will shape technical direction, collaborate with AI/ML teams, and ensure high performance and secure OS integration on Windows and macOS.

In this high-ownership role, you will mentor engineers, drive design decisions, and own the full distribution lifecycle from signing to updates, while thriving in a hybrid work model

Qualifications

• 7+ years of desktop application engineering experience shipping native applications for Windows and macOS.
• Proven success designing and shipping client applications to large user bases with platform constraints.
• Strong proficiency in C++ with deep OS API knowledge for Windows and macOS.
• Hands-on experience with the full distribution lifecycle: code signing, packaging, auto-update, and scalable deployment.
• Solid understanding of desktop performance profiling, memory management, and crash diagnostics.
• Excellent communication and ability to influence cross-functional teams and leadership.
• Track record of mentoring and elevating engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive technical vision and architectural strategy for the desktop client application.
• Lead design of a high-performance, native desktop app on Windows and macOS at scale.
• Partner with product, backend, and AI/ML teams to align the client experience with the broader AI platform.
• Provide technical leadership on client architecture, coding standards, and best practices for native desktop development.
• Architect and deliver a reliable, secure application covering the full distribution lifecycle: signing, packaging, installation, updates, and uninstallation.
• Champion observability, crash reporting, performance monitoring, and diagnostics across the client stack.
• Mentor engineers and raise the technical bar across teams.
• Lead technical deep dives, design reviews, and roadmap alignment with leadership.
• Ensure security and OS-level integration are embedded in design from day one.

Skills

C++

Windows OS APIs

macOS OS APIs

Desktop app engineering

Code signing

Auto-update

Deployment at scale

Performance profiling

Crash diagnostics

Mentoring

Cross-functional leadership

Tools

Rust

Tauri

React

TypeScript

REST

WebSockets

gRPC

Job description

Nexthink is the leader in digital employee experience management software. The company provides IT leaders with unprecedented insight allowing them to see, diagnose and fix issues at scale impacting employees anywhere, with any application or network, before employees notice the issue. As the first solution to allow IT to progress from reactive problem solving to proactive optimization, Nexthink enables its more than 1,500 customers to provide better digital experiences to more than 25+ million employees. Dual headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland and Boston, Massachusetts, Nexthink has 9 offices worldwide.

Nexthink is the leader in digital employee experience management software. The company provides IT leaders with unprecedented insight allowing them to see, diagnose and fix issues at scale impacting employees anywhere, with any application or network, before employees notice the issue. As the first solution to allow IT to progress from reactive problem solving to proactive optimization, Nexthink enables its more than 1,500 customers to provide better digital experiences to more than 25+ million employees. Dual headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland and Boston, Massachusetts, Nexthink has 9 offices worldwide.

Job Description

We are looking for a Staff or Senior Desktop Application Developer to be part of the team designing, architecting, and implementing our AI-powered IT self-service chat agent — a native desktop application distributed to 20+ million endpoints worldwide. This client is the face of Nexthink’s AI platform, giving employees a seamless, responsive experience directly on their Windows and macOS devices.

As a Desktop Engineer, you will go beyond implementation: you will set technical direction for the client layer, influence cross-team design decisions, and serve as a trusted advisor to both engineering leadership and product. You’ll tackle problems of performance, reliability, and native OS integration while partnering with backend, infra, and security teams to ship a production-grade application at global scale.

This is a high-impact, high-ownership role where you’ll make foundational architectural decisions about the client platform and help shape the desktop engineering practice at Nexthink.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive technical vision and architectural strategy for the desktop client application.
• Lead design of a high-performance, native desktop application running on Windows and macOS at 20M+ endpoints.
• Partner with product, backend, and AI/ML teams to align the client experience with the broader AI platform.
• Provide technical leadership on client architecture, coding standards, and best practices for native desktop development.
• Architect and deliver a reliable, secure application covering the full distribution lifecycle: signing, packaging, installation, updates, and uninstallation.
• Champion observability, crash reporting, performance monitoring, and diagnostics across the client stack.
• Act as a mentor and multiplier, raising the technical bar and helping engineers grow.
• Lead technical deep dives, design reviews, and roadmap alignment discussions with leadership.
• Ensure security, compliance, and OS-level integration best practices are embedded in design from day one.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of desktop application engineering experience, shipping native applications on Windows and macOS.
• Proven success designing and shipping client applications to large user bases, with a deep understanding of platform-specific constraints and behaviours.
• Strong proficiency in C++, with solid experience building cross-platform desktop applications.
• Deep knowledge of Windows and macOS OS APIs.
• Hands‑on experience with the full application distribution lifecycle: code signing, packaging, auto‑update mechanisms, and deployment at scale.
• Strong understanding of desktop application performance profiling, memory management, and crash diagnostics.
• Exceptional communication skills — able to influence cross‑functional teams and leadership with clear technical direction.
• Track record of mentoring and elevating engineering teams.

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with Rust and the Tauri framework.
• Familiarity with React and TypeScript UI development.
• Experience integrating desktop clients with cloud backends via REST, WebSockets, or gRPC.
• Background in system-level programming: OS hooks, accessibility APIs, inter‑process communication.
• Prior work on applications with silent background processes, system tray agents, or notification‑driven UX.
• Experience with endpoint telemetry, observability SDKs, or APM integration on the client side.
• Experience with enterprise software distribution and managing application update strategies at scale.

Additional Information

We are the pioneers and trailblazers of a global IT Market Category (DEX) that is shaping the future of how the world works, giving our customers’ IT Teams total digital visibility across their enterprise. Our innovative solutions integrate real‑time analytics, automation, and employee feedback across all endpoints. This enables our IT teams to solve complex technical challenges, create ever more productive workplaces, and deliver happy, satisfied employees in the digital workplace.

With over 1200 employees across 5 continents, Nexthink operates as One Team, connecting, collaborating and innovating to continuously grow. We call our employees ‘Nexthinkers’ and our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and equity is second to none. We currently have over 75 nationalities working with us, from all cultures and backgrounds, speaking many different languages.

If you are looking for a change and like a nice atmosphere, lots of challenges, and having fun while working, this is a great opportunity for you! Check what we offer:

• Permanent Contract and a competitive compensation package.
• Beautiful office with a view of Lake Geneva, conveniently located next to the Prilly-Malley train station
• Hybrid work model balancing office and remote work, with a structured approach for new hires to foster connections and onboarding.
• Flexible Hours and unlimited vacation (employees have unlimited paid time off on top of the 25 days of holidays we offer) plus 3 company‑paid volunteer days.
• Free access to a fitness centre inside the building.
• Reimbursement of the half‑fare travel card for public transport.
• Reimbursement up to 50% of the cost of French classes.
• Fresh fruit, cookies, and soft drinks as well.
• Regular company and team events like Voluntary Days, Pizza talks, Team Building activities, hosting Meetups at the office and more!
• Bonuses for referring successful hires after three months of continuous employment.
• We offer a relocation package to people who are coming from another country.

Please note that not all the benefits listed above are available for temporary, contract, and internship roles. To ensure you have the most up‑to‑date information, we recommend checking with your Recruitment Partner.