Senior C++ Software Engineer

Camwebdir; United Kingdom; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

23 days holiday

Birthday day off

Private medical insurance

Life insurance

Salary sacrifice pension

Enhanced family leave

Employee Assistance Program

Cycle to work

Job summary

Darktrace in Cambridge is seeking a skilled C++ Engineer to contribute to high-performance native systems. The role combines rapid prototyping with structured development of large-scale software, within an R&D environment.

You will design memory-safe, efficient C++ code, applying modern concepts and optimisation techniques, while aligning with security-focused tooling and best practices. The position is hybrid, requiring in-office presence in Cambridge ~2 days per week.

Qualifications

• Experience with rapid prototyping and large-scale native systems development.
• Strong understanding of modern C++ concepts (RAII, templates, STL, concurrency, smart pointers).
• Experience with performance analysis, profiling, and optimisation of native apps.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to projects from rapid prototyping in modern C++ to structured development of large-scale native systems.
• Design and implement efficient, memory-safe, high-performance code using modern C++ concepts.
• Advance tooling and methodologies for defending against unknown cyber-attacks.

Skills

C++ development

Multithreading

Performance analysis

Memory safety

System design

Linux/Unix

Tools

Docker

CMake

GCC/Clang

GDB/LLDB

Job description

Job Description:

Darktrace is a global leader in AI for cybersecurity that keeps organizations ahead of the changing threat landscape every day. Founded in 2013, Darktrace provides the essential cybersecurity platform protecting nearly 10,000 organizations from unknown threats using its proprietary AI.

The Darktrace Active AI Security Platform™ delivers a proactive approach to cyber resilience to secure the business across the entire digital estate – from network to cloud to email. Breakthrough innovations from our R&D teams have resulted in over 200 patent applications filed. Darktrace’s platform and services are supported by over 2,400 employees around the world. To learn more, visit http://www.darktrace.com.

Join our dynamic R&D teams in Cambridge, where you'll contribute to the design, development, and optimisation of high-performance, C++-driven systems powering our company’s rapid growth.

Please note this is a hybrid position that requires attendance in the Cambridge office at least 2 days a week.

What will I be doing:

• Contributing to projects ranging from rapid prototyping in modern C++ to the structured development and optimisation of large-scale native systems,
• Designing and implementing efficient, memory-safe, and high-performance code using advanced C++ concepts (RAII, templates, STL, concurrency, smart pointers),
• Advancing our unique methodology for defending against unknown cyber-attacks through performant and secure native tooling,
• Applying a strong engineering mindset that balances innovation with best practices in system design, code quality, and maintainability,
• Developing deep expertise in C++ and adjacent low-level technologies, with opportunities to specialise in systems programming, performance optimisation, or security-focused development.

What experience do I need:

• Comfortable working autonomously, making informed design and implementation decisions within complex C++ codebases, while collaborating effectively within a team,
• Knowledgeable or interested in cyber security, low-level systems, and malware forensics,
• Experienced in performance analysis, profiling, and optimisation of native applications (e.g. multithreading, concurrency, CPU/memory efficiency),
• Familiar with modern C++ development tooling (CMake, GCC/Clang, debugging with GDB/LLDB),
• Familiar with Docker and containerisation,
• Knowledgeable about Linux/Unix environments and systems-level development,
• Knowledgeable about cloud computing environments (beneficial but not essential),
• Experience with complementary languages such as Python or Rust is beneficial, but a strong foundation in C++ is essential.

Benefits:

• 23 days’ holiday + all public holidays, rising to 25 days after 2 years of service,
• Additional day off for your birthday,
• Private medical insurance which covers you, your cohabiting partner and children,
• Life insurance of 4 times your base salary,
• Salary sacrifice pension scheme,
• Enhanced family leave,
• Confidential Employee Assistance Program,
• Cycle to work scheme.

Darktrace is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Darktrace is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable laws. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact your Talent Partner.