Senior C++ Software Engineer

Catapult; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) match

Paid leave

Job summary

Catapult in Boston is seeking a Senior C++ Software Engineer for the Focus Live team to build real-time video capture and processing for football practice and gameday. You will write high-performance C++ that processes live video under demanding stadium conditions and contribute to a critical edge-tech product.

You’ll work with FFmpeg, multithreading, and low-latency networks, collaborate with sports-technology experts, and shape architecture while delivering reliable software that teams rely on

Qualifications

• Experience building high-performance C++ software for real-time systems.
• Experience with live video streams and low-latency processing, preferably in sports tech.
• Experience with video formats such as H.264/H.265 and streaming pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain high-performance, real-time C++ solutions for live video capture and server processing.
• Ensure reliability in demanding live football environments and optimize latency and throughput.
• Contribute to implementation and maintenance of efficient, reusable C++ code and modern practices.
• Shape technology and architecture as the product evolves and drive code quality.
• Collaborate with the wider engineering team through design discussions, code reviews, and testing strategies.

Skills

High-performance C++

Real-time systems

Multithreading

Video processing

Low-latency networking

FFmpeg

English communication

Tools

FFmpeg

GitHub Actions

TeamCity

Job description

Build the software that powers football on game day.

What if you could watch an NFL game on Sunday and know that the C++ code you wrote was helping power what you’re seeing?

At Catapult, that’s the reality.

We’re looking for a Senior C++ Software Engineer to join our Focus Live team in Boston and build the real-time video capture and processing technology used across American football practice and gameday.

This is a core engineering role at the heart of our football product. You’ll be writing high-performance C++ that processes live video in real time, operating under the demanding conditions of professional football. Your software can be running in front of up to 90,000 fans in a stadium, and its output can appear on TV.

This isn\'t software that sits quietly in the background. When the game is live, your software is live.

You’ll work on challenging problems involving low-latency video, multithreading, networking, FFmpeg and high-performance systems, while collaborating with engineers and sports technology experts to deliver software that teams rely on when performance matters most.

If you’re a C++ engineer who loves performance, video and solving hard real-time systems problems, this is an opportunity to see your work become part of the game itself.

Why this C++ role is different

• See your work on game day. Your software powers live football environments where the results are visible to coaches, players, fans and potentially millions of viewers at home.
• Work at the edge of performance. Build real-time systems where latency, reliability and efficiency genuinely matter.
• Solve hard video problems. Work directly with live streams, H.264/H.265, FFmpeg and high-throughput video processing.
• Build with modern C++. Design and develop robust, maintainable, multithreaded applications across Windows and Linux.
• Work on technology used by elite teams. Catapult supports more than 5,000 teams globally, including organisations across the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, EPL, AFL, NRL and NCAA.
• Own meaningful engineering problems. You’ll have the opportunity to shape architecture, improve the codebase and lead features rather than simply maintaining existing systems.

What you’ll build

As a Senior C++ Software Engineer, you’ll be a key player in planning, designing, building and testing our Focus Live live capture solutions for American football practice and gameday.

You’ll:

• Design, build and maintain high-performance, real-time C++ solutions for live video capture and server processing.
• Work on software that needs to perform reliably in the demanding environment of live football.
• Contribute deeply to the implementation and maintenance of efficient, reusable and reliable C++ code.
• Help shape and improve our technology and architecture as the product evolves.
• Drive improvements in code quality, organisation and modern C++ development practices.
• Work closely with the wider engineering team through design discussions, code reviews and technical collaboration.
• Contribute to our test strategy, including defining test cases, writing unit tests and driving automation.
• Help us continuously raise the bar for the performance, reliability and maintainability of the product.

The technical challenges

This is a role for someone who enjoys getting into the details.

You’ll be solving problems around:

• Modern C++
• Real-time and low-latency video
• H.264/H.265 and live video streams
• FFmpeg
• Multithreaded applications
• High-performance server and desktop applications
• Network programming
• Distributed systems
• Cross-platform development across Windows and Linux

You’ll have a genuine opportunity to influence how we solve these problems, rather than simply implementing predefined solutions.

What you’ll bring

We’re looking for an experienced engineer who combines strong C++ fundamentals with curiosity, technical depth and a desire to solve difficult problems.

You’ll ideally have:

• Experience building high-performance, robust software solutions using modern C++.
• Demonstrated experience working with live video streams and low-latency processing.
• Experience with video formats such as H.264/H.265.
• Experience designing and developing multithreaded, performant server or desktop applications.
• Solid knowledge of unit testing methodologies and tools, with a focus on producing maintainable, traceable code.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.

It would also be great if you have:

• Cross-platform development experience, particularly Windows and Linux.
• Experience with modern C++ build systems such as CMake.
• Experience with CI/CD tools such as GitHub Actions or TeamCity.
• Experience with network programming, distributed systems and real-time data transfer protocols.
• Experience working within agile engineering teams delivering robust, scalable applications, services or APIs.

You don\'t need to tick every box. If you’re a strong C++ engineer with experience solving complex performance or systems problems, and you\'re excited by what we\'re building, we’d love to hear from you.

What success looks like

After 6 months:

You’re contributing confidently to the Focus Live codebase, understanding the live capture environment and supporting the product through the demands of the football season.

After 12 months:

You’ve helped deliver a successful season of live capture and are designing improvements, influencing technical decisions and leading the addition of features for the next season.

Ultimately, success means becoming one of the engineers our team trusts to solve the hardest problems when performance and reliability matter most.

About Catapult

Catapult is building the future of sports performance technology, with a mission to Unleash the Potential of every athlete and team on earth.

Since 2006, our solutions have helped change the way elite sport operates. Today, we work with 5,000+ teams around the world, including premier organisations across the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, EPL, AFL, NRL, NCAA and more.

We empower coaches, managers and performance staff with the information they need to optimise athlete health, game-day readiness and performance, as well as in-game tactics.

Our technology brings together health, performance, video and AI insights, helping teams make better decisions from the locker room to the competitive environment.

We don\'t just work in the sporting industry. We\'re actively changing it.

And while you don\'t need to be a sports fan to work here, there is something pretty special about knowing that the software you build can help some of the world\'s best teams perform when it matters most.

The target Total Compensation range for this position is $160,000 to $180,000 per year. This range is inclusive of base salary and a target incentive plan, which may include equity, commission or other bonus structures.

Your specific compensation within this range will be determined by factors including geographic location, relevant experience and job-related skills.

Catapult also offers generous paid leave and recognised company holidays, alongside a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Health, Dental and Vision insurance
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• Additional employee benefits and programmes

Ready to build technology that's part of the game?

If you're a Senior C++ Engineer who wants to work on challenging real-time systems, live video and performance-critical applications, and you like the idea of seeing your software in action on football's biggest stages, we'd love to hear from you.

Research shows that while men often apply for jobs when they meet around 60% of the criteria, women and other underrepresented groups may be less likely to apply unless they meet every requirement. If you have what it takes but don't meet every single point in this advert, please still get in touch. We’re looking for exceptional engineers who can contribute to our team, learn quickly and be excited about the problems we’re solving.

All offers of employment are subject to Catapult's positive prehire check. For further information, please contact the Talent Partner for this role.