Senior Principal Software Engineer

Socket.dev; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 195,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, and Vision

401(k) with 4% match

20 PTO days

13 holidays

9/80 schedule

Job summary

Monarch Quantum in San Diego, CA seeks a Senior Principal Software Engineer to lead the Robotic Automation stack. You will own the architecture, define the long-term roadmap, and drive scalable, reliable software across fleet management, data systems, and MES components.

You will mentor engineers, set coding standards, and partner with leadership on strategy and resourcing. Hands-on with C++ and Python, you’ll review code and shape system design end-to-end.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, CS or related field.
• 10+ years of relevant software engineering with leadership on complex systems.
• Experience in startup/fast-paced tech environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own the architectural roadmap for fleet management, data management, and MES systems.
• Define technical vision for orchestration, control, and management layers as the system scales.
• Make high-impact architectural decisions on interfaces, data flow, and reliability.
• Mentor engineers and drive technical tradeoffs, reviews, and standards across C++ and Python.
• Collaborate with robotics, firmware, hardware, and software teams to ensure design holds across the product.

Skills

C++ (17/20)

Python

Distributed systems

Robotics/Automation

Git

Unit testing (GTest/pytest)

CMake

Concurrency

SOLID principles

Agile

Education

Bachelor's degree in Software/CS/Engineering

Tools

Git

CMake

Job description

Join our fast-paced and passionate team as a Senior Principal Software Engineer on our Robotic Automation team. As we scale, you will be instrumental in building our foundation from the ground up. This is a dynamic, hands-on role for a self-starter who thrives in a fluid startup environment. You'll have the opportunity to work on cutting edge technologies, work closely with leadership, and develop and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth. Your key responsibilities are as follows:

• Own the overall technical architecture and long-term roadmap for our fleet management, robotics data management, and manufacturing execution software (MES) systems.
• Set the technical vision for how our robotic automation stations, orchestration and control software, and higher-level management systems fit together as the fleet scales.
• Make and defend high-impact architectural decisions on system interfaces, data flow, scalability, and reliability across the full automation stack.
• Act as the top technical authority on the team, resolving the hardest design and engineering problems and guiding other engineers, including Principal-level engineers, through complex technical tradeoffs.
• Partner directly with leadership on strategic planning, roadmap prioritization, and resourcing decisions for the Robotic Automation team.
• Champion and evolve engineering standards, architectural patterns, and best practices across C++ and Python codebases, and drive their adoption team-wide.
• Identify technical risk early, across the whole system, and drive mitigation before it becomes a schedule or quality problem.
• Mentor engineers at every level, and help build the technical judgment and career growth of the team as a whole.
• Write and review code, and remain hands-on with the systems you architect, not just at a whiteboard level.
• Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including robotics, firmware, hardware, and software engineering, to make sure system design decisions hold up across the whole product.
• Lead code reviews and design reviews, and hold the team to a high bar for quality, correctness, and maintainability.
• Own and maintain clear, well-structured technical documentation and architecture decision records for the systems you lead.
• Work independently and in a team while over-communicating with the manager, project engineer, and teammates.
• Use tenacity, patience, self-discipline, and passion for excellence to assure accuracy of execution schedule, data quality and integrity, conformance to company best practices, clarity in communication, and documentation.
• Use every opportunity to grow your own competency and the team's, through mentorship, curiosity, communication, exposure, and initiative.

• This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).

Experience

• A bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10+ years of relevant software engineering experience, with a track record of technical leadership on complex systems.
• Experience working in a startup or fast-paced technology company environment is a plus.

Skills

• 8+ years of professional experience in C++ software development, and strong professional experience in Python.
• Strong understanding of modern C++ (C++17/20) and Python software design.
• Experience architecting distributed or multi-system software, ideally involving fleet management, data management, or manufacturing execution systems.
• Experience designing systems that communicate with and manage robotic or automated hardware stations.
• Strong database experience (SQL or similar) for systems involving logging, telemetry, specs, and results tracking.
• Experience with unit testing frameworks (Google Test for C++, pytest for Python) and a strong commitment to test coverage.
• Experience with CMake for build and project configuration, and familiarity with Python packaging and dependency management.
• Ability to debug, profile, and optimize software across both C++ and Python codebases.
• Experience working with version control systems (Git).
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to work independently, lead technical initiatives, and mentor other engineers.
• Familiarity with multi-threaded programming and concurrency in C++.
• Knowledge of software best practices, including design patterns, SOLID principles, and performance optimization.
• Experience working in an agile development environment.
• Experience with robotics, industrial automation, or manufacturing systems is a strong plus.

The expected annual salary range for this position is $195,000-$235,000.

As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for Monarch’s comprehensive benefits package, which includes:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Fidelity 401(k) plan with 4% employer matching
• 20 paid time off (PTO) days per year
• 13 paid company holidays
• 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off)

Monarch Quantum is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.