Senior Principal Software Engineer (opens in a new tab)

Monarch Quantum; San Diego, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 195,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

401(k) Plan

PTO 20 days

Holidays 13

9/80 Schedule

Job summary

Monarch Quantum is seeking a Senior Principal Software Engineer for the Robotic Automation team in San Diego. You will own the architectural vision across fleet management, robotics data, and MES software, and mentor engineers while delivering on a scalable, reliable automation platform.

You’ll drive technical choices, collaborate with leadership, implement best practices in C++ and Python, and ensure quality through reviews, tests, and documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in software engineering/CS or related field.
• 10+ years of software engineering with leadership on complex systems.
• Startup or fast-paced tech experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own the overall technical architecture and long-term roadmap for fleet management, robotics data management, and MES systems.
• Set the technical vision for how robotic stations and control software fit together as the fleet scales.
• Defend architectural decisions on interfaces, data flow, and reliability across the stack.
• Mentor engineers and guide Principal engineers through tradeoffs.
• Collaborate with leadership on roadmap and resourcing for the Robotic Automation team.
• Champion engineering standards and patterns across C++ and Python.

Skills

C++

Python

Distributed systems

Fleet management

Database SQL

Unit testing

CMake

Git

Concurrency

Architecture

Education

Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering/Computer Science

Tools

Google Test

pytest

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.