Senior Software Architect

Socket.dev; Foster City, California (CA, MO); On-site; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

SWISSto12 is seeking a Senior Software Architect to lead end-to-end architecture across product lines, ensuring coherent design for embedded and hardware-integrated systems. You will guide architectural governance, drive real-time trade-offs, and own the full SDLC with a focus on secure, scalable and highly available software platforms.

With 10+ years in software/system architecture and hands-on Python/C++ experience, you will mentor engineers, collaborate across teams and external partners, and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years in software/system architecture or technical leadership for complex, mission-critical systems.
• Expertise in RTOS-based embedded systems, real-time processing, multi-threaded/concurrent systems, and hardware-interfaced software.
• Strong hands-on experience in Python and C/C++, across embedded, backend, and frontend layers including APIs and distributed architectures.
• Hands-on experience with DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, source control workflows, automated deployment processes and security principles.
• Experience leading architecture decisions, mentoring engineers, and driving engineering standards.
• Excellent cross-functional communication with internal teams and external partners.
• Fluent written and verbal English; French a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end software architecture across product lines ensuring coherent design across subsystems.
• Establish architecture governance, reference architectures, and enforce consistency across teams and program increments.
• Drive cross-domain trade-offs balancing performance, timelines, maintainability and scalability in real-time environments.
• Lead the full SDLC: requirements analysis through production support and continuous improvement.
• Design and develop RTOS-based embedded systems, SDR-based systems, and hardware-integrated applications for real-time processing.
• Drive engineering best practices for testing, logging, documentation, code review etc.
• Define and improve CI/CD pipelines and deployment quality gates for high availability.
• Mentor engineers through reviews and coaching; shape long-term engineering standards.
• Collaborate with infrastructure/DevOps to improve observability, reliability and deployment automation.
• Ensure security-by-design across authentication, secret handling, input validation and least privilege.

Skills

RTOS-based embedded systems

Real-time processing

Multithreaded/concurrent systems

Python

C/C++

DevSecOps practices

CI/CD pipelines

Security principles

Architectural leadership

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline

Tools

APIs

Distributed architectures

Git

Job description

SWISSto12 is one of the world’s fastest-growing aerospace companies, evolving from its pioneering use of 3D printing technologies for high-performance Radio Frequency (RF) products and applications to recently announcing the manufacture of entire geostationary telecom satellites, called HummingSat, that define a new category in space.

HummingSat is the world’s first commercial telecom GEO SmallSat developed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA). Its uniquely compact size combined with highly capable telecom payloads allows telecommunications operators to deploy a cost-efficient, compact, and agile asset without sacrificing performance or security. HummingSat has been selected by Intelsat to build the I-45 satellite, by Inmarsat to build three I-8 satellites, and recently by Astrum Mobile to build the NEASTAR-1 satellite.

SWISSto12 is also a leading provider of Radio-Frequency (RF) products and sub-systems for satellite communication and remote sensing applications. The company’s patented 3D printing technologies and associated product designs are unique to deliver lightweight, compact, highly performing, and competitive RF products.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 10+ years in software/system architecture or technical leadership, with proven ownership of end-to-end design for complex, mission-critical systems spanning software and hardware integration
• Expertise in RTOS-based embedded systems, real-time processing, multi-threaded/concurrent systems, and hardware-interfaced software
• Strong hands-on experience in Python and C/C++, with the ability to design across embedded, backend, and frontend layers, including APIs and distributed architectures
• Hands-on experience with DevSecOps practices, CI/CD pipelines, source control workflows, automated deployment processes and security principles
• Experience acting as a technical authority, leading architecture decisions and reviews, while mentoring engineers and driving standards across teams
• Proven ability to work across multidisciplinary teams and external partners, with clear communication of architectural decisions, risks, and trade-offs
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English. French is a plus!

• Lead the end-to-end software architecture across different product lines ensuring coherent design across all subsystems and implementation of software portfolio strategy
• Establish architecture governance and technical authority, including design reviews, reference architectures, and enforcement of consistency across subsystems, teams, and program increments
• Drive cross-domain architectural trade-offs, balancing performance, program timelines, maintainability, and scalability constraints in mission-critical and real-time environments.
• Lead the full SDLC: requirements analysis, solution design, implementation, peer reviews, testing, deployment, production support, and continuous improvement
• Design and develop RTOS-based embedded systems, SDR-based systems, and hardware-integrated applications for real-time processing
• Drive and implement engineering best practices for testing, logging, documentation, code review, traceability, and maintainability
• Define and improve CI/CD pipelines, automated build/test/deploy workflows, release readiness, and deployment quality gates. Build and maintain highly available systems, targeting zero downtime deployments and mission-critical service availability
• Mentor other engineers through design reviews, code reviews, technical coaching, and collaborative problem solving
• Identify technical debt, propose pragmatic improvements, and help shape engineering standards for long-term sustainability
• Partner with infrastructure and DevOps teams to improve environments, deployment automation, observability, reliability, and operational support
• Ensure software is built with security by design, including authentication/authorization, secure secret handling, input validation, least privilege principles, and secure API practices

Location: United States (New York / New Jersey area).

Further details to be shared by our recruitment team.

More about SWISSto12:SWISSto12 has successfully established contracts with Intelsat, Inmarsat, Astrum Mobile and ESA for HummingSat as well as contracts for their RF product line in Europe, and the US with prominent partners and customers such as Thales, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, SES and the ESA. SWISSto12 is a spin off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), is privately owned and backed by prominent Swiss and European Investors. SWISSto12 is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and operates a US and European-subsidiariesy in Foster City California. The company is well funded for its near and mid-term developments and backed by a solid customer revenue stream.