Senior Software Engineer, Core Systems

NextGenEnergyJobs; Portland (OR); On-site; USD 175,000 - 230,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Equity in the company

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

401(k) / health FSA / dependent care F

Unlimited PTO

Flexible working hours

Job summary

NextGenEnergyJobs in Portland, OR seeks a Senior Software Engineer for the Core Systems team to design, develop, and optimize onboard data aggregation and telemetry systems. You will deliver reliable data pipelines, low-latency telemetry, and storage capable of harsh marine conditions, while collaborating with shore-side engineers and security teams.

You will extend testing, CI/CD, code reviews, and documentation, and help harden network-facing services.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of software development experience.
• 3+ years in data-intensive or mission-critical systems.
• Proficiency in Rust, C++, or similar systems language.
• Experience with git and CI/CD pipelines.
• Experience building network-facing software and reliable telemetry.
• Knowledge of networking fundamentals and distributed systems.
• Experience designing for constrained, high-latency links.
• Security-focused development and code reviews.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize onboard data aggregation and telemetry systems.
• Build reliable data pipelines and low-latency telemetry paths.
• Develop storage systems for marine environments and ensure reliability.
• Collaborate across teams for APIs, schemas, and data exchange.
• Improve testing frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and documentation.
• Ensure secure, robust software capable of operating with limited connectivity.

Skills

Rust

C++

Distributed systems

Networking fundamentals

Self-starting

Cross-team communication

Problem solving

Tools

Git

CI/CD pipelines

Docker

Kubernetes

Networking tools

Job description

• Our core technology is the Node, a device that produces energy in the ocean’s harshest conditions for years without human maintenance or intervention. As a Senior Software Engineer on the Core Systems team, you will contribute to the design, development, and optimization of the onboard data aggregation and telemetry systems.
• You will work with our Core team and partner with Shore-side software engineers to build reliable data pipelines, low-latency telemetry paths, and storage systems that function in constrained, unpredictable marine environments. You will also work closely with our networking and security engineers to ensure onboard systems communicate reliably and remain free of critical vulnerabilities. Your work will directly shape how data is captured, moved, and understood onboard, enabling resilient autonomy and breakthrough operational insight for the rest of the company. As such, you should feel comfortable communicating effectively across the boundaries of teams and disciplines.
• In addition to developing new capabilities, you will build on our existing development processes and tooling to further enhance the quality and reliability of our onboard software – expanding unit testing frameworks, automated integration tests, continuous deployment pipelines, and code reviews and documentation.
• Build and maintain the network-facing software layers that enable Node to communicate reliably with shore – from low-level connection handling to higher-level data exchange protocols.
• Design egress telemetry pipelines that use bandwidth efficiently, weighing tradeoffs between data fidelity, timeliness, and link constraints.
• Collaborate on APIs and schemas for command, control, and telemetry exchanges between subsystems, ensuring reliability is built in from the start.
• Partner with network engineers to ensure a cohesive strategy for how bandwidth is divided and prioritized among competing data streams – telemetry, command and control, diagnostics, etc. – ensuring consistent allocation and fulfillment of bandwidth budget.
• Ensure that software degrades gracefully during connectivity loss or link degradation – including buffering, retry logic, and prioritized retransmission – so critical data isn't lost when links drop.
• Work with network and security engineers to review onboard software for vulnerabilities, harden network-facing services, and ensure telemetry and control interfaces meet the company's security standards before deployment.
• Analyze system performance and implement optimizations for latency, throughput, and resource efficiency.
• Extend and improve existing unit testing frameworks, integration tests, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Strengthen code review, documentation, and general software engineering practices within the team.
• Participate in design reviews, architecture discussions, and cross-team technical collaborations.

Requirements

• 7+ years of experience developing software.
• 3+ years of experience with data-intensive or mission-critical systems.
• Proficiency in a systems programming language (Rust, C++, or similar).
• Proficiency with version control (we use git).
• Competency with CI/CD pipelines for automated tests and deployment.
• Experience building or maintaining network-facing software – handling connection lifecycles, protocol implementation, or communication reliability in production systems.
• Understanding of fundamentals in computer networking (L2–L4), transport protocols, congestion control, and distributed systems.
• Experience designing systems for constrained, high-latency, intermittent, and/or expensive links (e.g., satellite, maritime, remote ops).
• Familiarity with security principles for networked systems (authentication/authorization, encryption, key management).
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and self-starting atmosphere.
• Ability to communicate thoughtfully and empathetically with people from many different educational and professional backgrounds.
• Motivation and curiosity to learn a wide variety of concepts across many disciplines, not just software engineering!
• Experience with Rust, particularly in building reliable, high-performance software systems.
• Experience with real-time or safety-adjacent systems where reliability is critical.
• Background in robotics, aerospace, or marine systems with a focus on data processing.
• Familiarity with time-series databases, streaming analytics, and data pipelines for telemetry and monitoring applications.
• Experience with containerized build environments for developing, testing, and deploying software.
• We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every desired qualification. If you are a strong software engineer motivated by building resilient, high-quality, mission-critical onboard systems, we want to hear from you.
• Intermittently able to work longer hours and weekends to support critical needs. While we expect a lot of each other, we also offer a high degree of autonomy and work-life balance, including unlimited PTO and flexible working hours.
• If hired for this full-time role, you will receive:
• Cash compensation of $175,000–$230,000.
• Equity in the company. We’re all owners and if we’re successful, this equity should be far and away the most valuable component of your compensation.
• A benefits package that helps you take care of yourself and your family, including: Flexible paid time off Health insurance (the company pays 100% of gold level PPO plan for full time employees, their partners, and dependents) Dental insurance (the company pays 33% for full time employees and 100% for their partners and dependents) Vision insurance (the company pays 100% for full time employees, their partners, and dependents) Disability insurance (the company pays 100% for a policy to provide long term financial support if you become disabled) Ability to contribute to tax-advantaged accounts, including 401(k), health FSA, and dependent care FSA
• Relocation assistance to facilitate your move to Portland (if needed).