Senior Software Engineer, C++

About the role

This role focuses on advancing the Stellar blockchain network by designing and implementing key software components for Stellar Core. The work involves creating robust, scalable, and extensible technologies that support developers and network participants. A significant part of the job includes collaborating on new architectures and subsystems with the CTO and other engineers, ensuring the platform continues to grow and adapt.

The Senior Software Engineer will own critical subsystems, contributing to the team's ability to achieve product milestones. This includes writing clean, maintainable code with attention to edge cases and future-proofing, as well as participating in code reviews and design discussions. The position also requires investigating and resolving performance bottlenecks to maintain system scalability.

Success in this role means contributing to the overall health and evolution of the Stellar network through strong technical leadership and collaboration. This involves authoring detailed technical specifications for new features and protocols, ensuring clear communication and documentation. The engineer will be part of a small, growing team, working within an open-source community to support a rapidly expanding ecosystem.

The base salary for this role ranges from $180,000 to $290,000 USD.

Skills that matter here

• C++: Proficiency in C++ is required for developing core components of the Stellar network in a production environment.
• Rust: Experience with Rust is also valued for contributing to the Stellar network's backend software.
• Blockchain: This role directly involves working with and contributing to the Stellar blockchain network's infrastructure.
• Distributed Systems: Understanding distributed systems is crucial for designing and maintaining the Stellar network's architecture.
• Performance Debugging: The engineer will investigate and refactor performance bottlenecks to ensure the system scales effectively.
• Scalability: Designing and developing scalable technologies is a primary responsibility to support network growth.

Who this role suits

• You are a software engineer with at least four years of team development experience.
• You possess strong communication skills and can lead technical discussions effectively.
• You have a solid grasp of software design patterns and best practices.
• You are enthusiastic about working in a small, growing team environment.

From the employer

• Design and build key components of Stellar Core - the backbone software behind the Stellar Network.
• Design and develop robust, scalable, and extensible technologies that empower our developers and network participants.
• Collaborate on new architectures and subsystems, working alongside our CTO, our team of engineers, and our community of open source developers.
• Write clean, maintainable code with an emphasis on edge case analysis and future-proofing our work.
• Own core subsystems of Stellar Core, and help the team hit critical product milestones.
• Collaborate with the team on code review and design, and contribute to best practices for all of engineering at SDF.
• Investigate and refactor performance bottlenecks in order to continue scaling the system.
• Author detailed technical feature and protocol (RFC) specifications.

• 4+ years of experience developing software on a team.
• BS or MS in Computer Science or equivalent field.
• Proficient in writing code in modern C++ or Rust in a production environment.
• Strong communication skills to advocate and lead technical discussions.
• Solid understanding of software design patterns.
• Knowledgeable of best practices and development tools.
• Passion for performance debugging and benchmarking.
• Enthusiastic about working on a small, growing team.

• Competitive pay with a base salary range of $180,000 - $290,000.
• Lumen-denominated grants.
• Competitive health, dental & vision coverage.
• Flexible time off + 15 company holidays.
• Generous paid parental leave.
• Gym reimbursement ($80 per month).
• Life & ADD (up to $50K).
• Short & Long term disability.
• 401K with 4% match.
• Health & Dependent Care FSA Accounts.
• Commuter benefits with $250/month employer contribution.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with monthly employer contribution.
• Family building benefits through Kindbody.
• Wellbeing benefits (One Medical, Rightway, Headspace).
• L&D budget of $1,500/year.
• Daily lunch and snacks in office.
• Company retreats.