Senior Software Engineer, C++ Middleware

As a Senior Software Engineer, C++ Middleware at Agtonomy, you will design, implement, and maintain on-robot software frameworks for safety-critical autonomy systems. Your role involves developing abstractions for vehicle hardware systems, designing inter-process communication frameworks, and enhancing system reliability through real-time performance monitoring. Collaborating with various teams to close feature gaps and participating in architecture decisions are also key parts of your responsibilities.

To qualify for the Senior Software Engineer, C++ Middleware role at Agtonomy, you should have a strong background in C++ (C++17 or newer), event-driven programming, and experience in Linux environments. Additionally, at least four years of experience developing performant software for resource-constrained systems and proven communication skills are crucial. A deep understanding of operating system concepts and an ability to optimize software performance are also important.

The interview process for the Senior Software Engineer, C++ Middleware position at Agtonomy typically involves five phases, including a phone screen with People Operations, a video interview with the Hiring Manager, a technical interview focused on C++, panel interviews with key stakeholders, and final discussions with the CEO and CFO. Each phase is designed to evaluate your technical skills, experience, and fit within the team culture.

The compensation package for a Senior Software Engineer, C++ Middleware at Agtonomy ranges from $160,000 to $190,000 annually, along with equity options and benefits like fully covered medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees. Additionally, the company offers unlimited PTO, a 401k plan, and a collaborative work environment, enhancing overall job satisfaction.

A Senior Software Engineer, C++ Middleware at Agtonomy should be proficient in modern C++ (C++17 or newer), have experience with asynchronous and event-driven programming, and be familiar with software build tooling. Understanding core operating systems concepts, thread scheduling, and profiling software performance in a Linux environment will also be essential for success in this position.

In your answer, highlight specific projects where you've utilized C++17 features effectively. Discuss how you implemented modern C++ practices, such as smart pointers, lambda functions, and concurrency features, to improve code quality and performance.

Emphasize your methodologies for testing and validating middleware. Discuss design principles like fail-safety and redundancy, as well as how you implement extensive logging, monitoring, and real-time diagnostics to uphold system reliability.

Share a specific example of a performance issue you faced in a past project and the steps you took to diagnose and optimize the code. Talk about techniques you used, such as profiling, benchmarking, and refactoring, to achieve significant improvements.

Illustrate your ability to communicate technical concepts clearly with non-technical teams. Provide examples of successful collaboration with firmware or hardware teams, detailing how your contributions directly impacted project outcomes.

Discuss your approach to designing well-documented, flexible software APIs and how you've ensured that they meet the needs of various consumers. Explain the importance of usability and maintainability in API design.

Outline a challenging problem you encountered, detailing the context, the steps you took to resolve it, and the outcome. Use this opportunity to showcase your problem-solving skills and technical knowledge.

Talk about your strategies for implementing diagnostics in real-time systems, including monitoring techniques and tools that you've used. Explain how these practices contributed to system reliability and performance.

Elaborate on specific scenarios where you’ve employed asynchronous programming to improve responsiveness and performance in your applications. Highlight how this approach benefited the overall architecture.

Share your strategies for continuous learning, such as following relevant blogs, participating in online courses, attending conferences, or contributing to open-source projects. This demonstrates your commitment to professional growth.

Reflect on Agtonomy's mission and values that resonate with you. Mention your enthusiasm for automation and AI, how your skills align with the role, and your desire to contribute to innovative solutions in agriculture and beyond.