Software Engineer - C Developer

You will work as part of an agile team to design, develop, and maintain mission-critical telecommunications signaling software. Your day-to-day activities typically include:

• Designing, developing, and enhancing our high-performance, multi-threaded, real-time software solution based on Linux.
• Analyzing system requirements and technical specifications to develop software designs that meet performance, scalability, and reliability targets.
• Continuously identifying potential performance bottlenecks and implementing optimizations to improve software performance, responsiveness, and efficiency.
• Implementing real-time data processing and communication mechanisms to ensure timely and accurate delivery of telecommunications services.
• Investigating and resolving software-related issues reported by customers or internal teams.
• Integrating our product suite with cloud environments and the associated operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) tools.
• Writing clean, efficient and maintainable code, applying secure coding practices throughout, and debugging and resolving defects to safeguard software quality.
• Creating solution descriptions (SDs) for new tickets and creating and updating tickets on the product backlog to report on progress.
• Enhancing the automated test suite by adding tests that validate the new code being delivered.
• Participating in code reviews, design reviews, unit testing, and integration testing to ensure reliability, robustness, and compliance with industry standards.
• Collaborating closely with cross-functional colleagues (product managers, architects, and testers) to ensure seamless integration of software components and alignment with project goals.
• Providing technical support and guidance, and staying up to date with the latest technologies, trends, and best practices in telecommunications software development.

Your mandate

This is a role with real engineering ownership. As part of the team, you can request reviews, enforce coding and security standards, and propose improvements that enhance quality, performance, and efficiency.

We're not expecting you to check every box; what's important to us is your mindset, experience, and willingness to learn and grow. Here's what we think will set you up for success:

Background & approach

• A BSc in Telecommunications, Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience (preferred).
• A self-motivated and proactive software engineer who thrives in a collaborative team environment, takes initiative within established team practices, and aligns with our proven architecture, tooling, and mission-critical engineering standards.

Core skills

• C programming in a Linux (RedHat) or another Unix operating system environment.
• Telecom signaling protocols: hands-on experience with one or more of Diameter, SS7/SIGTRAN, and SIP, ideally within signaling nodes such as an STP (Signal Transfer Point) or Diameter Routing Agent (DRA).
• Network protocols: TCP/IP, SCTP and HTTP, including analyzing network traces with Wireshark.
• Experience with high-availability solutions.
• Real-time software development and performance analysis.
• Linux administration (RedHat / Rocky Linux).
• Unix scripting languages (shell, Perl, etc.) and Unix package building (rpm).

Nice to have (added value)

• Docker and Kubernetes (image building, template design, orchestration).
• NoSQL database tools such as Couchbase, MongoDB, etc.
• Expertise in next-generation IP networking, especially solution architecture in the telecom domain.
• Knowledge of telecom network architectures, components, protocols, and their usage.
• Familiarity with telecom standards from ITU-T, IETF, and 3GPP (SS7, SIGTRAN, Diameter, SIP, GTP).
• SNMP and Network Management Systems.
• Network protocol programming (sockets, stack development).

And to round it off

• Strong English communication skills (technical and non-technical).
• You're based in the Netherlands and have a valid work permit., Location & Eligibility: Candidate must possess a valid Dutch work permit (sponsorship is not provided).

Pulled from the full job description

• Profit sharing
• Pension plan
• Flexible schedule, BroadForward offers you the opportunity to work with us on a market-leading 4G, 5G, and later 6G software solution, in an innovative and creative work environment. We offer flexible work hours and attractive primary and secondary conditions of employment, including a profit-sharing scheme:
• Learning & development budget per employee.
• Attractive pension scheme, including extra insurances.
• 27 days of paid time off (full-time).
• Flexible work hours.
• Hybrid working model.
• Regular social events with the team

To support BroadForward's growing business we are looking for an experienced Software Engineer (full-time or part-time) to join our team based in Amersfoort, the Netherlands. Join our team at BroadForward. When progress matters to you! BroadForward is a fast-growing, award-winning provider of intelligent signaling software for mobile networks. We deliver high-performance routing, interworking, security, and number portability solutions across 3G, 4G, 5G, Fixed, Wi Fi, and M2M/IoT networks. We are proud of our open, no-nonsense culture and short communication lines. Our team works closely together to achieve maximum agility and flexibility, while maintaining high standards of quality and professionalism. Your role At BroadForward, you'll be responsible for designing, developing, and enhancing our software solution that runs at the heart of mobile signaling networks worldwide. You'll translate system requirements and technical specifications into designs that meet demanding performance, scalability, and reliability targets, and you'll continuously look for ways to make our products faster, leaner, and more robust. What matters most is your ability to learn, adapt, and grow in a fast-moving environment., Working at BroadForward is an opportunity to leverage your experience while stepping into a world of new challenges. You'll have the chance to: * Make a real impact by shaping the signaling software that keeps 4G, 5G (and soon 6G) networks connected worldwide. * Work with a modern, performance-focused tech stack (C on Linux/RedHat, multi-threaded real-time systems, Docker, Kubernetes) in a dynamic, agile environment. * Grow and learn in a team that values innovation, quality, and work-life balance. * Take genuine ownership of your work, with the autonomy to uphold engineering standards and propose new approaches that move the product forward.