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# C++ Software Engineer, Distributed Systems

- **Company:** Forterra
- **Location:** Palo Alto, CA, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Automation of Tests, C++ (Programming Language), CMake, Linux, Distributed Systems, Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), Multicasting, Routing, Mockito, Software Engineering, Test Case, ZeroMQ (Concurrent Programming Libraries), Data Logging, Real Time Systems, Grafana, Concurrency, Information Technology, Build Tools, C++14, Grpc
- **Published:** October 20, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.juju.com/job/23_5EA623461E8AD0B675815E91C285C48F

## About the Role

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or equivalent practical experience 8+ years of professional software engineering experience Expert-level proficiency in modern C++ (C++17 or later) Experience with publish/subscribe or message-oriented middlewares (e.g., gRPC, DDS, ZeroMQ, MQTT, custom transports) Strong testing fundamentals and experience developing automated tests in C++ using GoogleTest, Boost.Test, or similar frameworks (unit, integration, regression). Familiar with best practices such as test case design, edge-case coverage, mocking/stubbing, and maintaining reliable CI-friendly test suites. Solid understanding of distributed systems fundamentals, including:

Replication and consistency models Leader election and coordination Failure detection and recovery Concurrency and synchronization

Experience building or operating production distributed systems Deep familiarity with Linux-based development and deployment environments Proven ability to lead technical projects from concept through production Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex systems clearly

Preferred Qualifications

Networking expertise, including unicast/multicast, routing, and constrained or unreliable links Experience building systems for edge environments, robotics, or embedded platforms Familiarity with real-time or near-real-time systems Familiarity with consensus protocols (e.g., Raft, Paxos, or variants) Experience with CMake, Conan, Bazel, or similar build systems Exposure to observability tools (logging, metrics, tracing) in distributed systems Background in defense, automotive, robotics, or safety-critical software

## Description

operational success for Forterra. About this job We are seeking a Senior/Staff Software Engineer to help design and build Fabric, Forterra's core distributed systems platform. This role is ideal for a senior engineer who thrives in ambiguous problem spaces, enjoys building foundational infrastructure, and has deep experience with modern C++ and distributed systems. As a Staff Engineer, you will operate at a system-wide level: shaping architecture, setting technical direction, and delivering high-impact features. You will work closely with platform, autonomy, networking, and application teams to ensure Fabric scales across products, teams, and deployment environments. This is a hands-on technical role with significant architectural ownership and cross-team influence. What you'll do

Lead the design and implementation of core Fabric services and libraries in modern C++ Architect distributed systems that operate reliably over low-bandwidth, high-latency, and unreliable networks Design APIs and abstractions that enable teams to register, serialize, replicate, and query arbitrary data types Define and evolve patterns for discovery, addressing, routing, and replication across fixed and dynamic topologies Build and maintain high-performance messaging, transport, and synchronization layers Drive decisions around consistency models, reliability guarantees, and failure handling Collaborate with partner teams (autonomy, TerraLink, ATAK, web, and external integrators) to ensure Fabric meets real-world requirements Establish best practices for correctness, performance, observability, and maintainability Contribute to long-term technical strategy, roadmap planning, and architectural reviews Document designs clearly for both engineering and integration audiences