Senior Software Engineer, Core Systems

Role 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.

• 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.
• Collaborate closely with networking and security engineers to ensure onboard systems communicate reliably and remain free of critical vulnerabilities.
• Shape how data is captured, moved, and understood onboard, enabling resilient autonomy and breakthrough operational insight for the rest of the company.
• Enhance the quality and reliability of our onboard software by expanding unit testing frameworks, automated integration tests, continuous deployment pipelines, and code reviews and documentation.

Qualifications

• 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!

Requirements

• Build and maintain the network-facing software layers that enable Node to communicate reliably with shore.
• 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.
• Ensure that software degrades gracefully during connectivity loss or link degradation.
• Work with network and security engineers to review onboard software for vulnerabilities and harden network-facing services.
• 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.

Benefits

• Cash compensation of $175,000–$230,000.
• Equity in the company.
• 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).

Company Description

We are a renewable energy and ocean technology company committed to rapidly developing and deploying technologies that will ensure a sustainable future for Earth by unlocking the vast energy potential of its oceans.