SR Software Engineer

Senior Software Engineer Location: Hybrid — Columbus, Ohio Employment Type: Full-time Eligibility: This position is not open to C2C arrangements, third-party submissions, or visa sponsorship. Candidates must currently reside in or near the Columbus, Ohio area. Role Summary We are seeking an experienced Senior Software Engineer to design, build, and maintain high-quality software applications supporting industrial and embedded systems. This role provides technical leadership throughout the software development lifecycle, from requirements definition and architecture through implementation, testing, deployment, and support. The ideal candidate brings strong C++ expertise, hands-on embedded Linux experience, and a deep understanding of secure, reliable software design. You will collaborate closely with hardware, QA, product management, and other engineering partners while mentoring junior developers and improving development practices. Key Responsibilities Lead the design, development, and implementation of complex software solutions for industrial and embedded systems. Architect and maintain scalable, reliable, maintainable, and testable software modules and system components. Develop and execute comprehensive unit, integration, and black-box testing strategies to ensure software quality, reliability, and performance. Collaborate with hardware, QA, product management, and other cross-functional teams to define requirements and deliver high-quality releases. Apply Agile methodologies to manage project work, prioritize deliverables, and continuously provide value. Review customer standards and technical specifications to derive clear, actionable software requirements for new product development. Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve complex technical issues across development, testing, production, and field environments. Participate in peer code reviews and drive ongoing improvements to engineering processes, tools, and best practices. Create and maintain clear technical documentation, including software design specifications, installation instructions, and engineering guidelines. Assess project scope, technical risk, and resource needs for complex software modules; advise on design strategies and product enhancements. Mentor junior engineers through technical guidance, design feedback, code reviews, and collaborative problem-solving. Champion the practical integration of AI tools and workflows to improve engineering efficiency and productivity. Travel up to 10% for field troubleshooting, data collection, site surveys, and customer support activities in the United States and internationally. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field; a Master’s degree is a plus. 5+ years of professional software development experience, including at least 3 years of production C++ development. Extensive experience developing, debugging, and optimizing C++ applications in performance-critical or resource-constrained environments. Demonstrated expertise in software architecture and designing robust, scalable, maintainable, and testable solutions for industrial, automation, robotics, manufacturing, or embedded systems. Hands-on experience developing low-latency, real-time software for embedded Linux environments. Strong experience with multithreaded programming, inter-process communication, and system-level debugging. Deep knowledge of zero-trust networking over TLS, including certificate and chain-of-trust management. Strong understanding of cybersecurity principles for IoT and embedded systems, including TPM2 secret storage, secure boot, signed over-the-air updates, operating-system hardening, and device management. Experience designing and implementing integration tests involving hardware-in-the-loop environments. Advanced understanding of code testability, automated testing practices, and CI/CD pipelines. Proficiency with Git version control. Ability to work with hardware interfaces and troubleshoot complex software-hardware integration issues. Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across engineering, QA, product, and customer-facing teams. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, with a demonstrated ability to work independently and within cross-functional teams. Preferred Qualifications Familiarity with industrial communication protocols such as Modbus, CAN bus, and OPC UA. Experience with Go, Python, shell scripting, or related automation tools. Experience supporting field deployments, collecting diagnostic data, or troubleshooting customer systems. Experience working in regulated, safety-conscious, or cybersecurity-focused product environments. By submitting to this position, you are agreeing to be included in our talent pool for future hiring for similarly qualified positions. EEO Notice Vaco by Highspring is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race (including but not limited to traits historically associated with race such as hair texture and hair style), color, sex (includes pregnancy or related conditions), religion or creed, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, status as a veteran, union membership, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by federal, state or local law. Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries are committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact . Vaco by Highspring also wants all applicants to know their rights that workplace discrimination is illegal. Representation Notice By submitting to this position, you agree that you will be giving Vaco by Highspring the exclusive right to present your as a candidate for the foregoing employment opportunity. You further agree that you have represented information about yourself accurately and have not affirmatively misrepresented your qualifications. You also agree to maintain as confidential, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any information you learn from Vaco by Highspring about the position and you will limit disclosure of information about the position only to the extent necessary to perform any obligations in furtherance of your application. In exchange, Vaco by Highspring agrees to exercise reasonable efforts to represent you through all solicitation, job screening and resume dispersal. For residents of Ontario, Canada: Based on Highspring’s discussions with its Client, Highspring’s understanding is that this position for employment is a current vacancy (either through Highspring as a contractor or with the client directly). Privacy Notice Vaco by Highspring and its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries (“we,” “our,” or “Vaco by Highspring”) respects your privacy and are committed to providing transparent notice of our policies. California residents may access Vaco by Highspring HR Notice at Collection for California Applicants and Employees here. Virginia residents may access our state specific policies here. Residents of all other states may access our policies here. Canadian residents may access our policies in English here and in French here. Residents of countries governed by GDPR may access our policies here. Additionally, submissions to this position are subject to the use of AI to perform preliminary candidate screenings, focused on ensuring minimum job requirements noted in the position are satisfied. More details about Vaco by Highspring’s use of AI can be found here ( Further assessment of candidates beyond this initial phase will be conducted by recruiters and hiring managers. Vaco by Highspring does not know and cannot opine on if its client’s use of AI products in hiring. Pay Transparency Notice Determining compensation for this role (and others) at Vaco by Highspring depends upon a wide array of factors including but not limited to: the individual’s skill sets, experience and training; licensure and certification requirements; office location and other geographic considerations; other business and organizational needs. With that said, as required by local law, Vaco by Highspring believes that the following salary range referenced above reasonably estimates the base compensation for an individual hired into this position in geographies that require salary range disclosure. The individual may also be eligible for discretionary bonuses.