Senior Software Engineer

Senior Software Engineer

Location: Santa Barbara, CA (Onsite)

About Sonatech

Sonatech LLC is a leader in undersea acoustics, providing advanced technologies to support U.S. Navy missions. Our embedded software is a core component of high-performance, mission-critical systems deployed across a variety of naval platforms-often requiring real-time responsiveness, secure operation, and seamless hardware integration.

We foster a collaborative engineering culture where innovation, technical ownership, and cross-disciplinary teamwork are deeply valued. Our Santa Barbara office, located just minutes from the beach, offers a supportive, inclusive environment where engineers are trusted with technical ownership and meaningful impact. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Due to security clearance requirements, this position is open only to U.S. citizens.

Job Summary

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to take technical ownership of embedded software development for advanced undersea acoustics systems. This hands-on role includes leading architecture and design decisions, influencing technical direction across the engineering team, and delivering robust, production-ready software as a collaborative individual contributor who works closely with a cross-functional team.

In addition to core embedded development, the engineer will help integrate our products into larger, complex systems. The engineer will help develop secure interfaces, support containerized deployments, contribute to cybersecurity compliance, and enable interoperability with external systems developed by other integrators.

The candidate will shape software architecture decisions and serve as a key technical voice within a team-oriented environment.

This is a full-time onsite position based in Santa Barbara, CA.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the technical execution of software projects from architecture through deployment.
• Define and evolve system-level software architecture, interface design, and implementation strategy.
• Provide technical guidance and mentorship across projects and subsystems.
• Collaborate closely with hardware, systems, FPGA, and test teams to ensure effective system-level integration.
• Collaborate with the Project Manager to plan sprints, define milestones, and track execution.
• Design and implement secure software interfaces for integration with external systems and third-party platforms.
• Contribute to containerized deployments and overall system design in secure environments.
• Apply cybersecurity principles, NetBoot approach, performance monitoring and fault location techniques.
• Support system-level observability and integration with upper-tier logging frameworks.
• Participate in and lead code reviews, design discussions, and troubleshooting.
• Contribute to documentation, verification, and compliance with standards such as CMMC and NIST 800-218.

Requirements

• Education - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a closely-related technical discipline.
• Experience -10+ years of professional embedded-software development (product- or mission-critical focus preferred).
• Programming Skills - Expert-level proficiency in C and C++ (C++11 or newer) and solid Python abilities for scripting, tooling, or test automation.
• Core Embedded Knowledge - Proven expertise in Embedded Linux (required) plus at least once of the following:
  • Real-time systems (RTOS design, deterministic scheduling, latency analysis)
  • Bare-metal firmware (no-OS, low-level driver development, hardware bring-up)
• Architecture Ownership - Demonstrated track record of defining, delivering, and maintaining software architectures in a cross-functional engineering environment.
• Systems Integration - Experience collaborating with hardware, FPGA, and software teams to embed subsystems into larger networked or software-defined platforms.
• Communication - Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable presenting technical concepts to both engineering and non-technical audiences.
• Security Clearance - U.S. citizenship and eligibility for a DoD Secret clearance.
• Work Location - On-site presence required; remote work is not available for this role.

Preferred Qualifications

• Python for Test & DSP - Extensive use of Python for test automation, script-based verification, or translating DSP models into production-ready C++ code.
• DevOps & CI/CD - Hands-on implementation of modern DevOps pipelines (GitLab CI, Jenkins, GitHub Actions) and container orchestration (Kubernetes, Docker) for embedded-software builds and tests.
• Secure Software Development - Knowledge of secure coding practices, software-quality assurance processes, and system-level integration testing.
• SoC & CPU-FPGA Co-Design - Experience with system-on-chip architectures, especially designs that involve shared memory or tight CPU-FPGA interaction.
• Cybersecurity Compliance - Familiarity with CMMC or NIST 800-218 frameworks and experience contributing to compliance efforts in a regulated software environment.
• Domain Exposure - Familiarity with digital signal processing (DSP) concepts or prior experience in undersea acoustics, sonar, or similar signal-processing domains is a strong plus.

Benefits

• Salary range: $145,000 – $185,000 annually, depending on experience and technical leadership scope.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life insurance, paid vacation, and sick leave.
• 3% 401(k) company contribution (no match required).
• Professional development and training opportunities.
• Supportive, inclusive work environment with active investment in employee growth.

Sonatech is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, pregnancy, genetic information, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected category under applicable federal, state, and local laws.