Principal Software Engineer
Monarch Quantum · San Diego, California, United States · On-site
Pay: USD 195,000 – 235,000 a year
Posted Sep 22, 2026
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Join our fast-paced and passionate team as a Principal Software Engineer on our Robotic Automation team. As we scale, you will be instrumental in building our foundation from the ground up. This is a dynamic, hands-on role for a self-starter who thrives in a fluid startup environment. You'll have the opportunity to work on cutting edge technologies, work closely with leadership, and develop and implement engineering practices that support our mission and growth. Your key responsibilities are as follows:
Lead the architecture and development of our fleet management, robotics data management, and manufacturing execution software (MES) systems, working directly with our robotic automation stations.
Design and build software in C++ and Python that supports station monitoring, configuration management, version management, telemetry and logging, and specs/results tracking.
Set technical direction for how our automation stack (orchestration, scripts, device control, algorithms, motion planning, world modeling) integrates with fleet, data management, and MES systems.
Drive architectural decisions on system interfaces, data flow, and communication between robotic stations and higher-level management systems.
Mentor and provide technical guidance to other engineers on the team, raising the bar on code quality, design, and engineering practices.
Write and maintain unit tests to ensure software reliability and robustness.
Manage build configurations and dependencies using CMake and/or Python packaging tools.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including robotics, firmware, hardware, and software engineers, to align on system design and delivery.
Lead and participate in code reviews, provide constructive feedback, and hold the team to strong coding practices.
Own and maintain clear, well-structured technical documentation for the systems you design and build.
Work independently and in a team while over-communicating with the manager, project engineer, and teammates.
Use tenacity, patience, self-discipline, and passion for excellence to assure accuracy of execution schedule, data quality and integrity, conformance to company best practices, clarity in communication, and documentation.
Use every opportunity to grow your own competency and the team's, through mentorship, curiosity, communication, exposure, and initiative.
Requirements
This position requires access to export-controlled information. Employment is contingent upon the applicant being a U.S. person as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3).
Experience:
A bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
Minimum of 8+ years of relevant software engineering experience, with a track record of technical leadership on complex systems.
Experience working in a startup or fast-paced technology company environment is a plus.
Skills:
8+ years of professional experience in C++ software development, and strong…