# Copy of C++ Software Engineer, Distributed Systems

**Company:** [Forterra](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/forterra)
**Location:** East Palo Alto, CA, Arlington, VA
**Role:** Backend Engineering
**Salary:** $130k – $165k/yr
**Experience:** 8+ years
**Skills:** C++, C++17, Distributed Systems, gRPC, Dds, Zeromq, Mqtt, Googletest, Linux, Cmake
**Posted:** 2026-05-08

> Senior/Staff Software Engineer building Forterra's Fabric distributed systems platform for mission-critical data replication across dynamic networks. Requires expert modern C++ skills and 8+ years experience with distributed systems, messaging middleware, and Linux.

## Job Description

## 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

## Minimum Qualifications
- 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

## Benefits
- Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents
- Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents
- Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December
- Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year
- A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption
- A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend
- Fully stocked beverage refrigerators
- 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%

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