Expert Software Engineer (3D, C++)

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, troubleshoot and improve next generation software for use in clinical research and clinical applications.
• Own the architecture and delivery of C++ components for 3D visualization (OpenGL 4 / shaders), mesh and geometry processing, and the 3D scene used by Align's clinical applications.
• Drive technical design: write design documents, evaluate trade-offs, and lead technical risk assessment in line with medical device software processes.
• Profile and optimize performance and memory usage of rendering and geometry pipelines on large meshes and complex scenes.
• Design protobuf-based APIs and cross-language integrations (C++ engines used from Python and C# services, including AWS Lambda / Docker based pipelines).
• Apply AI-assisted development (Claude Code, Codex, ChatGPT) and agentic workflows to implementation, refactoring, code review and test creation, and define good practices for the team.
• As a part of larger Product Innovation team: be on a constant mission to maintain and improve the quality of our software, including our large legacy code base.
• Prototype solutions to help Biomechanical Engineers design products for manufacturing, and upgrade existing C++ prototypes into production quality code with the help of componentization.
• Write and maintain unit tests (gtest / gmock) and automated UI / integration tests, including tests built on our internal Python-based April test framework (training is provided).
• Build, maintain and improve CI/CD pipelines in GitHub (GitHub Actions workflows for build, test, static analysis and release).
• Collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams (Software engineers, Product management, Manufacturing experts) to take upcoming projects to fruition.
• Work autonomously and take end-to-end ownership of tasks. Our product is built by many departments, each responsible for its own part, so proactively build and maintain communication across them (Product, Biomechanics, SQA, Manufacturing, Clinical, Platform and other engineering groups): identify the right contacts, align on interfaces and dependencies, clarify ambiguous requirements, and resolve blockers early instead of waiting for direction.
• Translate physical manufacturing testing results to software requirements.
• Interact with customers and SQA to improve the product.
• Lead investigation and root cause analysis of complex defects from production and QA.
• Lead code reviews, mentor engineers, and help onboard new team members.
• Prepare and deliver regular internal tech talks (architecture deep-dives, 3D / C++ best practices, AI-assisted development practices) to share knowledge across the team and other teams.
• Follow best practices, produce high quality, testable and reusable code, and follow quality and regulatory guidelines for medical device software development.
• Contribute with innovative ideas and follow up with patent applications.
• Leverage the Scrum Agile process; take part in sprint planning, daily stand-up, retrospective and demonstration activities.
• Work with MS Visual Studio, use Git, GitHub and Atlassian tools for version control, bug tracking and task tracking.

Skills, Knowledge & Expertise

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or other STEM major, or equivalent years of experience.
• 12+ years of professional experience developing software in modern C++ (C++17 or later), with expert knowledge of templates, move semantics, RAII, concurrency, memory model and STL internals.
• 4+ years in 3D software development (3D graphics, 3D computational geometry): meshes, remeshing, spatial data structures, transformations, rendering pipelines (OpenGL 4 / GLSL shaders).
• Proven track record of designing and delivering complex C++ systems, with strong software architecture and object-oriented design skills.
• Theory of algorithms. Experience in 3D geometry algorithms, linear algebra, computational mathematics and analytical geometry.
• In depth knowledge of the C++ language and ability to navigate a large C++ code base.
• Strong skills in performance analysis and optimization (profilers, memory analysis, multithreading).
• Strong hands-on experience with AI-assisted development: daily use of Claude Code, Codex and/or ChatGPT; experience with agentic workflows (agents, subagents, MCP, context files such as CLAUDE.md / AGENTS.md); ability to critically verify AI-generated code and tests.
• Experience with unit testing (gtest / gmock) and test automation; Python-based UI or integration test automation is a plus.
• Hands-on experience with GitHub: pull requests, code review, branching strategies, and GitHub Actions CI/CD (writing and maintaining workflows, build matrices, caching, artifacts, secrets handling).
• Experience using Git/Bitbucket, JIRA, Confluence, Bamboo tools.
• Experience building with CMake / Visual Studio and package managers (for example Conan) on Windows.
• Ability to write testable and object-oriented code.
• Ability to work autonomously with minimal supervision and to communicate effectively across departments: independently find the right stakeholders and domain experts, negotiate dependencies and priorities between teams, and keep work unblocked.
• Experience mentoring engineers, leading technical discussions, and delivering tech talks or technical presentations to engineering audiences.
• Familiarity with modern technologies and ability to learn fast. Curiosity and inventiveness.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills. Upper intermediate or higher English: internal communication is in English.

• Python and C# expertise.
• Knowledge of Docker containers, Linux (Ubuntu, CentOS), AWS (Lambda), practical skills in CI/CD deployment and SQL (basic selects/inserts queries).
• UI test automation experience (image-based or accessibility-based), familiarity with frameworks like pytest, Lackey/SikuliX, pywinauto.
• Experience with CAD, CAM or dental software.
• Exposure to Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), IEC 62304.

About
Your growth and well-being:At Align, every smile matters. We’re committed to helping you thrive by supporting the health, growth, and well-being of our team members through a variety of tools and programs. While specific offerings may vary by location and role, Align employees can typically expect:Health and well-being programs to keep you thriving in both body and mind.Employee-exclusive discounts on Invisalign products.Learning opportunities through online learning resources and support for your individual development plans.Inclusive, global workplace that fosters collaboration, recognition and belonging.Country and/or role specific details will be shared with you by your recruiter during the interview process. Discover Align:We are a global community of game-changers and smart team players, united by our belief in the power of a smile. Our dynamic team of exceptional employees is dedicated to transforming the industry and creating extraordinary outcomes every day.Align’s core values of agility, customer, and accountability are more than words to work by, they are words we live by. The actions we take every day speak to who we are as a company and our focus on being truly impactful. We celebrate our differences, and the many ways we support one another— ultimately creating a more inclusive organization and world as we continue transforming smiles and changing lives.We foster a culture where thinking differently and seeking new experiences are not just encouraged but celebrated. With the Align Mindset, we empower each other, ensuring every voice is heard and valued in an inclusive environment that inspires creativity and collaboration.At Align, we believe in the power of a smile, and we know that every smile is as unique as our employees. As we grow, we are committed to building a workforce rich in diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences, fostering a culture of open-mindedness and compassion. We live our company values by promoting healthy people and healthy communities, all with the intent of changing millions of lives, one unique smile at a time. As part of our commitment to innovation, Align Technology includes exocad and Cubicure, companies that enhance our offerings and extend our impact to industry transformation.Eager to learn how we embrace our global differences and nurture employee well-being? Explore Align's culture here!Want to discover more about exocad and Cubicure? Click on their names for additional information.