Parallel Systems is pioneering autonomous battery-electric rail vehicles designed to transform freight transportation by shifting portions of the $900 billion U.S. trucking industry onto rail. Our innovative technology offers cleaner, safer, and more efficient logistics solutions. Join our dynamic team and help shape a smarter, greener future for global freight.
Lead Software Engineer – Enterprise Systems
Parallel Systems is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to take ownership of our enterprise backend platform that connects our autonomous rail vehicles with customer and industry systems—including rail traffic control, yard management, and transportation management systems. You will drive technical execution, mentor other engineers, and build scalable, secure, and high-performance software to support real-world autonomous freight operations.
Responsibilities:
- Lead the development of a distributed backend system that enables integration with external control and logistics platforms.
- Collaborate closely with product, infrastructure, and vehicle teams to translate complex technical requirements into reliable, maintainable code.
- Implement core backend services and APIs with a focus on performance, robustness, and security.
- Guide architecture decisions in collaboration with the broader engineering team and ensure technical alignment across systems.
- Own the full development lifecycle—design, implementation, testing, deployment, and operational support.
- Mentor other engineers and foster a culture of technical excellence, code quality, and ownership.
What Success Looks Like:
- After 30 Days: You’re contributing to key backend components and participating in system architecture discussions. You’ve identified performance or reliability improvements in the existing pipeline.
- After 60 Days: You’re leading the implementation of major integration features and setting development plans for your area. You’ve helped standardize practices and increased team velocity.
- After 90 Days: You’ve delivered critical integrations into test environments and are helping drive the roadmap for production deployment and cross-system communication.
Basic Requirements:
- 6+ years of experience in backend or systems-level software development.
- Proficiency in Rust, C++, C, or other system-level languages.
- Experience leading development of distributed systems or cloud-based applications.
- Strong understanding of networking, concurrency, and system performance.
- Experience working in Linux-based environments and production-grade infrastructure.
- Ability to lead technically while remaining hands-on in implementation.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience with Rust in production or strong interest in learning and using Rust.
- Background in integrating with transportation, industrial, or logistics systems (e.g., train control, yard ops, or TMS).
- Experience in safety-critical domains such as autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or industrial systems.
We are committed to providing fair and transparent compensation in accordance with applicable laws. Salary ranges are listed below and reflect the expected range for new hires in this role, based on factors such as skills, experience, qualifications, and location. Final compensation may vary and will be determined during the interview process. The target hiring range for this position is listed below.
Parallel Systems is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any discriminatory factor protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. We work to build an inclusive environment in which all people can come to do their best work.
Parallel Systems is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Parallel Systems 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 your recruiter.
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What We Do
Parallel Systems is a startup company developing the future of intermodal transportation. Our mission is to decarbonize freight while improving supply chain logistics and safety. We are developing vehicles and software to create new autonomous and electric transportation systems for existing rail infrastructure, allowing railroads to convert part of the $700 billion U.S. trucking industry to rail.
