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 professional experience in Python.
- Strong understanding of modern C++ (C++17/20) and Python software design.
- Experience architecting distributed or multi-system software, ideally involving fleet management, data management, or manufacturing execution systems.
- Experience designing systems that communicate with and manage robotic or automated hardware stations.
- Strong database experience (SQL or similar) for systems involving logging, telemetry, specs, and results tracking.
- Experience with unit testing frameworks (Google Test for C++, pytest for Python) and a strong commitment to test coverage.
- Experience with CMake for build and project configuration, and familiarity with Python packaging and dependency management.
- Ability to debug, profile, and optimize software across both C++ and Python codebases.
- Experience working with version control systems (Git).
- Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to work independently, lead technical initiatives, and mentor other engineers.
- Familiarity with multi-threaded programming and concurrency in C++.
- Knowledge of software best practices, including design patterns, SOLID principles, and performance optimization.
- Experience working in an agile development environment.
- Experience with robotics, industrial automation, or manufacturing systems is a strong plus.
Benefits
The expected annual salary range for this position is $195,000-$235,000.
As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for Monarch’s comprehensive benefits package, which includes:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
- Fidelity 401(k) plan with 4% employer matching
- 20 paid time off (PTO) days per year
- 13 paid company holidays
- 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off)
Monarch Quantum is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.
The expected annual salary range for this position is $175,000-$225,000.
As a full-time employee, you will be eligible for Monarch’s comprehensive benefits package, which includes:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
- Fidelity 401(k) plan with 4% employer matching
- 20 paid time off (PTO) days per year
- 13 paid company holidays
- 9/80 work schedule (every other Friday off)
Monarch Quantum is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristics protected under applicable federal, state and local laws.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
- Minimum of 8 years of relevant software engineering experience
- Track record of technical leadership on complex systems
- 8+ years of professional C++ software development experience
- Strong professional experience in Python
- Strong understanding of modern C++17/20 and Python software design
- Experience architecting distributed or multi-system software
- Experience designing systems communicating with and managing robotic or automated hardware stations
- Strong database experience using SQL or similar technologies
- Experience with unit testing frameworks such as Google Test and pytest
- Experience with CMake for build and project configuration
- Familiarity with Python packaging and dependency management
- Ability to debug, profile, and optimize C++ and Python codebases
- Experience with Git or other version control systems
- Familiarity with multi-threaded programming and concurrency in C++
- Knowledge of design patterns, SOLID principles, and performance optimization
- Experience working in an agile development environment
- Strong problem-solving, independent leadership, technical initiative, and mentoring abilities
- Experience in a startup or fast-paced technology company environment
- Experience with robotics, industrial automation, or manufacturing systems
- U.S. person status as defined by 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3), due to access to export-controlled information
Monarch Quantum, Inc. Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Monarch Quantum, Inc. and has not been reviewed or approved by Monarch Quantum, Inc..
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off provisions include 20 PTO days and 13 paid holidays, indicating broad leave availability. A 9/80 schedule is also advertised, adding flexibility with every other Friday off.
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Retirement Support — Retirement benefits feature a Fidelity 401(k) with a 4% employer match and immediate vesting. This combination signals solid support for long-term savings.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Compensation is presented as competitive with larger San Diego tech employers, and job postings publish substantial salary ranges by role and level. This visibility indicates an intention to align pay with market benchmarks.
Monarch Quantum, Inc. Insights
What We Do
Monarch Quantum is a U.S.-based quantum photonics company that designs and manufactures integrated photonics systems, known as Quantum Light Engines™, for quantum computing, sensing, and communications.
Why Work With Us
We’re looking for curious, driven individuals inspired by the intersection of physics, engineering, and imagination. Here, you’ll collaborate with world-class experts to scale transformative quantum solutions, see measurable impact from your work, and grow through mentorship and cross-disciplinary collaboration while benefiting from a flexible,
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