Senior C++ Software Engineer

Join our dynamic R&D teams in Cambridge, where you'll contribute to the design, development, and optimisation of high-performance, C++-driven systems powering our company’s rapid growth.

Please note this is a hybrid position that requires attendance in the Cambridge office at least 2 days a week.

What will I be doing:

As a Senior C++ Software Engineer, you will own the prototyping and development of new and innovative ideas using modern C++ (C++17/20 and beyond), helping to advance Darktrace’s services through high-performance, low-latency systems. You’ll balance creativity, logical thinking, and practical constraints to deliver efficient, production-grade features.

You'll collaborate closely with a cross-functional team of engineers, designers, project coordinators, and technical strategists to deliver cutting-edge solutions, with a strong emphasis on performance, scalability, and robustness. You will also be responsible, but not limited to:

• Contributing to projects ranging from rapid prototyping in modern C++ to the structured development and optimisation of large-scale native systems,
• Designing and implementing efficient, memory-safe, and high-performance code using advanced C++ concepts (RAII, templates, STL, concurrency, smart pointers),
• Advancing our unique methodology for defending against unknown cyber-attacks through performant and secure native tooling,
• Applying a strong engineering mindset that balances innovation with best practices in system design, code quality, and maintainability,
• Developing deep expertise in C++ and adjacent low-level technologies, with opportunities to specialise in systems programming, performance optimisation, or security-focused development.

What experience do I need:

We seek engineers with a strong C++ focus, a solution-oriented mindset, and an analytical approach to problem-solving. During the interview process, you'll demonstrate your ability to write efficient, production-quality C++ code and reason about system-level behaviour. Additionally, you should be:

• Comfortable working autonomously, making informed design and implementation decisions within complex C++ codebases, while collaborating effectively within a team,
• Knowledgeable or interested in cyber security, low-level systems, and malware forensics,
• Experienced in performance analysis, profiling, and optimisation of native applications (e.g. multithreading, concurrency, CPU/memory efficiency),
• Familiar with modern C++ development tooling (CMake, GCC/Clang, debugging with GDB/LLDB),
• Familiar with Docker and containerisation,
• Knowledgeable about Linux/Unix environments and systems-level development,
• Knowledgeable about cloud computing environments (beneficial but not essential),
• Experience with complementary languages such as Python or Rust is beneficial, but a strong foundation in C++ is essential.