At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and develop high-performance C++ systems while collaborating with cross-functional teams.
- Company: Join Darktrace's dynamic R&D team in Cambridge, focusing on innovative cybersecurity solutions.
- Benefits: Opportunity to specialise in systems programming, performance optimisation, or security-focused development.
- Other info: Familiarity with cloud computing environments is beneficial but not essential.
- Why this job: Contribute to cutting-edge solutions that defend against unknown cyber-attacks.
- Qualifications: Strong foundation in C++, experience with modern tooling like CMake and Docker required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
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.
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. 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.
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.
Senior C++ Software Engineer in Cambridge employer: Darktrace
Darktrace, located in Cambridge, offers a unique opportunity to work on innovative cybersecurity technologies. The team focuses on developing high-performance systems that protect against cyber threats, fostering an environment of creativity and technical excellence.
