Senior Software Engineer

Sonatech • Santa Barbara, CA

12d • $155,000 - $200,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Sonatech LLC is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to serve as the technical lead for software development on advanced undersea acoustics projects. This hands-on role involves leading project planning, architecture, detailed design, technical implementation, and delivery of robust, production-ready software. The engineer will also help integrate products into larger, complex systems by developing secure interfaces, supporting containerized deployments, contributing to cybersecurity compliance, and enabling interoperability with systems developed by external integrators.

The role is based onsite at Sonatech’s Santa Barbara, California office. The company describes a collaborative engineering culture that values innovation, technical ownership, and cross-disciplinary teamwork, and encourages candidates from all backgrounds to apply.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.
• At least 10 years of professional software development experience.
• Expert-level proficiency in C and C++ (C++11 or newer).
• Solid Python abilities for scripting, tooling, or test automation.
• Proven expertise in Red Hat and Embedded Linux.
• Expertise in at least one of the following: real-time systems, including RTOS design, deterministic scheduling, or latency analysis; or bare-metal firmware, including no-OS development, low-level driver development, or hardware bring-up.
• Experience collaborating with hardware, FPGA, and software teams to embed subsystems into larger networked or software-defined platforms.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present technical concepts to engineering and non-technical audiences.
• U.S. citizenship and eligibility for a DoD Secret clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Hands-on implementation of modern DevOps pipelines such as GitLab CI, Jenkins, or GitHub Actions, and container orchestration such as Kubernetes or Docker for embedded-software builds and tests.
• Knowledge of secure coding practices, software-quality assurance processes, and system-level integration testing.
• Experience with system-on-chip architectures, especially designs involving shared memory or close CPU-FPGA interaction.
• Familiarity with CMMC or NIST 800-218 frameworks and experience contributing to compliance efforts in a regulated software environment.
• Experience developing for DoD projects.
• Prior experience in undersea acoustics, sonar, or similar signal-processing domains.

Responsibilities

• Lead a small software team through architecture, project planning, implementation strategy, detailed development, testing, and deployment.
• Collaborate with hardware, FPGA, and test teams to support effective system-level integration.
• Work with the Project Manager to plan sprints, define milestones, track execution, and collaborate across functions.
• Design and implement secure software interfaces for integration with external systems and third-party platforms.
• Apply CMMC and NIST 800-218 cybersecurity principles, NetBoot approaches, performance monitoring, and fault-location techniques.
• Participate in and lead code reviews, design discussions, and troubleshooting.
• Help integrate products into larger systems and enable interoperability with externally developed systems.
• Support containerized deployments and contribute to cybersecurity compliance.

Benefits

• Salary range of $155,000–$200,000 annually.
• 3% 401(k) company contribution; no match required.
• Discretionary employer 401(k) bonus contribution, historically averaging approximately 7% of eligible compensation, with actual contributions varying annually.
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Life insurance.
• Paid vacation and sick leave.
• Professional development and training opportunities.
• Supportive, inclusive work environment with active investment in employee growth.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior