Senior Software Engineer

Shift5 is redefining the future of onboard operational technology (OT). As a fast-growing scale-up, we specialize in cutting-edge cybersecurity, predictive maintenance, and compliance for OT systems across defense, aerospace, and rail. We are a team of passionate, innovative professionals who thrive in a collaborative environment, driven by a shared mission to revolutionize how fleets operate. By unlocking and democratizing the vast potential of onboard OT data, we help our customers’ fleets run smarter, safer, and more efficiently. Ready to be part of the next frontier in transportation and critical infrastructure? Come join us.

Our Values:

• Mission First Mindset: We exist to protect the service members who defend our nation and secure the critical systems that keep our economy moving.
• Relentless Innovation: We are motivated by the challenge of solving the toughest problems facing transportation and defense industries. 
• Data Driven Decisions: We make decisions rooted in data. Giving our team and stakeholders a more informed perspective possible when lives and missions are on the line.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Software Engineer specializing in Rust to build the core software that runs on our hardware platforms. In this role, you will develop and optimize high-performance code responsible for processing complex data streams directly from vehicle systems. This is a low-level systems programming role where you will work in resource-constrained Linux environments, leveraging deep technical knowledge to unlock hardware capabilities and ensure maximum performance and reliability. Your code will process real-time data from buses like MIL-STD-1553, ARINC-429, and CAN; transforming raw protocol data into structured information for cybersecurity and operational insights with stable data contracts for downstream products and analysis systems.

If you're passionate about high-performance systems programming, protocol engineering, and hardware integration—working at the bit level, parsing and analyzing aerospace and other vehicle bus protocols —and thrive in a collaborative environment with opportunities to take ownership of complex technical challenges, Shift5 might be the right fit for you.

In this role you will be expected to:

• Develop and optimize high-performance Rust software for real-time data processing on custom, resource-constrained Linux systems.
• Design and implement type-safe hardware abstractions, managing complex build dependencies and FFI boundaries with memory safety.
• Build and maintain code generation pipelines for protocol specifications and translation tables into strongly-typed Rust structures.
• Implement robust and efficient parsers for complex wire protocols, working at the bit level for accurate data models.
• Optimize software for specific hardware capabilities using deep Linux systems knowledge, profiling, and metrics.
• Design and implement concurrent data pipelines with message-passing architectures and lock-free data structures.
• Investigate and debug complex issues across hardware, protocol specifications, FFI, and concurrent timing.
• Write comprehensive unit, functional, and integration tests for protocol parsing, data processing, and hardware integration.
• Document designs, data flows, architectural decisions, and safety-critical code patterns.
• Integrate with existing C-based APIs and libraries using Rust's FFI, including CMake, autotools, and bindgen.
• Evolve and maintain core processing software for long-term stability, performance, and adaptability.
• Collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, including hardware and API/UI engineers, forward deployed engineers embedded with customers, security researchers, data engineering and analytics, and product and program managers.

Required:

• U.S. Citizenship is required.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government Security Clearance.
• BS or MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• Prior work on a shipped, commercial Rust project in production.
• Deep knowledge of Linux systems programming, including kernel interaction, hardware optimization, and system-level debugging.
• Proficiency with Git and modern CI/CD practices.
• Strong communication skills for technical documentation and stakeholder communication.
• Ability to identify and advocate for architectural improvements and shape technical direction.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and take ownership of complex technical challenges.
• Strong understanding of data structures and algorithms for high-performance, real-time systems.

Preferred:

• Active U.S. Government Security Clearance (Secret or higher).
• Previous experience with military customers or classified data environments.
• Experience writing software certified under regulatory requirements (DO-178, IEC 62304, or similar).
• A forward and reverse engineering mindset for undocumented or complex data protocols.
• Familiarity with vehicle, aerospace, or industrial data protocols (e.g., CAN, J1939, MIL-STD-1553, ARINC-429).
• Experience with lock-free data structures or real-time systems programming.
• Background in code generation, metaprogramming, or build-time code generation systems, with an understanding of their appropriate application and potential complexities.
• Experience designing data processing pipelines with streaming, batching, and backpressure management.
• Experience with containerization (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes) for consistent build and test environments.
• Experience developing and servicing software in sensitive environments.

Compensation & Benefits: 

• Base Salary: $182,000 -$232,000
• Bonus program and equity in a fast-growing startup
• Competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their families
• Health Savings Account with annual employer contributions
• Employer-paid Life and Disability Insurance 
• Uncapped paid time off policy 
• Flexible work & remote work policy 
• Tax-deferred public transit benefits with Metro SmartBenefits (DC/MD/VA)  

We are committed to building an inclusive culture of belonging that embraces the diversity of our people and represents the communities in which we work and the customers we serve. We know the happiest and highest performing teams include people with diverse perspectives and ways of solving problems. We strive to attract and retain talent from all backgrounds and create workplaces where everyone feels empowered to bring their full, authentic selves to work.   

Shift5 is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identify, national origin, disability, age, marital status, ancestry, projected veteran status, or any other protected group or class.  

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