Staff Software Engineer

About Persistent

We are an AI-led, platform-driven Digital Engineering and Enterprise Modernization partner, combining deep technical expertise and industry experience to help our clients anticipate what’s next. Our offerings and proven solutions create a unique competitive advantage for our clients by giving them the power to see beyond and rise above. We work with many industry-leading organizations across the world, including 20 Fortune 50 companies and 4 of the 5 top banks in both the US and India, and numerous innovators across the healthcare ecosystem.

Our disruptor’s mindset, commitment to client success, and agility to thrive in the dynamic environment have enabled us to sustain our growth momentum. Persistent has been recognized across top industry platforms for innovation, leadership, and inclusion. We have delivered 22 sequential quarters of growth with $406.2M in Q2 FY26 revenue, up 4.2% Q-o-Q and 17.6% Y-o-Y growth. Our 26,000+ global team members, located in 18 countries, have been instrumental in helping the market leaders transform their industries. We have been named the fastest-growing Indian IT services brand in the “Brand Finance India 100” 2025 report. We were also cited as a Leader in the ISG Provider Lens™ 2025 for Digital Engineering Services 2025 and the Everest Group Talent Readiness for Next-generation Application Services PEAK Matrix® Assessment 2025

About Position:

As a Staff Software Engineer, you will also provide technical leadership, mentoring junior engineers, driving best practices in code reviews and design discussions, and leading initiatives to modernize our software stack. You’ll have the opportunity to introduce modern engineering practices (e.g. continuous integration/continuous delivery for embedded, and advanced testing frameworks.) It is hybrid and requires some time in the lab each week. If you are passionate about building high-quality software that has a direct impact on human health, this role offers a unique blend of hands-on development and technical leadership.

• Role: Staff Software Engineer
• Location: Hercules, California (3 Days Onsite)
• Experience: 7+ Years of Experience
• Job Type: Full Time Employment

What You'll Do:

• Develop Embedded Control Software: Design and implement the core C++ control software that drives automated lab instruments, handling everything from device initialization to high-level coordination of subsystems to error handling.
• Orchestration & Scheduling: Develop and maintain scheduling and orchestration logic to coordinate instrument operations (e.g. sample handling, reagent dispensing, measurements) at high throughput (100+ samples/hour). Ensure timed execution of workflows across multiple embedded controllers.
• Error Handling & Recovery: Build robust error handling and fault recovery mechanisms. Anticipate error conditions (device faults, step loss, etc.) and implement recovery sequences that allow the instrument to safely continue or gracefully halt with minimal downtime.
• Firmware/Hardware Integration: Interface with distributed firmware microcontroller boards over a CANopen bus (coordinating 10+ boards). Maintain communication protocols and data models for commands/status and ensure reliable real-time messaging between the main software and firmware subsystems.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with systems engineering to align software with hardware design, with assay scientists to understand requirements, and with quality/regulatory teams to meet compliance and documentation standards. Coordinate integration activities and troubleshooting across mechanical, electronics, and assay domains.
• Technical Leadership & Mentoring: Mentor junior and mid-level software engineers by sharing best practices in embedded development, performing design and code reviews, and guiding problem solving. Lead architectural discussions and contribute to design documentation for new features and systems.
• Lab work: Triaging and troubleshooting hardware/software integration issues and providing expert technical guidance to cross-functional teams.
• Testing & Automation: Drive improvements in software quality by expanding integration testing and simulation. Lead the development of hardware simulation frameworks and automated test suites to validate instrument behavior in CI/CD pipelines. Champion the use of continuous integration, unit testing, and other modern DevOps practices to increase software reliability and maintainability.

Expertise You'll Bring:

• The role requires C++17/20 embedded control software expertise, complex orchestration/state machine design, and high‑throughput workflow scheduling.
• Software‑first (instrument control, C++ frameworks, orchestration logic).
• Embedded C++ Expertise in current project.
• Education & Work Experience: bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, electrical/computer engineering, related field, or the equivalent experience. Prior experience in an embedded software engineering role designing complex instrument or device software.

• Embedded C++ Expertise: Extensive experience programming in modern C++ for embedded systems, with a minimum of five years. Strong understanding of object-oriented design, multi-threading, and memory management in constrained environments.
• RTOS/Embedded Linux Experience: Hands-on experience developing for embedded Linux (e.g., Yocto) or on real-time operating systems (e.g., QNX). Comfortable with low-level OS concepts, device drivers, and optimizing performance on single-board computers.
• High-Reliability Systems: Proven ability to design software for high uptime and reliability. Experience with fail-safe mechanisms, state machines for complex device control, and graceful degradation of functionality under fault conditions.
• Testing & CI/CD for Embedded: Familiarity with automated testing frameworks and continuous integration in an embedded context. Experience writing unit and integration tests for embedded code, using hardware-in-loop or simulation, and using CI tools to catch issues early.
• Collaborative Communication: Excellent cross-functional communication and teamwork skills. Ability to work closely with other engineering disciplines and to clearly articulate technical information to non-software stakeholders.
• Industry Domain: Background in laboratory equipment, clinical diagnostics, or medical device development. Familiarity with the regulatory environment and standards for medical device software (e.g. IEC 62304, ISO 13485) is a plus.
• Fieldbus Communication: Solid knowledge of industrial communication protocols. Familiarity with CAN/CANopen is a plus – including defining CANopen object dictionaries, PDO/SDO communication, and network management – or comparable experience with similar fieldbus protocols (e.g. Modbus, EtherCAT).
• Legacy System Modernization: Experience modernizing legacy codebase and bringing in contemporary best practices. For example, migrating software to newer C++ standards, refactoring for good architectural patterns, or introducing CI/CD and test automation to legacy embedded projects.
• Lab Automation & Robotics: Exposure to lab automation robotics, fluidics control, or high-throughput instrumentation. Understanding of timing and scheduling challenges in systems that process many samples in parallel.
• Simulation and Modeling: Experience with creating simulation models of hardware or using tools to emulate instrument components for testing. This could include using frameworks to simulate sensors/actuators or modeling physical processes to test control algorithms.

Benefits:

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Culture focused on talent development with quarterly growth opportunities and company-sponsored higher education and certifications
• Opportunity to work with cutting-edge technologies
• Employee engagement initiatives such as project parties, flexible work hours, and Long Service awards
• Annual health check-ups
• Insurance coverage: group term life, personal accident, and Mediclaim hospitalization for self, spouse, two children, and parents

Values-Driven, People-Centric & Inclusive Work Environment:

Persistent is dedicated to fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We invite applications from all qualified individuals, including those with disabilities, and regardless of gender or gender preference. We welcome diverse candidates from all backgrounds.

• We support hybrid work and flexible hours to fit diverse lifestyles.
• Our office is accessibility-friendly, with ergonomic setups and assistive technologies to support employees with physical disabilities.
• If you are a person with disabilities and have specific requirements, please inform us during the application process or at any time during your employment

Let’s unleash your full potential at Persistent

“Persistent is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind.”