Senior Staff Software Engineer

There are over 7 billion people on this planet. And by 2050, there will be 2 billion more... many moving into urban centers at an unprecedented rate. Making sure there is enough food, fiber and infrastructure for our rapidly growing world is what we\u0027re all about at John Deere. And it\u0027s why we\u0027re investing in our people and our technology like never before! Here the world\u0027s brightest minds are tackling the world\u0027s biggest challenges. If you believe one person can make the world a better place, we\u0027ll put you to work. RIGHT NOW.\n\n##### \n\nJohn Deere is an equal opportunity employer, including disabled \u0026 veterans. \n\nPrimary Location: United States (US) - California - Santa Clara \nFunction: Product Engineering (CA) \nTitle: Senior Staff Software Engineer - 120276 \nOnsite/Remote:Onsite Position\n\n## Your Responsibilities\n\nAs a Senior Staff Software Engineer for John Deere located in Santa Clara, CA, you will:\n\n * Serve as the connective tissue across the full system stack \u2014 bridging build systems, containers, ROS infrastructure, board support packages (BSP), and cloud backends to keep the entire platform working end-to-end.\n * Own and improve the C++ build pipeline, reducing build times, and increasing overall reliability across CI/CD (CMake, colcon, Bazel).\n * Architect and execute the transition from Fast DDS to Zenoh as the ROS 2 middleware layer, including performance benchmarking, integration testing, and migration planning.\n * Diagnose and resolve complex system-level issues that span multiple processes, machines, and network boundaries \u2014 you\u0027re the person who figures out what\u0027s broken and why when logs are the only evidence.\n * Design and implement core autonomy software components, including state machines, behavior trees, and shared utilities used across the robotics stack.\n * Mentor and uplevel teammates on architecture, software best practices, modern language features, systems thinking, and software craftsmanship.\n * Identify and resolve systemic software quality issues such as race conditions, resource leaks, undefined behavior, and poorly structured dependencies. \n\n\n\nVISA Sponsorship is NOT available for this position\n\n## What Skills You Need\n\n * 7+ years of professional software engineering experience with a strong focus on modern C++.\n * Demonstrated ability to work across the full system stack \u2014 someone who understands how build systems, containers, middleware, OS/BSP layers, and cloud services interact and can troubleshoot at any boundary.\n * Significant experience with complex, distributed, asynchronous systems \u2014 multi-process, multi-machine architectures that communicate with cloud backends.\n * Strong log-based debugging skills \u2014 the ability to reconstruct system behavior and root-cause failures from logs across heterogeneous components when live debugging isn\u0027t an option.\n * Deep expertise with build systems \u2014 CMake, colcon, and/or Bazel \u2014 including dependency management, cross-compilation, and build performance optimization.\n * Proven ability to mentor engineers and raise the technical bar of a team through code reviews, design discussions, and knowledge sharing\n * Strong understanding of concurrency, real-time constraints, and systems-level programming on Linux.\n * Comfortable working in containerized development environments (Docker) and understanding how containers interact with host systems, networking, and devices \n\n\n\n## What Makes You Standout\n\n * Hands-on experience with ROS 2 (nodes, lifecycle, launch, parameters, QoS) and its build ecosystem.\n * Experience with DDS middleware (Fast DDS, Cyclone DDS, or similar) and a solid understanding of pub/sub transport, discovery, and QoS tuning.\n * Direct experience with Zenoh or active involvement in the ROS 2 Zenoh RMW effort.\n * Experience with cross-architecture builds (x86 / ARM / Jetson) and BSP-level integration.\n * Experience with static analysis and code quality tools (clang-tidy, cppcheck, ASAN/TSAN/UBSAN).\n * Knowledge of real-time Linux (PREEMPT_RT, priority scheduling, lock-free data structures).\n * Familiarity with CAN bus protocols and vehicle/machine communication.\n * Experience debugging multi-machine networked systems \u2014 understanding multicast, DDS discovery, network namespaces, and firewall/routing issues in field deployments.\n * Contributions to open-source robotics projects (ROS 2 ecosystem, middleware, tooling).\n * Experience with test frameworks for C++ (GTest, GMock, Catch2) and integration/system-level testing in simulation.\n * Background in agricultural, mining, construction, or other off-highway autonomous vehicle domains\n\n\n\n## Education \n\nIdeally, you will have a degree or equivalent related work experience in the following:\n\n * Bachelor\u0027s or Master\u0027s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related technical field.\n * Advanced coursework or demonstrated expertise in distributed systems, real-time systems, or robotics software architecture is a plus. \n\n\n\nWhat You\u0027ll Get\n\nAt John Deere, you are empowered to create a career that will take you to where you want to go while working in an inclusive team environment. Here, you\u0027ll enjoy the freedom to explore new projects, the support to think outside the box and the advanced tools and technology that foster innovation and achievement. Additionally, we offer a comprehensive reward package to help you get started on your new career path, including:\n\n * Flexible work arrangements\n * Highly competitive base pay \n * Savings \u0026 Retirement benefits (401K and Defined Contribution)\n * Healthcare benefits with a generous company contribution in the Health Savings Account\n * Adoption assistance\n * Employee Assistance Programs\n * Tuition assistance\n * Fitness subsidies and on-site gyms at specific Deere locations\n * Charitable contribution match\n * Employee Purchase Plan \u0026 numerous discount programs for personal use\n * Vacation and Holiday Pay\n\n\n\n$157,488.00 - $236,232.00 + Benefits\n\nFollow this link to learn more about our Total Rewards Package https://bit.ly/3XCd8fL\n\nMust be 18 years of age or older to apply\n\nThe information contained herein is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and qualifications required of individuals performing the job. The qualifications detailed in this job description are not considered the minimum requirements necessary to perform the job, but rather as guidelines.\n\nThe terms of the applicable benefit plans, and all company actions administering or interpreting these plans, continue to control. Deere \u0026 Company reserves the right to suspend, amend, modify, or terminate the Plan(s) in any manner at any time, including the right to modify or eliminate any cost-sharing between the company and participants. Changes, which can be made at any time, are made by action of the company\u0027s board of directors, or to the extent authorized by resolution of its board of directors, or by the Deere \u0026 Company Compensation Committee. In the event of a conflict between the language of the official Plan Documents and this document, the language of the official Plan Documents will control.\n\nACA Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Notice\n\nThe John Deere Health Benefit Plans for Salaried Employees and The John Deere Benefit Plan for Wage Employees comply with applicable Federal civil rights laws and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with disability.\n