Senior Software Engineer (C++ / Real-Time Systems)

Derq is an MIT spinoff building AI-powered traffic safety and smart infrastructure. We’re a team of passionate innovators, leveraging the latest in AI and technology to transform the future of mobility. Our platform enhances road safety and traffic management by turning real-time data into actionable insights for cities and road operators. Our patented technology collects and analyzes data from connected sensors like cameras, radar, and traffic signal controllers to help predict and prevent road incidents. We deploy edge and cloud solutions that make intersections and highways safer and smarter.

Role Overview

Ever wanted to build software that directly improves how cities move? As a Senior Software Engineer at Derq, you will develop and evolve a cloud-based traffic signal timing optimization platform that transforms real-world traffic data into actionable recommendations for safer and more efficient intersections.

This is a hands-on engineering role with end-to-end ownership across modern C++, AWS cloud infrastructure, data pipelines, and optimization algorithms. You'll help shape a greenfield product from development and deployment through validation and continuous improvement.

• The Stack: Modern C++ (C++17+), AWS, Docker, SQL/NoSQL
• The Environment: Real-world traffic data, optimization systems, cloud infrastructure, and production-ready software.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and enhance the core C++ traffic signal optimization engine, expanding existing methodologies and exploring more advanced optimization approaches.
• Own the AWS serverless optimization pipeline, including data ingestion, processing, scheduling, storage, and deployment of containerized workloads.
• Work with traffic detection and signal-phase data generated by Derq edge systems and define reliable data contracts and integrations.
• Validate and calibrate optimization recommendations against measured field performance and operational traffic metrics.
• Build tools, configuration interfaces, and workflows that enable review, deployment, and scaling of optimization recommendations across intersections.
• Contribute to architecture decisions, technical documentation, testing, code reviews, and engineering best practices.
• Collaborate closely with software, deployment, and domain experts to deliver production-ready solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong hands-on experience with modern C++ (C++17+) and CMake.
• Experience developing and deploying applications on Linux-based environments.
• Hands-on experience with AWS services, including Lambda, S3, ECR, and IAM.
• Experience containerizing and deploying native applications using Docker.
• Strong understanding of data pipelines, JSON/JSONL data formats, producer-consumer architectures, and time-windowed data processing.
• Experience working with relational and NoSQL databases.
• Experience validating models, algorithms, or system outputs against real-world performance data.
• Strong software engineering practices, including Git, testing, code reviews, troubleshooting, and technical documentation.
• Ability to work independently, make sound architectural decisions, and operate effectively in a greenfield environment.