Software Engineer, C++ Frontend

Full-Time San Francisco Bay Area or Remote Engineering $160,000–$220,000 + equity

3+ years preferred

We are looking for PCB designers who can code, or software engineers with real PCB design experience, to help improve the core Trace C++ frontend. This role is focused on the actual design experience: layout, editing, routing, constraints, visualization, performance, and the everyday workflows PCB designers rely on.

• Build and improve C++ frontend features for PCB and schematic design workflows
• Work on layout interactions: selection, movement, snapping, placement, routing, measurement, alignment, and layer visibility
• Implement workflows for components, nets, pads, vias, traces, polygons, planes, constraints, and design rules
• Translate real PCB designer pain points into practical software improvements
• Improve frontend performance for larger and more complex boards
• Contribute to technical decisions around architecture, interaction models, and user-facing behavior

• Experience designing PCBs — professionally, academically, or through serious personal projects
• Strong programming ability, especially in C++
• Understanding of PCB concepts: components, footprints, nets, routing, vias, copper pours, layers, clearances, and constraints
• Strong eye for software usability and interaction details
• Ability to think like both a PCB designer and a software developer
• Comfort working on complex frontend systems where precision and performance matter

• Experience building desktop applications, CAD tools, EDA tools, graphics editors, or game engines
• Experience with rendering, geometry, spatial data structures, or canvas-based editing systems
• Familiarity with Qt, OpenGL, Vulkan, ImGui, or similar frontend/rendering technologies
• Experience with PCB manufacturing files:
  Gerbers, drill files, pick-and-place, IPC formats
• Familiarity with DRC, constraint systems, autorouting, or interactive routing behavior
• Experience working with hardware engineers or PCB layout teams