Principal Software Engineer

Note: The level and job title extended will be determined based on individual qualifications, experience, and relevant skill sets that will be evaluated during the interview process.

Company Summary
At RAVE Aerospace, we make flying fun by focusing on maximizing the Passenger Experience. As an innovative In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC) company we design, engineer, manufacture, sell and support world-class In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity solutions. Our products are constantly evolving, solving complex media distribution, playback, and networking problems in a secure and demanding on-wing environment. Safran IFEC products are utilized by many of the world’s premier air carriers. Step aboard and help us by creating the best in-flight experiences for today and beyond!

Job Summary

The Principal Software Engineer will participate in the architecture, design, development, test, and integration of software features for, or in support of, RAVE In-flight Entertainment (IFE).

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the design, creation, development and improvement of software features, packaging, tools, testing, test automation, continuous integration, delivery, documentation and building of complex distributed systems in a low power, heat conscious environment
• Build and maintain automated tests (unit, integration, system-level)
• Triage, debug, and resolve issues
• Take ownership of quality and drive continuous improvement
• Provide accurate estimates and deliver on commitments with transparency
• Collaborate with stakeholders, users, and teams on design, implementation, and approvals
• Engage actively in meetings and technical discussions
• Coordinate with internal teams to support product success
• Prepare and present technical for large and diverse audiences
• Follow and help improve SDLC and organizational processes
• Provide guidance, mentoring, and training within the software team, while offering support across the broader product development organization
• Lead and drive the technical direction of complex software projects when needed, offering expert guidance to development teams
• Ensure accountability for technical outcomes across cross-functional teams by making critical decisions and taking ownership of overall project success

• Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience in a related field
• 15+ years of software development experience with one or more of the following:
• Software development in C/C++ on Linux/UNIX, embedded, or Windows (.NET, C#, JavaScript, SQL)
• Modern tech stack: Qt/QML, Node.js, Golang, React, Typescript, Python, PostgreSQL, Docker, MQTT, Microservices
• Skilled in managing containers and virtual machines using Docker Swarm, Kubernetes, and other orchestration platforms and compute primitives
• Experienced in designing and maintaining high-performance databases—structured, unstructured, and in-memory—optimized for constrained and dynamically changing environments
• Proficient in security engineering, including system and network security, authentication protocols, cryptography, and securing databases and applications in regulated environments
• Experience refactoring/rearchitecting monolithic solutions into distributed microservices, containerized or serverless with heavy API design and implementation strategies 
• Experiences with any of the following languages, technologies and techniques would be advantageous
• IPC, RPC, sockets, A/V players
• Networking & protocols: Ethernet, ARINC 429, RS-485, I2C, SPI, MDIO, CAN
• Experience with npm, Bower or Webpack
• Debugging & troubleshooting

Soft Skills

• Excellent organizational and leadership skills
• Ability to negotiate and compromise
• Maintain a positive attitude when facing adversity
• Presentation and facilitation skills
• Be a team player and work collaboratively (e.g., MOB and/or pair program)
• Self-directed, proactive, organized, and detail-oriented
• Take initiative to suggest and drive organizational improvements
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills
• Ability to efficiently resolve problems and seek assistance when stuck (i.e., fail fast)
• Ability to accomplish a multitude of tasks
• Desire to continuously learn
• Embrace change and be comfortable working in a fluid and changing environment
• Ability to use discretion and independent judgment when making decisions on behalf of the company

In addition to a comprehensive package of health benefits that include company contributions, RAVE Aerospace offers a variety of additional benefits and perks to enhance your work-life balance experience including but not limited to:

• A home allowance to elevate your home workspace
• Discretionary bonus program
• Future financial security with a 401(k) program with company match
• Paid time off covering vacations, personal time off and sick days, capped off by an exciting year-end holiday shutdown
• Embraced flexibility with our alternative work schedule (9/80) to navigate your workweeks with every other Friday off