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MathWorks

Principal C++ Software Engineer

🇺🇸 Natick, MA 🕑 Full-Time 💰 $161K - $257K 💻 Software Engineering 🗓️ May 18th, 2026

Edtech.com's Summary

MathWorks is hiring a Principal C++ Software Engineer to develop and enhance the core programming language and runtime systems that underpin MATLAB. The role involves designing, implementing, and modernizing language semantics, execution capabilities, and runtime infrastructure to improve performance, correctness, and support new features including AI-assisted development.

Highlights
  • Design and implement enhancements to programming language features, execution semantics, and core runtime behavior.
  • Lead large-scale refactoring efforts to improve modularity, clarity, and testability.
  • Evolve internal APIs and abstractions for safe and efficient tool and integration development.
  • Diagnose and resolve complex issues across subsystems affecting execution behavior.
  • Participate in design reviews and architecture discussions to shape technical direction.
  • Mentor engineers through code reviews and technical collaboration.
  • Expertise required in C++ programming.
  • Bachelor's degree and at least 10 years of professional experience or equivalent.
  • Experience with large, mature codebases and performance-critical system development.
  • Familiarity with developer tools such as debuggers, static analysis, and language tooling; interest in AI interaction with programming languages.
  • Salary range: $160,800 - $257,300.

Principal C++ Software Engineer Full Description

Principal C++ Software Engineer


Job Summary

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer to work on the core programming language and runtime systems that form the foundation of MATLAB. In this role, you will help design, implement, and evolve the language semantics, execution capabilities, and runtime infrastructure used by millions of engineers and scientists worldwide.

This is a hands‑on, technical role focused on building and modernizing foundational systems—improving language consistency, advancing performance and correctness, and refactoring long‑lived subsystems to support new capabilities, composable execution, and AI‑assisted development workflows.

Responsibilities
  • Design and implement enhancements to programming language features, execution semantics, and core runtime behavior, with attention to performance and correctness.
  • Lead and contribute to large‑scale refactoring efforts, improving modularity, clarity, and testability of mature systems while preserving external behavior and compatibility.
  • Evolve internal APIs and abstractions that enable other teams to build language features, tooling, and integrations safely and efficiently.
  • Diagnose and resolve complex cross‑cutting issues related to execution behavior and interactions between subsystems.
  • Participate in design reviews and architecture discussions, helping shape the long‑term technical direction of the language and runtime.
  • Mentor other engineers through code reviews, technical discussions, and shared ownership of foundational systems.

Minimum Qualifications
  • Expertise with C++
  • A bachelor's degree and 10 years of professional work experience (or equivalent experience) is required.

Additional Qualifications
  • Strong understanding of software design principles and maintainable architecture in large systems.
  • Ability to independently drive complex technical work from problem definition through implementation and delivery.
  • Experience working effectively in large, long‑lived codebases with many users and dependencies, including large‑scale refactoring efforts.
  • Experience developing performance‑critical systems.
  • Familiarity with developer‑facing tools such as debuggers, static analysis, or language tooling.
  • Interest in how AI and automation interact with programming languages and execution environments.