Principal Software Engineer - Signals & Algorithm Interfaces (Python/C++) — Newton, MA

A Day in the Life

As a Principal Software Engineer – Signals & Algorithm Interfaces (Python/C++) you will set the technical direction for how the Affera Signals & Algorithms team's work is brought into the Prism Mapping platform — the architecture that lets new algorithms reach the clinic safely and performantly, and the partnership model that connects algorithm development to production engineering.

You'll lead cross-cutting design for real-time signal pipelines, algorithm execution frameworks, and the optimization strategies that let algorithms hit clinical performance targets at scale. You'll partner deeply with the Signals & Algorithms team, hardware engineers, and clinical experts to shape roadmaps, mentor senior engineers across the integration space, and drive root cause on the hardest cross-domain problems — the ones that span signal behavior, system code, and clinical workflow. Your decisions will determine how quickly new clinical capabilities reach physicians, and how reliably they perform in the lab.

About the Affera Prism Mapping System

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead architecture for algorithm integration on the Prism Mapping platform — real-time signal pipelines, algorithm execution frameworks, and the data contracts that connect hardware, algorithms, mapping, and UI.
• Define multi-release direction for the algorithm integration architecture and the team partnership model behind it.
• Set the engineering bar for algorithm-adjacent code on real-time guarantees, determinism, and clinical performance.
• Lead the design and delivery of major subsystems, cross-cutting architecture, or large technical initiatives.
• Exercise broad technical judgment in defining approaches to complex system and architectural problems with limited oversight.
• Drive technical alignment across software, systems, quality, product, and other cross-functional teams.
• Establish and promote software design patterns, engineering standards, and development best practices.
• Provide technical leadership across teams through mentoring, design reviews, and guidance on critical engineering decisions.
• Identify and drive improvements in architecture, development processes, and system design.
• Shape the technical roadmap and architectural direction for major subsystems or product capabilities.
• Communicate complex technical tradeoffs, risks, and recommendations to stakeholders across functions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience
• OR Master’s degree with a minimum of 5 years of relevant experience
• OR PhD with 3 years relevant experience

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep expertise architecting real-time signal and algorithm pipelines for production systems.
• Strong understanding of DSP fundamentals and the constraints they impose on system architecture — latency, determinism, sample integrity.
• Track record of building research-to-production pathways for algorithm work.
• Deep expertise in Python and C++ and in software architecture for complex, multi-component systems.
• Proven experience delivering complex, real-time, device-integrated, or networked systems.
• Experience leading large, complex, cross-functional technical initiatives.
• Experience defining architecture, standards, or technical direction across multiple components or teams.
• Experience solving ambiguous, high-impact technical problems spanning multiple domains or subsystems.
• Experience influencing technical decisions beyond immediate team boundaries.
• Experience in regulated environments preferred.
• Advances how the team uses AI tools — introduces new approaches that raise team productivity and quality.

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