Principal Software Engineer - 3D Visualization (OpenGL) at MED Medtronic Inc — Newton, MA
Full job description
A Day in the Life
As a Principal Software Engineer - 3D Visualization (OpenGL) you will set the technical direction for real-time 3D visualization on the Prism Mapping platform -the rendering architecture behind every map clinicians work with. You'll lead architecture for the rendering pipeline (OpenGL, VTK, Qt/QML integration, GPU resource management, real-time performance), shape the long-term direction for how visualization scales to new clinical modalities and new hardware, and partner closely with UI/UX leaders, signals and algorithms leaders, and product to define what's possible. You'll mentor senior engineers across the visualization space, drive root cause on the hardest rendering and performance problems, and raise the bar for visual fidelity, latency, and reliability in a medical device.
About the Affera Prism Mapping System
Primary Responsibilities
- Lead architecture for the Prism Mapping 3D visualization stack — OpenGL/VTK pipeline, Qt/QML integration, GPU resource management, and real-time performance strategy.
- Define multi-release direction for visualization: new clinical modalities, new rendering capabilities, evolving GPU/driver landscape, and future hardware.
- Set the engineering bar for rendered output on visual fidelity, latency, determinism, and testability.
- 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 3D visualization systems in OpenGL, WebGL, Vulkan, DirectX, or comparable rendering APIs, integrated with VTK and Qt/QML.
- Strong understanding of GPU pipelines, shader architecture, and rendering performance under real hardware constraints.
- Track record of shaping visualization architecture for complex technical or clinical products across multiple releases.
- 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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