Principal Software Designer / Concepteur(trice) logiciel principal(e)

Principal Software Designer – Québec (Hybrid) As a Principal Software Designer within the R&D software development team, you will play a key role in shaping the architecture and long-term evolution of our software platforms. Working closely with product management, development teams, and other technical leaders, you will contribute to strategic decisions that align technology with business needs in the context of our PIC (Photonic Integrated Circuit) inspection products. Your Role More specifically, as a Principal Software Designer, you will be expected to:

• Collaborate with product owners and stakeholders to understand customer needs and translate them into clear architectural and design strategies;
• Define, communicate, and document architectural direction and technical roadmaps for complex software systems;
• Collaborate in the development of key components in C# and Python, ensuring scalability, testability, and maintainability;
• Take an active role in refactoring initiatives, ensuring that technical debt is addressed in alignment with product evolution;
• Act as a mentor and technical reference within the team, promoting good development practices and design consistency;
• Engage in collaborative planning, estimation, and decision-making with cross-functional teams (software, optics, QA, electronics, systems);
• Support the evolution of software platforms to meet future product requirements and scalability needs.

What We’re Looking ForTechnical Skills

• Strong experience in software architecture and platform design, ideally in systems involving hardware integration;
• Proficiency in C# and Python in an industrial or commercial environment;
• Demonstrated expertise in refactoring legacy systems and driving modernization initiatives;
• Ability to assess trade-offs between short-term deliverables and long-term architectural health;
• Knowledge of hardware/software integration contexts (e.g., vision systems, motion control, lab instruments) is an asset;
• Experience with source control and CI/CD tools (e.g., GitLab, Jenkins, etc.).

Aptitudes Required

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to align technical solutions with business goals;
• Strong analytical thinking and decision-making capabilities;
• Leadership mindset with a willingness to coach and support other developers;
• Comfortable working in an agile, collaborative, and multidisciplinary environment;
• Ability to take initiative and work autonomously when needed.

Requirements

• Education : Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or related field;
• Experience : Minimum of 8 years in software development, with significant experience in architecture and system-level design;
• Languages : Proficient in French and able to communicate effectively in technical English.

Why Join EXFO?

• Be part of a highly skilled R&D team building cutting-edge solutions in the field of photonics and automated testing;
• Help define the foundation of our next-generation software platforms;
• Collaborate with experts across disciplines in a dynamic and innovative environment;
• Work in a hybrid model with flexibility between remote work and our Québec office.