Senior C++ Engineer

DuckDuckGo is an online protection company and remote-first team of 400+ employees. Founded in 2008 and profitable since 2014, the company generates annual revenue exceeding $100m USD. Their products include a privacy-focused browser based on Chromium for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, a search engine, and a subscription service called DuckDuckGo Pro. They also provide private, optional AI services including Duck.ai allowing private chats with ChatGPT, Claude, and other AIs.

• Ability to lead and collaborate on high-impact, complex projects from proposal through post-mortem
• Skill in addressing vague problems, proposing innovative solutions, and executing with a focus on metrics
• 7+ years of software engineering experience
• Advanced expertise in modern C++ (C++23 or newer), including memory management, concurrency, and performance profiling
• Experience driving technical work end-to-end on large-scale C++ codebases
• Comfort with large build systems, debuggers, and profilers
• Experience releasing software to a large consumer audience
• Strong computer science foundation (algorithms and data structures)

Nice to have:

• Windows development experience
• Experience with browsers (Chromium, WebKit, WebView), game engines, or large desktop applications

• Implement tracker blocking to stop hidden trackers on every site without slowing page loads

• Integrate VPN and Personal Information Removal into the browser through the DuckDuckGo subscription

• Automatically detect startup and responsiveness regressions to maintain browser speed

• Lead complex projects from proposal through post-mortem

• Translate vague problems into clear plans and execute within a large modern C++ codebase

• Make architecture decisions that the team builds upon

• Collaborate mostly asynchronously with design and product teams to build user-facing features

• Must attend meetings on camera via video conferencing
• Expected travel twice a year for all-hands meetup and team retreat (4-5 days each), with encouragement for attendance
• Flexible work arrangement with no core hours but approx. 40 hours/week commitment
• Successful candidate must pass background check
• Providing false information during application can lead to offer denial or termination
• Use of AI technology in the hiring process for application review and summarization
• Equal opportunity employer prohibiting discrimination based on protected characteristics
• Reasonable accommodation available for applicants with disabilities upon request