Software Development Engineer 5

Job Description

Job Title: Software Development Engineer 5

Position Description: Protingent Staffing has an exciting contract Software Development Engineer 5 with our client located in Sunnyvale, CA.

Job Description:

• The contractor in this position will play a key role on the IoMT & Platform Integration team, expanding the MQTT-based IoT architecture across our embedded medical device platforms and AWS cloud infrastructure.
• This is a 50/50 architecture and hands-on development role — the contractor will leverage the MQTT architecture knowledge while actively contributing production-quality C and Python code alongside a team of 4 engineers.
• Close collaboration with internal engineering, cybersecurity, and product teams is expected throughout the engagement.
• Design proposals are subject to internal architecture and quality review gates.
  
  
  

Job Responsibilities:

• Support the expansion of the MQTT-based IoT architecture across our embedded medical device platforms and AWS cloud infrastructure;
• Produce architecture decision records (ADRs), interface contracts, design specifications, system diagrams;
• Implement connectivity middleware and communication services in C & Python on device side and cloud side;
• Architect and implement cloud-side integration using AWS microservices (EC2, S3, and related services) to support the migrated protocol layer
• Design and implement security hardening: TLS/mTLS, certificate-based device authentication, topic-level authorization, and PKI lifecycle management
• Design for cloud connectivity reliability: offline buffering, reconnect strategies, message deduplication, and guaranteed delivery patterns appropriate for embedded systems
• Lead and participate in design reviews with the FTE engineering team; incorporate feedback from internal review gates
• Support debugging and root cause analysis of connectivity issues during migration and integration testing
• Produce thorough documentation and conduct knowledge transfer sessions to ensure continuity at engagement close.
  
  
  

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical field
• 10 years of software engineering experience, with 5 years focused on IoT systems architecture.
• Deep expertise in C & Python for system-level software development
• Strong MQTT expertise — broker configuration, QoS levels, topic design, retained messages, MQTT 5.0 features
• Solid understanding of pub/sub and RPC messaging patterns, including how to implement reliable RPC over pub/sub protocols
• Working knowledge of AWS microservices (EC2, S3, and adjacent services);
• Ability to design cloud-side components supporting device connectivity
• Strong grasp of network security fundamentals: TLS/mTLS, PKI, certificate management, and authorization patterns for IoT devices
• Proven ability to produce high-quality architecture documentation — ADRs, design specs, interface definitions
• Excellent communication skills; able to lead design discussions and drive alignment across technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Quality-first engineering mindset: writes clean, well-documented, maintainable code that teammates can own after the engagement ends
• Able to work independently and manage technical ambiguity with minimal guidance.
  
  
  

Nice To Have:

• Experience in regulated or safety-critical industries (medical, aerospace, industrial) — valued but not required
• Background in asynchronous, event-driven, and multi-threaded system design
• Familiarity with FMEA or software risk analysis processes
• Familiarity with cloud observability and operational monitoring tooling (e.g., AWS CloudWatch)
• Strong industry experience in architecture and development of scalable, production-quality systems.
  
  
  

Job Details:

• Job Type: Contract
• Pay Rate: $85 - $93 an hour
• Location: Sunnyvale, CA (5 days onsite)
  
  
  

Benefits Package: Protingent offers competitive salaries, insurance plan options (HDHP plan or POS plan), education/certification reimbursement, pre-tax commuter benefits, Paid Time Off (PTO), and an administered 401k plan.

About Protingent: Protingent is an Award-Winning provider of top-tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — from Software and Aerospace to AI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.