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Senior Software Engineer - C++

Rockwell Automation · Milwaukee, WI · Full time

Posted Sep 29, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you mentored another engineer through a hard technical problem.

What they are checking: Whether they support teammates as a senior engineer, which the posting expects.

Tell me about a design decision you pushed back on. What happened?

What they are checking: Whether they can disagree with evidence and still work well with the team.

What would you do

A crash shows up only on an industrial PC in the field. How do you investigate it?

What they are checking: Whether they can debug with logs and crash dumps when they can't reproduce the issue locally.

How would you approach changing a core part of a large, existing codebase without breaking customers' projects?

What they are checking: Whether they protect backward compatibility for applications customers have already built.

About the work

FactoryTalk Optix runs on Windows and Linux targets. How do you write C++ code that stays portable across both?

What they are checking: Whether they know how to isolate platform differences in a cross-platform runtime.

Walk me through how you'd design a subsystem for an HMI runtime that has to stay responsive while handling live data.

What they are checking: Whether they can design for concurrency and responsiveness in real-time visualization software.

How do you manage memory and object lifetime in modern C++?

What they are checking: Whether they use RAII and smart pointers well, since leaks matter on long-running industrial targets.

How do you find and fix a race condition in multithreaded C++ code?

What they are checking: Whether they understand threading bugs and the tools and design choices that prevent them.

How do you keep performance good on lower-powered targets like OptixPanels?

What they are checking: Whether they profile and optimize for constrained hardware rather than assuming desktop resources.

How do you make sure a C++ change is well tested before it merges?

What they are checking: Whether they write meaningful unit and integration tests for subsystem code.

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The full job description

As published by Rockwell Automation.

Rockwell Automation is a global technology leader focused on helping the world’s manufacturers be more productive, sustainable, and agile. With more than 28,000 employees who make the world better every day, we know we have something special. Behind our customers - amazing companies that help feed the world, provide life-saving medicine on a global scale, and focus on clean water and green mobility - our people are energized problem solvers that take pride in how the work we do changes the world for the better. We welcome all makers, forward thinkers, and problem solvers who are looking for a place to do their best work. And if that’s you we would love to have you join us! Job Description Position Overview As a Senior Software Engineer at Rockwell Automation, you will work on FactoryTalk Optix, industry-leading visualization software, known for its flexibility and ease-of-use. FactoryTalk Optix is HMI software that allows users to design applications to control the production process in a variety of environments. These applications can be deployed to various targets, including OptixPanels, ASEM 6300 industrial computers or user-provided machines running Optix Runtime Tools on either Windows or Linux. You will be a key player in subsystem design, implementation, and testing. You will play an active role in all the stages of the development lifecycle and support your team throughout the process. You will also help ensure that developed products meet requirements and are within total quality management standards. You will collaborate with multiple global teams. You will also perform intermediate-level software testing tasks including test development, planning, scheduling, and execution. When you join our software development group, you become part of a team that believes in knowledge sharing and collaboration and that is committed to using reliable and well-thought-out engineering and software development practices (such as Agile/SCRUM and SAFe) and technology to overcome any challenge. We are looking for someone who will utilize a diverse set of technical backgrounds and opinions by fostering a team-oriented environment and the use of open and direct communications, integrity, and respect. You will also seek knowledge of new developments in software engineering, computer engineering, and test automation fields and will identify and pursue career development opportunities. You will report to a Software Engineering Manager. Your Responsibilities: • Collect, contribute to and document requirements for a feature and its components, ensuring the information required to develop software and corresponding test cases are contained in the specifications • Develop new subsystem designs or contribute to existing ones ensuring they meet the established requirements • Implement and document code that meets the requirements of the software design • Develop and execute detailed unit test plans; report, analyze, debug and correct anomalies • Participate in reviews of documents, designs, code, test cases and user documentation • Estimate, plan, develop, and execute test suites, test cases and automated tests to ensure appropriate functional test coverage is attained • Ensure documented test cases and specifications validate documented software requirements • Perform product testing, reporting on problems encountered and documenting test results for follow-up • Determine the origin and cause of anomalies identified • Build relationships and interact with peers to ensure assigned tasks are prioritized • Initiate or contribute to software development capability improvements in software development practices, development tools, and test automation • Perform research and explore new avenues to solve challenges by utilizing the latest technologies and standards • Communicate and convey design concepts, both verbally and in writing • Work with complex control system concepts • Mentor other engineers on the team The Essentials - You Will Have: • Bachelor's Degree or equivalent years of relevant work experience • Legal authorization to work in the US is required. The Preferred - You Might Also Have: • Typically requires 4 years of relevant technical experience • Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent • Experience in a software product development environment • Experience with C++, C# and Typescript programming languages • Experience with Qt, .NET, and React frameworks • Experience creating, configuring and managing container infrastructure (Kubernetes, Helm, Docker) • Experience designing, developing, and maintaining applications that leverage MariaDB, including database schema design, query optimization, and performance tuning. • Experience using AI Models for design, debugging and implementation • Experience creating or updating GitHub Actions • Experience with Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code IDEs • Experience documenting and reviewing designs • Familiarity with Linux/WSL What We Offer: • Health Insurance including Medical, Dental and Vision • 401k • Paid Time off • Parental and Caregiver Leave • Flexible Work Schedule where you will work with your manager to enjoy a work schedule that can be flexible with your personal life. • To learn more about our benefits package, please visit at www.raquickfind.com . This position is part of a job family. Experience will be the determining factor for position level and compensation. At Rockwell Automation we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this or other roles. #LI-Hybrid #LI-LifeAtRok #LI-SB1 We are an Equal Opportunity Employer including disability and veterans. If you are an individual with a disability and you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation during the application process, please contact our services team at +1 (844) 404-7247. Rockwell Automation’s hybrid policy aligns that employees are expected to work at a Rockwell location at least Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays unless they have a business obligation out of the office.

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