Senior Software Developer and Team Lead, Marine & Ports

Discord has a highly engaged community of millions of daily active users who use the platform for many different reasons, but there’s one thing that nearly everyone does: play video games. Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming, and we are focused on making it easier and more fun for people to hang out before, during, and after playing games. We're looking for talented Senior Software Engineers to join our Consumer Revenue squads, the teams at the heart of premium experiences at Discord. You’ll be building out a premium Discord for millions of subscribers, focusing on surfaces such as Nitro, shop, boosting, user identity, and more. Your work will be vital in delivering a high-value premium experience, without compromising the core experience for our free users. You’ll be a key driver in generating the revenue that fuels Discord’s mission. In this product engineering role, you'll collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Data Science, Design, Marketing, and other functions to create best-in-class consumer experiences. Your work will cover the full breadth of the technical stack, from backend data modeling, through business logic in APIs, to polished, user-facing interfaces. You’ll be supported by infrastructure, platform, and product teams on your mission to build the best premium Discord. Check out some of our recent launches on Nitro, shop, boosting, user identity, and more. To learn more about Discord Engineering, take a look at our engineering blog! What You'll Be Doing * Build and improve premium Discord experiences such as Nitro, shop, boosting, user identity, and more. * Own projects end to end by partnering with Product to refine requirements, create technical specs, and work closely with Design to execute and deliver best-in-class user experiences. * Work with a team of full-stack engineers to ship new features across Web, Android, and iOS. * Lead complex initiatives from conception to completion, thriving in ambiguous environments. * Rapidly prototype new features and synthesize insights through experimentation. What you should have * 5+ years of software engineering experience. You’re a key technical contributor to your team and have led sizable projects which have had a big impact on your team’s roadmap. * Full-stack proficiency. You are an expert in React/React Native with a solid grasp of Python backend development. We work primarily in the web (React, TypeScript), mobile (React Native, with a small amount of Kotlin, Objective-C, and Swift), and backend (Python). * Product sense. You maintain a high degree of empathy for your internal and external users, and seek feedback from them about your work. You have an eye for what changes can bring a product from good to great. * Ownership mentality. You thrive with autonomy, take initiative to drive projects forward, and are comfortable with ambiguity. * Pragmatic approach. You find incremental approaches to solving complex problems, enjoy rapidly prototyping solutions, value your autonomy and operate with high integrity. * Performance-focused mindset. You have a solid understanding of React performance and client-server performance optimization, and a commitment to maintaining high-performance standards. * Growth mindset. You view challenges and mistakes as learning opportunities while building upon your successes. You push yourself and those around you to continuously improve. Bonus Points * Experience working on teams focused on growth, particularly in revenue generation, product monetization, or user engagement systems * Strong track record of driving measurable impact through experimentation and data-driven decision making * Demonstrated success in attracting new users, driving engagement, sustaining long-term retention, and optimizing consumer-facing features * Experience with performance optimization at scale, particularly for consumer-facing applications * Interest or passion for the Discord platform The US base salary range for this full-time position is $196,000 to $220,000 + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role and level. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include equity, or benefits. Candidates must reside in or be willing to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties). Relocation assistance may be available. For this role, there is no formal requirement to work from the office. Why Discord?  Discord plays a uniquely important role in the future of gaming. We're a multiplatform, multigenerational and multiplayer platform that helps people deepen their friendships around games and shared interests, and helps developers build and grow their businesses. We believe games give us a way to have fun with our favorite people, whether listening to music together or grinding in competitive matches for diamond rank. Join us in our mission! Your future is just a click away! Discord is committed to inclusion and providing reasonable accommodations during the interview process. We want you to feel set up for success, so if you are in need of reasonable accommodations, please let your recruiter know. Please see our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Policy for details regarding Discord’s collection and usage of personal information relating to the application and recruitment process by clicking HERE.

ABOUT US STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionising the way autonomous systems are deployed across multiple domains. We design, develop, and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are software-defined, mass-scalable, and cost-effective. This provides our operators with a decisive edge in highly contested environments. We’re focused on delivering deployable, high-performance systems—not future promises. In a time of rising threats, STARK is bolstering the technological edge of NATO Allies and their Partners to deter aggression and defend Europe—today. ABOUT THE TEAM Minerva is STARK's command and control software — the brain that connects operators to autonomous systems across multiple domains in real time. The Minerva team is a small, senior software group based across the UK, Germany, Greece & Ukraine working directly with our systems and hardware teams to build mission-critical C2 capabilities deployed in active operational environments. We move fast, ship real software, and operate under constraints most engineers never encounter — low-bandwidth networks, air-gapped devices, and high-stakes decision loops. There is no room for abstraction for its own sake. Everything we build ends up in the hands of real operators in the field. YOUR MISSION This role demands more than standard simulation engineering. Working in defence technology means operating close to the realities of modern conflict and building simulation environments that must reliably support development, validation, and mission preparation in demanding conditions. As a Simulation Engineer, you will design, develop, and maintain high-fidelity Software-in-the-Loop (SiL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) test rigs that help validate our autonomous marine vessels (USVs) and unmanned platforms before real-world sea trials. In addition, you will support our Mission Simulation team to incorporate Maritime environments into tactical mission training environments. RESPONSIBILITIES * HiL/SiL Test Rig Development: Architect, build, and maintain high-quality Software-in-the-Loop (SiL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) test setups for validating embedded marine autopilots, autonomy software, and robotic platforms. * Physics & Vessel Modeling: Develop and integrate physics-based models for vehicle/vessel dynamics (hydrodynamics, wave forces, thruster/propulsion mechanics, and wind effects) and sensor physics (GPS, IMU, LiDAR, Sonar, Radar, Cameras). * Autonomy Stack Integration: Connect and coordinate simulators with ROS2-based autonomy stacks, MAVLink/MAVSDK middlewares, and edge software interfaces. * Synthetic Scenarios: Create realistic virtual environments simulating GPS-denied navigation, degraded weather, and signal jamming to stress-test control algorithms. * Verification & Analysis: Conduct debugging, verification, and performance analysis between simulators and live hardware interfaces, correlating simulation fidelity with actual sea-trial logs. * Documentation: Produce structured technical documentation, design drawings, test plans, and HIL wiring/schematic reports. * Mission Simulation Support: Support in scripting realistic training scenarios and mission simulations QUALIFICATIONS * Experience modeling marine vessel physics (propulsion, hydrodynamics, hull drag). * Strong programming proficiency in C/C++ and Python. * Strong experience building dynamic models in Simulink or equivalent * Solid understanding of fluid dynamics, physics, classical mechanics, rigid-body dynamics, control theory, or system dynamics. * Hands-on experience building and maintaining HIL test benches (cabling, signal conditioning, target computer setup, and instrumentation). * Experience configuring, customizing, and running Software-in-Loop and Hardware-in-Loop testing, preferably with PX4 flight/vehicle stacks. * Experience integrating simulation frameworks with ROS2-based middleware. * Strong debugging, validation, and analytical problem-solving skills. * Comfortable working in Linux-based software development environments.. STARK Defence UK has achieved the ERS - The Defence Employer Recognition Bronze award  2026 Talent Contact: Sally Grütte-Pad, Interim Lead TA Partner, via talent@stark-defence.com NICE TO HAVE * A university degree in Control Systems, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, Physics, or Computer Science. * Experience with Virtual Battlespace 4 (VBS4), Unreal Engine or similar defense simulation suites. * Experience with NVIDIA Omniverse, Isaac Sim, Isaac Lab, or Gazebo. * Experience modeling electro-optical (EO), infrared (IR), IMU, GNSS, barometer, LiDAR, radar, or camera sensors.