Senior C++ Software Engineer

Build the software that powers football on game day. What if you could watch an NFL game on Sunday and know that the C++ software you wrote was helping power what you’re seeing? At Catapult, that’s the reality. We’re looking for a Senior C++ Software Engineer to join our Focus Live team in Boston and build the client and real-time software behind the video capture technology used across American football practice and gameday. This is a hands-on engineering role at the heart of our football product. You’ll be building high-performance C++ applications that are used directly by customers, working across client/desktop software, live video and real-time processing. Your software needs to work when it matters. On game day, it can be running in front of up to 90,000 fans in a stadium, with its output potentially appearing on TV. This isn’t software that sits quietly in the background. When the game is live, your software is live. You’ll work on challenging problems involving C++, desktop applications, low-latency video, multithreading, networking and high-performance systems. You’ll also work closely with engineers and sports technology experts to understand how the software is used and build reliable solutions around real-world user workflows. If you’re a C++ engineer who enjoys building software that people actually use, solving difficult performance problems and seeing your work become part of the game itself, this is an opportunity to make a visible impact. Why this C++ role is different

• See your work on game day. Your software powers live football environments where the results are visible to coaches, players, fans and potentially millions of viewers at home.
• Build software used by real customers. Work on client and desktop applications that form a key part of the Focus Live product and its user experience.
• Work at the edge of performance. Build real-time systems where latency, reliability and efficiency genuinely matter.
• Solve hard technical problems. Work across C++, multithreading, live video, networking and high-performance processing.
• Build with modern C++. Design and develop robust, maintainable applications across Windows, Mac and Linux.
• Work on technology used by elite teams. Catapult supports more than 5,000 teams globally, including organisations across the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, EPL, AFL, NRL and NCAA.
• Own meaningful engineering problems. You’ll have the opportunity to shape architecture, improve the codebase and lead features rather than simply maintaining existing systems. What you’ll build: As a Senior C++ Software Engineer, you’ll play a key role in planning, designing, building and testing our Focus Live solutions for American football practice and gameday. You’ll:
• Design, build and maintain high-performance C++ applications supporting live video capture, processing and the user experience around Focus Live.
• Develop and improve client/desktop functionality used directly by customers.
• Work closely with the product and engineering teams to understand user workflows and turn them into reliable, practical software.
• Build software that needs to perform reliably in the demanding environment of live football.
• Contribute deeply to the implementation and maintenance of efficient, reusable and reliable C++ code.
• Help shape and improve our technology and architecture as the product evolves.
• Drive improvements in code quality, organisation and modern C++ development practices.
• Work closely with the wider engineering team through design discussions, code reviews and technical collaboration.
• Contribute to our test strategy, including defining test cases, writing unit tests and driving automation.
• Help us continuously raise the bar for the performance, reliability and maintainability of the product. The technical challenges: This is a role for someone who enjoys getting into the details and building software that has a direct impact on the end user. You’ll be solving problems around:
• Modern C++
• Client/Desktop application development
• User workflows and product-facing functionality
• Real-time and low-latency video
• Multithreaded applications
• High-performance systems
• Windows, Mac and Linux
• Network programming
• Real-time data transfer
• H.264/H.265 and live video streams
• FFmpeg
• Cross-platform development You’ll have a genuine opportunity to influence how we solve these problems, rather than simply implementing predefined solutions. What you’ll bring: We’re looking for an experienced C++ engineer who enjoys building high-performance software that is used directly by customers and end users. Strong C++ experience and hands-on client/desktop application development are the primary requirements for this role. You’ll combine strong C++ fundamentals with practical experience developing software that users interact with directly, alongside an understanding of real-world user workflows and product functionality. You’ll ideally have:
• Strong professional experience developing software using modern C++.
• Significant hands-on experience developing client or desktop applications, ideally where software is used directly by customers or end users.
• A good understanding of user workflows and how to build reliable, intuitive product functionality.
• Experience developing high-performance, multithreaded applications.
• Experience working with video, real-time processing or other performance-critical systems.
• Solid knowledge of unit testing methodologies and tools, with a focus on producing maintainable, traceable code.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English. It would also be great if you have:
• Cross-platform development experience across Windows, Mac and Linux.
• Experience with modern C++ build systems such as CMake.
• Experience with video formats such as H.264/H.265.
• Hands-on experience with FFmpeg.
• Experience with network programming, distributed systems or real-time data transfer protocols.
• Experience with CI/CD tools such as GitHub Actions or TeamCity.
• Experience working within agile engineering teams delivering robust, production software.
• Experience with C# would be a nice-to-have. You don’t need to tick every box. If you’re a strong C++ engineer with solid client or desktop development experience and enjoy solving complex performance and systems problems, we’d love to hear from you. What success looks like: After 6 months You’re contributing confidently to the Focus Live codebase, understanding the live capture environment and how customers use the product. You’re delivering features and improvements across the client software and supporting systems while becoming a trusted member of the engineering team. After 12 months You’ve helped deliver a successful season of live capture and are confidently designing improvements, influencing technical decisions and leading the addition of features for the next season. You understand both the technical challenges and the real-world workflows our customers rely on. Ultimately, success means becoming one of the engineers our team trusts to solve the hardest problems and build software that works reliably when performance and usability matter most. About Catapult Catapult is building the future of sports performance technology, with a mission to Unleash the Potential of every athlete and team on earth. Since 2006, our solutions have helped change the way elite sport operates. Today, we work with 5,000+ teams around the world, including premier organisations across the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLS, EPL, AFL, NRL, NCAA and more. We empower coaches, managers and performance staff with the information they need to optimise athlete health, game-day readiness and performance, as well as in-game tactics. Our technology brings together health, performance, video and AI insights, helping teams make better decisions from the locker