Senior C++ Chromium Software Engineer at DuckDuckGo

Who We Are

DuckDuckGo is an online protection company and a remote first team of over 400 people on a mission to raise the standard of trust online. Founded in 2008 and profitable since 2014, annual revenue now exceeds $100m USD. Millions of people use the DuckDuckGo browser on Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android, the DuckDuckGo search engine, and the DuckDuckGo subscription. The company also offers private, useful, and optional AI, including Duck.ai, which lets users chat privately with ChatGPT, Claude, and other AIs in one place.

The culture of trust, inclusivity, and empowered project management underpins everything. Each team member takes full ownership of their projects, from scoping and execution through to postmortem. If you are seeking end to end ownership of your work, this is the right place.

Your Team and Role

Working on the C++ Functional Team, you will build the high performance code at the core of the DuckDuckGo browser using modern C++ and Chromium, and work on related projects.

You can expect to work on projects like:

• Implement tracker blocking that stops hidden trackers on every site without slowing page loads.
• Bring VPN and Personal Information Removal into the browser through the DuckDuckGo subscription.
• Catch startup and responsiveness regressions automatically, so the browser stays fast as it grows.

As a Senior C++/Chromium Engineer, you will lead complex projects from proposal through postmortem. You will turn vague problems into clear plans, build them in a large modern C++ codebase, and use metrics to show they worked. Some days that means low level systems work. Other days, it means architecture decisions the whole team builds on. You will collaborate with design and product, mostly asynchronously, to build features people use to protect their privacy.

About You

• Ability to lead and collaborate on high impact, complex projects from proposal through postmortem.
• Skills to wrangle vague problems, propose innovative solutions, and execute them with a strong focus on metrics.
• 7+ years of software engineering experience.
• Advanced modern C++ expertise (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 shipping software to a large consumer audience.
• Solid computer science foundation (algorithms and data structures).
• Bonus: Windows development experience.
• Bonus: experience with browsers (Chromium, WebKit, WebView), game engines, or large desktop applications.

Compensation

$178,500 USD annually and stock options. Compensation is transparent across the organization, and all team members within the same professional level and global region receive the same compensation.

Eligibility for company sponsored health benefits is limited to team members based in the United States. This program does not extend to team members located in other countries, such as Canada or the UK.

The Team Member Support Guide explains how wellbeing is prioritized, including paid parental leave, office setup, and co working allowances.

Hiring Process

Hiring works best when it is a two way street. Learn how DuckDuckGo helps you get to know the company, envision your future role, and find out more about how the company hires.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

DuckDuckGo provides equal work opportunities to all team members and applicants, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, caste, religion, age, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by policies or federal, state, or local laws.

The company wants to ensure the hiring process is accessible. If reasonable accommodation is needed for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please email [email protected] to explain the nature of the request.

Please Note

• You will be required to attend meetings on camera via video conferencing.
• Expect to travel at least two times a year: once for the all hands meetup and again for a team retreat (each around 4 to 5 days). While extenuating circumstances may impact attendance, everyone is strongly encouraged to attend.
• While a flexible work arrangement with no core hours is offered, expect an average full time commitment of 40 hours per week.
• A successful candidate must pass a background check as a condition of joining the team.
• By applying for this role, you confirm that all information submitted is accurate and complete. Providing false or fraudulent information during the application process is cause for denial of an offer, revocation of any existing offer, or other adverse action, up to and including termination after the start of work.

Disclosure Statement: Use of AI in Hiring Process

As part of the commitment to enhancing the recruitment process, artificial intelligence (AI) technology is used to assist in reviewing and summarizing job applications and test projects, including tools integrated into recruitment vendor platforms. AI is used to flag potentially fraudulent applications, analyze and summarize applicants experience, interviews, and project performance, and help streamline the selection process.

Key Principles:

• Data Privacy: All information provided in your application will be handled in accordance with the Recruiting Privacy Policy. Personal information is protected and used solely for recruitment purposes.
• Human Oversight and Accountability: The AI technology is designed to support the hiring team by providing insights and summaries of applications and evaluations of test projects against scoring rubrics. All final evaluations and hiring decisions will be made by the hiring team, who will consider the AI input alongside other factors.
• Transparency: Transparency regarding hiring practices is important. If there are questions about how AI is used in the recruitment process, please reach out.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge and consent to the use of AI technology in the review process. If you would like to request an alternative selection process, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in joining DuckDuckGo.