Senior Staff Software Engineer - Unity Catalog Runtime Enforcement

ABOUT US STARK is a new kind of defence technology company revolutionizing 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. 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 to deter aggression—today. ABOUT THE TEAM Minerva is STARK’s command‑and‑control software — the system that connects operators to autonomous platforms across multiple domains in real time. Our team is a small, senior group based in Berlin and Munich, working closely with hardware, autonomy, and systems engineering to deliver mission‑critical C2 capabilities deployed in active operational environments. We operate under constraints most engineers never encounter: low‑bandwidth networks, air‑gapped devices, and high‑stakes decision loops. Everything we build ends up in the hands of real operators in the field. YOUR MISSION This is not a standard engineering role; it is a high‑impact leadership position at the intersection of hardware, software, and human factors. We have world‑class architects leading separate workstreams across C2, Perception, and Autonomy. As Head of Software Architecture, your mission is to lead, align, and govern these architectural workstreams under a unified, delivery-focused engineering strategy that results in concrete artifacts, architecture diagrams, and actionable software components. You will set the architectural direction for STARK’s software ecosystem, ensure coherence across domains, and provide the systems‑engineering rigor required to meet the complex requirements of our customers. You will not only unify architecture - you will own it. RESPONSIBILITIES 1. ARCHITECTURAL ALIGNMENT & LEADERSHIP * Software System Engineering — You will act as the System Engineer on the software side, responsible for defining the V-Model process, leading requirements engineering, and directing V&V planning. * Cross‑Platform Alignment — You will guide stakeholders toward common architectural solutions adopted across the product portfolio. * Conflict Resolution & Consensus Building — You will identify conflicts between hardware and software, synthesizing input from experts to drive alignment across C2, Perception, Autonomy, and Embedded. * Organizational Architecture — You will design communication pathways and collaboration patterns that ensure architectural integrity drives effective organizational structure (Conway’s Law). 2. STRATEGIC TECHNICAL GOVERNANCE * Safety‑by‑Design Leadership — Champion Modern C++ Safety Guidelines (MISRA) and mentor teams on building reliable, safety‑critical systems. * Software Interface Governance — Define and govern the software interfaces across the stack, ensuring architectural integrity and interoperability within the software ecosystem. * Operational Reliability — Ensure that changes in autopilot firmware, mission planning, and perception stacks never break operational workflows. * Compliance & QA Excellence — Lead V-Model enforcement, V&V, and QA (ISTQB) processes. Own technical compliance (IEC 61508, ISO 27001, AQAP, DeumilSAA, Cyber Sec Essentials, STANAGs, DEFSTAN) and manage all associated audit documentation. 3. MENTORSHIP & ORGANIZATIONAL INFLUENCE * Influence‑Based Leadership & Change Management — Run design reviews that empower teams while guiding architecture through scaling refactors and managing technical debt. * Architect Development — Mentor senior software engineers and architects, helping them grow into cross‑domain leaders. * Cultural Stewardship — Shape a culture that values clarity, safety, and mission‑driven engineering. * LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY — HEAD THE SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE AND DIRECTLY LEAD A DEDICATED V&V AND QA TEAM. THE TECH LANDSCAPE * Technical Curiosity — You will earn the respect of domain experts across mission planningautonomy, perception, embedded, and systems engineering. * Data‑Flow Understanding — You will understand how data moves from onboard sensors over constrained radio links (MAVLink/Silvus) to ground‑station systems (C++). * C++ Leadership — You will reinforce C++ as the core language, emphasizing safety and standardization. * SWaP‑C Awareness — You will intuitively understand how software decisions impact hardware endurance, performance, and cost. QUALIFICATIONS * Senior Architectural Experience — 10+ years in Principal, Staff+, or equivalent architectural roles. * Cross‑Team Leadership — Proven experience leading architecture across multiple engineering teams. * Domain Expertise — Background in aerospace, defence, robotics, or complex hardware/software systems. * Communication Excellence — Ability to influence without authority and communicate across technical domains. * Systems Thinking — Ability to break down complex, cross‑domain challenges into coherent solutions. * Security Eligibility — Ability to obtain appropriate security clearance. * Background in Aerospace, Defense, Robotics or complex Hardware/Software systems. * Proven experience acting as an architect across multiple engineering teams  * Strong verbal and written communication skills * Security: Due to the nature of our work, candidates must be eligible to obtain appropriate security clearance. * Why Join STARK? * Impact: You are defining the nervous system of next-generation defense. Your decisions determine the lethality and survivability of our platforms. * Autonomy: You are the technical authority connecting the "Sky" (Drones) to the "Ground" (C2). * Growth: Lead the technical strategy for a rapidly expanding portfolio of air and sea systems.

ABOUT PARLOA Parloa’s mission is to make every customer conversation feel effortless for both customers and the companies serving them. As agentic AI accelerates, Parloans are shaping the foundation of a new era in customer experience, one where customer support is no longer transactions, but meaningful exchanges. It is not just a vision; Parloa has powered over ONE BILLION interactions between global enterprise brands and their customers, with companies like Booking.com, HealthEquity, Allianz, SAP, BarmeniaGothaer, and TUI already deploying Parloa at scale. ABOUT THE ROLE: Voice is one of the most demanding and differentiated parts of what we do. As Principal Software Engineer for Voice/VoIP, you'll own the technical direction of our real-time voice infrastructure — the systems that let AI agents have natural, low-latency phone conversations at enterprise scale, across telephony providers, carriers, and global markets. This is a hands-on technical leadership role. You'll set architectural direction, solve the hardest problems yourself, and raise the bar for how the wider engineering org builds and reasons about voice systems. You'll work closely with infrastructure, AI/ML, and product teams to ensure our voice stack is fast, reliable, and ready to scale globally. AREAS OF OWNERSHIP: * Own the architecture and technical roadmap for Parloa's Voice/VoIP infrastructure, including SIP trunking, media handling, and real-time audio pipelines * Design for low-latency, high-availability voice at enterprise scale — across global telephony carriers and providers * Drive technical decisions on protocols and standards (SIP, SDP, RTP/SRTP, RTCP, WebRTC, ICE, STUN/TURN) and real-time media transport * Partner with AI/ML teams to optimise the integration between voice infrastructure and conversational AI models (ASR, TTS, turn-taking, barge-in) * Diagnose and resolve deep, systemic issues in call quality, latency, jitter, and packet loss across distributed, multi-region deployments * Define and uphold engineering standards for reliability, observability, and security across the voice stack * Mentor senior and staff engineers, acting as a technical multiplier across the organisation * Evaluate and integrate with telephony providers, carriers, and SIP trunk vendors as Parloa expands into new markets * Represent Parloa's technical voice expertise in conversations with enterprise customers and partners where needed WHO YOU ARE: * 10+ years of engineering experience, including 5+ years hands-on building, operating, or debugging production Voice/VoIP, SIP, WebRTC, or carrier-grade voice infrastructure * Strong knowledge of SIP, SDP, RTP/SRTP, RTCP, WebRTC, ICE, and real-time media transport protocols * Hands-on understanding of audio codecs and media behavior, including Opus, G.711/G.722, codec negotiation/transcoding, DTMF/RFC2833, jitter buffers, packetization, and codec-related quality/latency trade-offs * Experience building or operating large-scale, distributed, real-time systems with strict latency and availability requirements * A track record of owning architecture for complex systems and driving technical decisions with broad organisational impact * Experience working with telephony carriers, SIP trunk providers, or PSTN integrations at scale * Deep, hands-on ownership of production SIP-based voice infrastructure at enterprise scale (e.g. Kamailio, FreeSWITCH, Asterisk, pjsip) * Strong systems programming skills in one or more of Go, C, C++ or Rust, with the ability to work at the media/transport layer. * Comfort operating in cloud environments (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and with container orchestration (Kubernetes) * Excellent communication skills — able to explain complex technical trade-offs to engineers and non-engineers alike * A genuine interest in AI and conversational technology, and how voice infrastructure underpins it * Experience instrumenting and operating voice-quality observability — call-quality metrics (e.g. MOS), per-leg call tracing, and diagnosing jitter, latency, and packet loss from telemetry OUR ENGINEERING VALUES: At Parloa, we hire, promote, and evaluate based on cultural and technical excellence. You’ll thrive here if you: * Earn Trust – act with transparency and reliability. * Obsess Over Customers – always start with the customer problem. * Think Big – set bold goals and pursue them fearlessly. * Have Integrity – do the right thing, especially when it’s hard. * Disagree & Commit – debate with candor, align fast, and deliver. * Own It – take full responsibility for outcomes, not just tasks. * Dive Deep – master the details without losing sight of the big picture. * Bias for Action – move fast, decide quickly, iterate fearlessly. * Deliver Value – measure success by customer and business impact. * Insist on the Highest Standards – raise the bar continuously. * Go the Extra Mile – make the impossible possible. * Hire & Elevate the Best – raise the bar with every hire OUR RECRUITING PROCESS: Recruiter Call → Technical Peer Interview → 360° Tech Interview Loop → Bar Raiser WHY PARLOA? We’re at the beginning of a new era in customer experience, one where AI doesn’t just respond, but understands, reasons, and takes action. We’re building agentic AI that enterprises trust with their most important customer moments: complex questions, high volumes, real stakes. When millions of people reach out to a brand, those interactions aren’t just support tickets; they’re defining experiences. We’re here to raise the standard: making every conversation seamless, intelligent, and genuinely helpful. If you care about shaping how businesses and customers connect at scale—and want your work to matter in real, everyday moments—this is where you do it. At Parloa, ownership isn’t a buzzword; it means being accountable for outcomes, not just tasks. We operate in a category that’s evolving fast, where the bar is high, and the problems are complex. We hire people who think in solutions, communicate with clarity, and follow through. People who are comfortable making decisions, taking responsibility, and raising the standard for themselves and those around them. We’ve grown beyond the earliest startup phase, but we’ve kept the intensity: fast execution, direct feedback, and a strong expectation to contribute meaningfully from day one. Backed by leading global investors like General Catalyst, EQT Ventures, and Altimeter Capital, we’re scaling with a clear ambition: to become the global category leader in enterprise-grade conversational AI.   ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Parloa is committed to upholding the highest data protection standards for our clients' and employees' data. All our employees are instrumental in ensuring the utmost care, GDPR, and ISO compliance, including ISO 27001, in handling sensitive information. Parloa is an e-verify employer in the USA. Please click here to learn more. * We provide equal opportunities to all qualified applicants regardless race, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, national origin, disability status, socioeconomic background and other characteristics.