Senior Software Engineer - Distributed Systems (C / Assembler)
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 10, 2026. First seen by Alion on Sep 24, 2026.
About the Role
As a Senior Software Engineer, you will make an impact by supporting and enhancing a high-performance distributed message routing, translation, reconciliation, and transaction processing platform that powers critical business applications. You will be a valued member of the engineering team and work collaboratively with software engineers, architects, DevOps teams, operations teams, and business stakeholders to deliver scalable, reliable, and performant solutions.
This role is ideal for an experienced engineer who enjoys solving complex technical problems, optimizing large-scale distributed systems, and contributing to mission-critical platforms operating in a 24x7 environment. The role provides opportunities to apply systems programming expertise while collaborating with senior technical leaders and cross-functional teams.
In This Role, You Will
- Develop, maintain, and enhance high-throughput distributed applications running on Linux using C, Assembler, Prolog, and related technologies.
- Support a mission-critical real-time transaction processing platform operating in a 24x7 production environment.
- Perform performance analysis, troubleshooting, debugging, and optimization of single-node, multi-node, and cloud-based systems.
- Design, implement, and maintain CI/CD pipelines, testing frameworks, and engineering automation solutions.
- Participate in software design discussions and contribute to scalable, maintainable, and high-performing technical solutions.
- Develop tools and infrastructure to test, monitor, and improve large-scale distributed systems.
- Leverage production and test data to identify opportunities for performance improvements and system optimization.
- Conduct code reviews and follow engineering best practices to ensure software quality, security, and maintainability.
- Collaborate with product, QA, infrastructure, and operations teams to deliver solutions that meet business and customer requirements.
- Support incident analysis, root cause investigations, and implementation of corrective actions to improve system stability and reliability.
- Contribute to technical documentation, operational runbooks, and knowledge-sharing activities.
- Mentor junior team members and support a collaborative engineering culture.
Work Model
We believe hybrid work is the way forward as we strive to provide flexibility wherever possible. Based on this role's business requirements, this is a hybrid position requiring 3 days per week onsite and 2 days remote in Atlanta, Georgia. Regardless of your working arrangement, we are here to support a healthy work-life balance through our various wellbeing programs.
The working arrangements for this role are accurate as of the date of posting. This may change based on the project you're engaged in, as well as business and client requirements. Rest assured, we will always be clear about role expectations.
Work Authorization
Please note that this position is not eligible for visa transfer or sponsorship now or at any time in the future.
What You Need to Have to Be Considered
- 5-8 years of software engineering experience with expertise in systems-level development.
- Hands-on experience developing software using C, Assembler, Prolog, or other low-level programming languages.
- Experience supporting high-performance distributed systems and real-time transaction processing applications.
- Strong experience with Linux-based development and production environments.
- Experience performing application performance analysis, debugging, tuning, and optimization.
- Knowledge of algorithms, computer architecture, data structures, and system performance concepts.
- Experience designing and supporting CI/CD pipelines, build automation, and software delivery processes.
- Experience with software testing methodologies, including unit, integration, and system testing.
- Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skills.
- Experience using source control systems and collaborative software development practices.
- Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
These Will Help You Stand Out
- Experience with cloud-based infrastructure and distributed computing environments.
- Experience within financial services, capital markets, or high-volume transaction processing environments.
- Knowledge of C++, C#, and modern software engineering practices.
- Experience building automation frameworks, developer productivity tools, or testing platforms.
- Exposure to secure software development practices and application security principles.
- Experience working within enterprise-scale, highly available production environments.
- Experience mentoring developers and contributing to engineering best practices.
Salary and Other Compensation
The annual salary for this position is anticipated to be between $61,650 - $91,000 depending on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors.
Eligible applicants may also participate in Cognizant's discretionary annual incentive program, subject to plan terms and company policies.
Cognizant offers the following benefits for eligible employees:
· Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
· Paid holidays and Paid Time Off (PTO)
· 401(k) plan with company contributions, where applicable
· Long-term and short-term disability coverage
· Employee assistance and wellbeing programs
· Training and career development opportunities
We're excited to meet people who share our mission and can make an impact in a variety of ways. Don't hesitate to apply, even if you only meet the minimum requirements listed. Think about your transferable experiences and unique skills that make you stand out as someone who can bring new and exciting things to this role.