Staff / Senior Software Engineer - Desktop Application

About the role

Nexthink builds digital employee experience management software, and is looking for a Staff or Senior Desktop Application Engineer to join the team behind its AI-powered IT self-service chat agent. This is a native desktop application distributed to 20+ million endpoints on Windows and macOS. The role goes beyond implementation: you will set technical direction for the client layer, influence cross-team design decisions and act as a trusted advisor to engineering leadership and product.

Key responsibilities

• Define and drive the technical vision and architectural strategy for the desktop client application.
• Lead the design of a high-performance, native desktop application running on Windows and macOS at 20M+ endpoints.
• Partner with product, backend and AI/ML teams so the client experience fits the broader AI platform.
• Provide technical leadership on client architecture, coding standards and best practices for native desktop development.
• Architect and deliver a reliable, secure application covering the full distribution lifecycle: signing, packaging, installation, updates and uninstallation.
• Champion observability, crash reporting, performance monitoring and diagnostics across the client stack.
• Mentor engineers, lead technical deep dives, design reviews and roadmap discussions with leadership, and embed security, compliance and OS-level integration best practices.

Required profile

• 7+ years of desktop application engineering experience shipping native applications on Windows and macOS.
• Proven success delivering client applications to large user bases, with a deep understanding of platform-specific constraints.
• Exceptional communication skills and a track record of mentoring engineering teams.

Required skills

• Strong C++ and solid experience building cross-platform desktop applications.
• Deep knowledge of Windows and macOS OS APIs.
• Hands-on experience with code signing, packaging, auto-updates and deployment at scale.
• Understanding of performance profiling, memory management and crash diagnostics.
• Nice to have: Rust and Tauri, React and TypeScript, REST/WebSockets/gRPC integration, system-level programming, endpoint telemetry and APM integration, and enterprise software distribution.

What we offer

• Permanent contract with a competitive compensation package.
• Hybrid work model and flexible hours; unlimited paid time off plus 3 company-paid volunteer days.
• Free access to the on-site fitness centre and reimbursement of the half-fare travel card.
• Reimbursement up to 50% of French class costs, fresh fruit and snacks, and regular team events.
• Bonuses for successful referrals and a relocation package for candidates coming from another country.