Software Engineer Jobs in Ames, IA (NOW HIRING)

Job Posting: 4/16/2026 

FLSA Status: Salaried, Exempt

Location: Ames, IA

Supervisory: No

Team: Software Engineering 

Reports to: Software Engineering Manager

The Culture

Ag Leader was born from a passion and determination to transform agriculture forever. In 1992, Ag Leader changed the industry by bringing real-time yield data to farmers’ fingertips. Today, more than 30 years later, Ag Leader has become a global team that provides year-round solutions to help farmers plan, plant, apply, and harvest more efficiently and profitably. We are improving the lives of farmers. We are increasing the efficiency of production agriculture around the world. And we aren’t slowing down. 

Ready to use your talent to implement change? Join our team of innovators revolutionizing agriculture.

The Opportunity

To work on a cross-functional team building software products that help farmers maximize profit and field productivity as a Software Engineer. In this position you, along with your teammates, will be responsible for designing and delivering quality, innovative solutions to customer needs. In addition, you will serve as a mentor for your teammates and a technical expert for the department. This is a challenging opportunity to gain experience and expertise in a variety of programming environments related to development in embedded devices and Linux. There will be opportunities to participate in training and personal development.

As a team member, you will demonstrate and promote the Ag Leader Way:

• Willing, Ready, Doing
• Courage to do what is Right
• Excellence
• Approachable

The Right Person Will

• Contribute and thrive in a cross-functional team environment
• Commit to bringing their best every day
• Delight in problem solving no matter the problem
• Be flexible and willing to work in a variety of programming languages
• Give and receive constructive feedback to others

Responsibilities

• Mentor and guide less experienced team members, providing technical assistance, feedback, and support across teams.
• Lead the design, implementation, and testing of innovative software solutions that exceed customer needs.
• Champion continuous improvement, agile practices, and change initiatives by identifying and resolving challenges using root cause analysis or similar methods.
• Participate as a technical leader in discussions and initiatives to improve solutions, processes, and development practices.
• Model best practices in code quality, actively lead code reviews, and foster a culture of constructive feedback.
• Facilitate cross-team / team collaboration, including meetings and conflict resolution, to drive alignment and progress.
• Create, update, and maintain technical documentation, processes, and development standards.
• Deliver high-quality, working code and demonstrate product features to stakeholders and company-wide audiences.
• Actively engage in retrospectives, showing openness to feedback and commitment to team and personal growth.
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of our products and their impact in the field.
• Support recruitment by participating in candidate interviews.

Qualifications/Skills

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related engineering discipline
• 5+ years of product development experience focused on software products
• Strong professional experience with Linux and embedded systems
• 5+ years’ experience and strong understanding of C++

Programming Languages

• C, C++, Python, QML
• Bash, YAML
• Software Design & Architecture
• Test-driven development/design, continuous integration, Scrum/Agile methods
• Clean coding, refactoring, and code specifications
• Knowledge of design principles (SOLID, domain-driven, pragmatic/clean architecture)

Build & DevOps

• GitLab, Perforce, Jenkins, Artifactory
• Docker, Yocto, CMake, Conan

UI/UX & Tools

• Qt Designer
• UI/UX design fundamentals (visual design, interaction design, prototyping, usability testing)

Specialized Areas

• Vision processing and machine learning
• Robotics and robotic path planning
• Geospatial functions and concepts
• Electrical schematics and pinouts
• Strong foundations in math concepts

Testing & Troubleshooting

• Automated testing frameworks (e.g., gtest, QML testing)
• Debugging with gdb/lldb and profiling tools
• Root cause analysis

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or provide sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

Ag Leader is a drug-free work environment. All offers for employment are contingent upon a pre-employment drug screen and background check.

Ag Leader participates in E-verify