Drive
C++ Engineer Job Description (v2)
About the Role
We are building a Windows desktop application
that seamlessly syncs customer files to their Windows File Explorer from the
Cloud. The project involves creating a robust C++/CLI interop layer between
native C++ and .NET 8.0 for core application logic, and implementing
deep Windows File Explorer integration via the Cloud Filter API
(cfapi.h). The solution is
architected for Windows 10+, developed
in Visual Studio 2022 using Windows SDK 10.0, and optimized for
stability, performance, and maintainability in a production environment.
Must-Have Qualifications
Cloud Sync Engine Development
● Hands-on
experience with Windows Cloud Filter API (cfapi.h) or equivalent
OS-level file synchronization technology
● Understanding
of sync root registration, placeholder file states, and on-demand hydration
patterns
● Experience
implementing native callback handlers for file system events
Modern C++ Expertise (C++20)
●
5+ years of professional native
C++ development on Windows
●
Strong command of modern
C++ features:
○ std::variant,
std::optional, std::string_view
○ std::function, lambdas, and functional patterns
○ Template
metaprogramming and variadic templates
●
Solid understanding of
memory management, pointer safety, and RAII patterns
C++/CLI Interop
●
Experience building C++/CLI
mixed-mode assemblies targeting .NET Core/.NET 8.0
● Proficiency
designing ref class wrappers to expose
native C++ to managed code
● Understanding
of managed/unmanaged compilation boundaries within a single project
● Experience
with string marshaling between native (std::wstring)
and managed (System::String^) types
Windows Systems Programming
● Deep
knowledge of Win32 API, Windows Shell APIs, and File System APIs
●
Experience with
multi-threaded programming:
○
Thread pools and work
item scheduling
○ Synchronization
primitives (std::mutex, std::shared_mutex, reader-writer locks)
○
Async patterns and
callback-based architectures
●
Familiarity with Windows
SDK 10.0 and targeting Windows 10+
COM Programming
● Experience
implementing COM components (IUnknown, reference counting, class
factories)
● Understanding
of DLL exports (DllGetClassObject, DllRegisterServer, DllUnregisterServer)
● Knowledge
of registry-based COM registration
Build Systems & Tooling
● Proficiency
with Visual Studio 2022 for mixed C++/C# solutions
● Experience
with MSBuild and .vcxproj project
configuration
● Ability
to debug across managed/unmanaged code boundaries
Nice-to-Have Qualifications
Windows Shell Extensions
● Experience
implementing shell extensions:
○ Context menu
handlers (IContextMenu, IShellExtInit)
○ Icon
overlay handlers
○
Property handlers
●
Understanding of Windows
Explorer integration patterns
.NET Desktop Development
●
Experience with .NET
8.0 WPF application development
●
Familiarity with MVVM
architecture and data binding
●
Ability to contribute to
C# codebase when needed
Database & Serialization
● Experience
with SQLite (C API, not just ORMs)
●
Familiarity with nlohmann/json
or similar C++ JSON libraries
Installer & Deployment
● Experience
with NSIS installer scripting
●
Knowledge of WiX
Toolset v4 for MSI packaging
●
Understanding of Windows
installer best practices for enterprise deployment
CI/CD & Testing
●
Experience with GitHub
Actions for Windows build pipelines
●
Familiarity with
automated testing in mixed C++/.NET environments
●
Unit testing, integration
testing, and E2E testing strategies
Security & Authentication
●
Experience with Windows
Credential Manager for secure credential storage
●
Understanding of OAuth
2.0 authentication flows in desktop applications
●
Knowledge of Windows
security model and file system permissions
Logging & Observability
● Familiarity
with structured logging formats (ECS/Elastic Common Schema)
●
Experience with
centralized logging pipelines (Elasticsearch, etc.)
Bonus Points
● Previous
experience building cloud sync clients (OneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive
architecture)
● Experience
with chunked/resumable file uploads and downloads
