Software Engineer in Algorithms & Optimization

RideCo; Southwestern Ontario; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading transportation technology company in Waterloo seeks a Software Developer to join its Algorithms & Optimization team. In this role, you will develop algorithms and data-driven solutions for the ridesharing platform. Candidates should have 2+ years of software development experience, a solid foundation in algorithms, and a relevant advanced degree. The position offers a competitive salary, work-life balance, and additional perks.

Benefits

Flex-time work schedules

Bi-weekly catered lunches

Medical and dental benefits

Complimentary rides to and from work

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in Software Development, preferably with high performance algorithms.
• Deep understanding of Algorithms and Data Structures.
• Ability to explain complex concepts from research publications.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to algorithms that power RideCo’s ridesharing platform.
• Develop scalable solutions to computationally hard problems.
• Monitor performance of the Optimization engine.

Skills

Algorithms and Data Structures

Critical thinking

Software Development

Data Science

Education

Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Python

Rust

JavaScript/TypeScript

Django

AWS

Job description

Location: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada

This is an opportunity in the exciting and fast-growing transportation technology industry. Public transit is being transformed from a system of static, scheduled fixed-routes, to a dynamic on-demand network, and you will be one of the pioneers shaping this transformation.

As the newest member of our Algorithms & Optimization team, you will contribute to the complex suite of algorithms that power RideCo’s core ridesharing platform. The ideal candidate must possess a sound grasp of Algorithms and Data Structures, strong critical thinking and reasoning skills, and the ability to produce readable, maintainable, and working software programs from abstract concepts and ideas. You will thrive in a small-team environment with fast-paced agile iterations, where every developer contributes code that delivers a meaningful impact to our customers and the company.

Your day-to-day responsibilities will include:

At RideCo, you will be switching hats between Software Engineer, Researcher, and Data Scientist depending on the problem at hand.

As a Researcher, you will:

• Stay abreast of the research publications in the fields related to vehicle routing and ridesharing algorithms.
• Compare best-performing ridesharing benchmarks from research papers with RideCo’s to ensure that we are staying ahead of the competition.
• Invent new algorithms to enhance the performance of our Optimization engine, both in terms of the quality of the solutions produced (e.g., sharing rate) and in terms of the speed at which we can converge to those high-quality solutions.
• Produce scalable and performant solutions to computationally hard (and often intractable) problems.
• Contribute to the invention of novel solutions to fleet partners’ operational problems by collaboratively working with product managers, co-developers, and our client success team.

As a Software Engineer, you will:

• Contribute to a distributed platform architecture design for smart partitioning of the problem space, caching mechanisms, and microservices.
• Build systems to intelligently automate manual bottlenecks in service rollouts.
• Expand the system’s capabilities to new features and use-cases while maintaining a high level of performance.
• Prototype, iterate on, develop, and test the ideas and algorithms that you invent.
• Build tools to gain greater visibility into the performance of our Optimization engine.

As a Data Scientist, you will

• Enhance the accuracy of the ETAs in RideCo’s real-time traffic forecasting system.
• Analyze ridership data to develop models to predict ride-demand, which will be used to reposition RideCo’s fleet of vehicles.
• Fine-tune the hyperparameters in RideCo’s Optimization algorithms to extract greater value from the system.

Your playground / what you’ll learn:

At RideCo you’ll get a chance to play, learn and build with the following tools and technologies, and as part of a cross-functional team that is the world’s foremost innovator in on-demand transit software.

• Languages: Python, Rust, JavaScript / Typescript (Angular)
• Web Stack: Django, Flask, Gunicorn, Nginx
• Mobile: Ionic, hybrid apps for Android and iOS
• Logistics Engine: algorithms for real-time vehicle routing, Optimization
• Mapping/Routing: OpenStreetMap, Open Source Routing Machine, Traffic forecasting algorithms
• Infrastructure: AWS, Terraform, Redis, PostgreSQL, Celery, RabbitMQ
• Health/Monitoring: AWS CloudWatch, Prometheus, Grafana, Elasticsearch, Logstash, Kibana
• Development Processes: Agile, CI/CD, Jenkins, zero-downtime software updates

Qualifications and Experience:

Required:

• 2+ years of experience in Software Development, preferably with high performance algorithms or data intensive applications.
• A deep and intuitive understanding of Algorithms and Data Structures.
• Ability to process, assimilate, and explain complex and abstract concepts from research publications.

Preferred:

Specialized knowledge. Seeking candidates with expertise in two or more of the following:

• Combinatorics and Discrete Optimization
• Online Algorithms
• Data Science / Machine Learning
• Open Street Maps or Open Source Routing Machine
• Distributed computing / Web Scale architectures.

Education:

Master’s degree or PhD in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related technical discipline.

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base Salary: $90K- $120K + performance-based bonus or stock options.
• Work-Life Balance & Additional Perks: Flex-time work schedules, vacation time, bi-weekly catered lunches, social events, casual dress code
• Benefits Plan: Medical, dental, prescription, life/health spending accounts and more
• Work Environment: Located in KW's most desirable work space in the heart of Uptown Waterloo
• Commuter Program: Complimentary rides to and from work in Waterloo Region

Who we are:

RideCo powers on-demand transit. Public transit agencies and fleet operators use RideCo's cloud-based software platform to provide on-demand shared rides in dynamically routed buses and vans. RideCo is growing rapidly, and it is the most adopted on-demand paratransit and microtransit software among the 10 largest cities in the United States. Our marquee clients include Philadelphia’s SEPTA, San Antonio Metro, and Houston Metro.

RideCo’s software powers a diverse range of use cases, including paratransit, residential/ suburban travel; first-mile-last-mile connections for transit hubs; and corporate employee transportation. The success of these services is supported by the industry's best customer service, including a 95% plus customer retention rate. We are investing to scale up and capture the growing demand for on-demand shared rides solutions.

RideCo is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We hire the best talent and strive to build a meritocratic culture. In accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. If you require special accommodation to complete any portion of the application or interview process, please mention this in your application.