Camera System Architect - PICO Lab VST - San Jose

ByteDance; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 162,400 - 330,000; Full time

Job summary

ByteDance in San Jose seeks a Camera System Architect for the Pico Lab VST to own end-to-end camera system architecture, spanning optics, sensors, compute, mechanics, and software. You will drive HW-SW co-design, optimize performance, power, and cost, and lead imaging/perception evaluation across hardware and AI processing.

The role requires advanced degree in optical/engineering fields and hands-on experience with camera systems, plus strong cross-functional collaboration and a track record of

Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computational Imaging, or related fields.
• 3+ years of experience in camera or imaging system development, spanning both hardware and software.
• Proven full-cycle product development experience, including prototype builds, EVT, DVT, and mass production, in a hardware-product environment.
• Leverage AI-assisted engineering tools (LLMs, VLMs) to accelerate design iteration, analysis, debugging, and technical decision-making.
• Strong system-level thinking, first-principles reasoning, and ability to make and defend complex technical trade-offs.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across cross-functional engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the system architecture of end-to-end camera solutions, spanning optics, image sensors, compute platforms, mechanics, algorithms, and software.
• Drive hardware–software co‑design to optimize system-level performance, power, cost, and scalability.
• Lead system-level imaging and perception performance definition, evaluation, and optimization across hardware and AI‑based processing.
• Design and integrate computer vision and AI algorithms into production camera systems.
• Evaluate and integrate emerging imaging and AI technologies to maintain product competitiveness.

Skills

System-level thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Hardware–software co-design

AI/ML integration in vision

Technical trade-off analysis

Education

Master’s/PhD in Optical/EE/CS/Computational Imaging

Tools

SoC/ISP/NPU architectures

Job description

Camera System Architect - PICO Lab VST - San Jose

Location: San Jose

Team: Technology

Employment Type: Regular

Job Code: A247269

Responsibilities

• Define and own the system architecture of end-to-end camera solutions, spanning optics, image sensors, compute platforms, mechanics, algorithms, and software.
• Drive hardware–software co‑design to optimize system-level performance, power, cost, and scalability.
• Lead system-level imaging and perception performance definition, evaluation, and optimization across hardware and AI‑based processing.
• Design and integrate computer vision and AI algorithms into production camera systems.
• Evaluate and integrate emerging imaging and AI technologies to maintain product competitiveness.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s or PhD in Optical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computational Imaging, or related fields.
• 3+ years of experience in camera or imaging system development, spanning both hardware and software.
• Proven full‑cycle product development experience, including prototype builds, EVT, DVT, and mass production, in a hardware‑product environment.
• Leverage AI‑assisted engineering tools (LLMs, VLMs) to accelerate design iteration, analysis, debugging, and technical decision‑making.
• Strong system‑level thinking, first‑principles reasoning, and ability to make and defend complex technical trade‑offs.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across cross‑functional engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with SoC / ISP / NPU architectures and model‑to‑hardware adaptation or optimization.
• Hands‑on experience with computer vision and machine learning, particularly in real‑time or resource‑constrained systems.
• Prior ownership of camera system architecture or subsystem technical leadership.

Compensation

The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $162,400 – $330,000 annually.

Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.

Benefits

Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short‑term and long‑term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).

The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates: Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:

1. Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
2. Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems;
3. Exercising sound judgment.