Founding Localization Engineer

Theseus; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative firm is on the lookout for a Founding Engineer to revolutionize real-world autonomy for unmanned systems. This role is pivotal in shaping the future of the company, providing immense ownership over core products and the opportunity to solve cutting-edge problems in robotics. You'll lead the development of a visual navigation system, ensuring high accuracy and performance for drone fleets. With a focus on embedded engineering and localization, this position offers a unique chance to influence product direction and contribute to significant advancements in autonomous technology. If you thrive in dynamic environments and are passionate about robotics, this opportunity is for you!

Benefits

Competitive salary and equity package

Comprehensive health benefits

Office in San Francisco with easy access to CalTrain / I280

Direct influence over product and company direction

Qualifications

• Over one year of experience in embedded hardware, including camera systems.
• Proficient in writing embedded C++ code and troubleshooting issues.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and optimization of visual navigation systems for drones.
• Design and implement embedded software focused on vision-based robotics.

Skills

Embedded Engineering

Robotics Localization

C++ Programming

Visual Inertial Odometry (VIO)

System Architecture Design

Job description

Theseus's mission is to push the boundaries of real-world autonomy for unmanned systems. Theseus' Micro VPS (Visual Positioning System) replaces GPS with computer vision for autonomous drone localization in contested environments. We tackle the hardest localization challenges with a focus on low SWaP-C (Size Weight and Power, Cost) enabling rapid retrofitting onto existing airframes. We are solving the key problem that limits autonomy for drones in contested environments.

The role

We are seeking a Founding Engineer with deep expertise in embedded engineering and robotics localization to join our team. If you are passionate about robotics, and are excited to solve cutting edge, time sensitive problems that have a real-world impact, this role is for you.

As a founding engineer, you will be instrumental in shaping the future of Theseus and will grow with the company as we scale. You will have immense ownership over our core product and have a direct hand in how our systems operate, perform, and are deployed.

You Will

• Lead the development and optimization of our visual navigation system, ensuring high accuracy and performance across large fleets of drones.
• Design, test, and implement embedded software with a focus on vision-based robotics, ensuring they meet cost, SWAP (Size, Weight, and Power), and performance constraints.
• Make key decisions around system architecture, balancing execution risk, lead time, and cost to deliver scalable, reliable solutions.
• Work closely with vendors and suppliers, managing external relationships to ensure performance of hardware components for your software.
• Drive fleet management strategies, overseeing QA for large deployments and proactively addressing issues that arise in the field.

You Have

• Over one year of experience in embedded hardware, including over one year working on systems that involve cameras or VIO (Visual Inertial Odometry).
• Proficient in writing embedded C++ code, troubleshooting both hardware and software issues.
• Demonstrated ability to balance technical trade-offs (SWAP, cost, lead time) and develop solutions that prioritize scalability and cost-efficiency.
• Experience managing fleets of robotic systems, leading QA efforts, and working directly with vendors to troubleshoot and ensure system reliability.

Nice to have’s

• Experience working with drones or other autonomous aerial vehicles.
• Experience working with the ArduPilot ecosystem.
• Previous experience in a startup environment or building something from the ground up.

Benefits / What we offer

• Competitive salary and equity package
• Opportunity to be part of the founding team, with direct influence over product and company direction
• Comprehensive health benefits
• Office in San Francisco with easy CalTrain / I280 access

At Theseus, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment. We believe that a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences is essential for innovation and success. We encourage people of all identities to apply, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other dimension of diversity. If you are energized by solving hard problems that impact geopolitics, this is for you.