Senior Software Engineer — VETi Platform

Kodiak Sciences; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Kodiak Sciences in Palo Alto, CA, seeks a Senior Software Engineer to help build the software foundation for its VETi wearable platform. You will develop software that integrates LiDAR, OCT, embedded computing, and AI-enabled imaging to advance vision technologies.

You will own end-to-end software from prototype to production, collaborating across hardware, optics, ML, and systems teams to deliver real-time imaging and sensing software on Linux and Windows.

Qualifications

• BS/MS/PhD in CS, EE, CE, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong programming in C, C++, and Python.
• Strong software architecture, debugging, and problem-solving.
• Experience interfacing software with hardware, sensors, imaging systems.
• Experience in Linux and/or Windows environments.
• Ability to collaborate across software, hardware, and engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Own design, development, and optimization of software for wearable imaging and sensing systems—from prototype to validation.
• Build software for device control, imaging workflows, AR/VR interfaces, and health-monitoring applications.
• Develop and integrate real-time signal-processing and image-processing pipelines.
• Work with embedded computing platforms, sensors, and hardware-accelerated processing.
• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, optics, algorithms, ML, and systems teams.
• Develop and debug software at app, hardware/software integration, and system levels on Linux and Windows.
• Turn research prototypes into reliable engineering software powering next-generation medical imaging devices.

Skills

C

C++

Python

Software architecture

Debugging

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BS/MS/PhD in CS/EE/CE or equivalent

5+ years software engineering

Tools

Linux

Windows

Embedded systems

Hardware interfaces

GPU/NPUs

Job description

Kodiak Sciences (Nasdaq: KOD) is advancing vision science by integrating retinal biology, optics, artificial intelligence, medical imaging, and next-generation wearable technologies. Our VETi™ — Visual Engagement Technology and Imager— platform is an AI-enabled wearable system combining advanced LiDAR, Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT), embedded computing, machine learning, and AR/VR technologies. VETi is being developed for applications in retina care, digital health, identity security, cognitive science, and broader AI-enabled vision technologies.

We are looking for a Senior Software Engineer to help build the software foundation for Kodiak’s VETi platform, from early prototypes through reliable engineering systems. This role is well suited for an engineer with strong software fundamentals who enjoys complex technical problems, works well across disciplines, and is excited to build software that connects closely with real-world hardware.

We are interested in strong software engineers who are curious about hardware and motivated to work on advanced medical imaging and wearable technologies.

What You Will Do

• Own the design, development, and optimization of software for advanced wearable imaging and sensing systems — from prototype through validation.
• Build software for device control, imaging workflows, AR/VR interfaces, and health-monitoring applications.
• Develop and integrate real-time signal-processing and image-processing pipelines.
• Work with embedded computing platforms, sensors (LiDAR, OCT, MEMS-based systems), and hardware-accelerated processing (NPUs and similar).
• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, optics, algorithms, machine learning, and systems engineering teams.
• Develop and debug software at the application, hardware/software integration, and system levels on Linux and Windows.
• Take research prototypes and turn them into reliable engineering software that powers next-generation medical imaging devices used in clinical and product validation.

Education / Qualifications

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience developing complex systems.
• Strong programming experience in C, C++, and Python.
• Strong software architecture, debugging, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience building software that interfaces with hardware, sensors, devices, imaging systems, or performance-sensitive systems.
• Experience working in Linux and/or Windows environments.
• Ability to collaborate across software, hardware, scientific, and engineering teams.

Additional Experience That Would Be Valuable

• Experience with embedded systems, firmware, device software, or hardware/software integration.
• Experience developing medical devices, imaging systems, AR/VR systems, robotics, or wearable technologies.
• Experience with real-time signal processing, image processing, FFT pipelines, sensor data, or performance optimization.
• Experience with GPUs, DSPs, NPUs, FPGAs, microcontrollers, or other hardware-accelerated computing platforms.
• Deep learning experience, particularly in computer vision; experience integrating machine learning models into edge devices.

Why Join Kodiak

This role is for engineers who want their code to drive real-world physical systems — optics, sensors, and embedded computing — and shape the hardware itself. You will work at the intersection of software, hardware, medical imaging, optics, AR/VR, LiDAR, OCT, and AI. The platform is novel, the technical challenges are deep, and the work has the potential to shape a new class of wearable vision technologies.