Senior Systems Engineer

AEye, Inc.; Pleasanton (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

AEye, Inc. in Pleasanton, CA is seeking a Senior Systems Engineer to lead lidar system development, collaborating across architecture, hardware, software, firmware, and mechanical teams. You will drive specifications, build physics-based models, and validate performance through bench and field testing.

You will also own calibration, prototype bring‑up, and the transition of designs into production, ensuring robust documentation and KPI tracking throughout the lifecycle of sensor development.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, Optics, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in optoelectronic or sensor systems engineering, preferably in lidar or active depth sensing.
• Experience collaborating across architecture, hardware, software, and mechanical teams to drive system and subsystem specifications.
• Proficiency in system simulation, performance modeling, and data analysis.
• Strong grounding in the physics of the system: lasers and device physics, optics, and signal processing, together with the optical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal aspects of system design.
• Proficiency in scripting for modeling, data analysis, and test automation (Python preferred).
• Hands‑on experience evaluating and characterizing optical or electro‑optical subsystems, including prototype bring‑up, lab and field testing, and common failure modes.
• Experience with sensor calibration, production integration, and the transition of prototypes into production.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with internal architecture, hardware, software, firmware, and mechanical teams to drive lidar specifications and decompose targets into subsystem requirements.
• Evaluate and characterize lidar technologies and subsystems; develop physics-based models and KPIs to measure performance.
• Define and work on prototype modules, perform bench bring‑ups, and execute lab and field tests to validate performance.
• Debug hardware and software interfaces and resolve data quality and point cloud issues at the system level.
• Support the transition of prototypes through R&D validation into production, including production integration and calibration.

Skills

System simulation

Performance modeling

Data analysis

Python scripting

C++ programming

Point cloud processing

Sensor calibration

Lab and field testing

Documentation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, Optics, Mechatronics, or related field

MS or Ph.D. in a related field

Tools

ROS/ROS2

Linux

CI pipelines

Job description

We are looking for a Senior Systems Engineer to join our systems engineering team and collaborate with internal architecture, hardware, software, firmware, and mechanical teams to drive the specifications of AEye's lidar and its variants. You evaluate and characterize lidar technologies and products, develop physics-based models, build and test prototype modules and samples, and run lab and field tests to validate performance against specifications. Working across cross-functional teams, you help meet system-level targets, partnering with engineering, program, and business development.

Key Responsibilities

• Specification and requirements: collaborate with internal architecture, hardware, software, firmware, and mechanical teams to drive the specifications of the lidar and its variants. Help decompose system-level targets into subsystem requirements (EE / ME / FW / SW).
• Evaluation and characterization: evaluate and characterize lidar technologies, subsystems, and products. Develop physics-based models to predict and assess performance, and define the KPIs (for example range, accuracy, false alarm rate, separability) used to measure it.
• Prototyping and validation: define and work on prototype modules and samples, perform bench bring-ups, and execute lab and field tests to validate module performance against specifications, including environmental and eye-safety standards.
• Cross-functional collaboration: work with cross-functional teams to meet system-level targets, debug hardware and software interfaces, and resolve data quality and point cloud issues at the system level.
• Manufacturing transition: support the transition of prototypes through R&D validation into production, including production integration, calibration, and design-for-x.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics, Optics, Mechatronics, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in optoelectronic or sensor systems engineering, preferably in lidar or active depth sensing.
• Experience collaborating across architecture, hardware, software, and mechanical teams to drive system and subsystem specifications.
• Proficiency in system simulation, performance modeling, and data analysis.
• Strong grounding in the physics of the system: lasers and device physics, optics, and signal processing, together with the optical, electrical, mechanical, and thermal aspects of system design.
• Proficiency in scripting for modeling, data analysis, and test automation (Python preferred).
• Hands‑on experience evaluating and characterizing optical or electro‑optical subsystems, including prototype bring‑up, lab and field testing, and common failure modes.
• Experience with sensor calibration, production integration, and the transition of prototypes into production.
• Strong technical documentation: requirements, specifications, test plans, and reports.

Preferred

• MS. or Ph.D. in a related field.
• Proficiency in C++ and the ability to read, debug, and modify production code, and experience developing algorithms for point cloud processing or calibration.
• Familiarity with automotive functional safety and qualification standards (for example ISO 26262, AEC-Q, ASPICE, AUTOSAR, MISRA, V-Model, SAFe).
• Experience with sensor fusion, time synchronization, and perception applications.
• Experience across the full lifecycle of automotive, aerospace, or industrial sensor development and production.
• Familiarity with ROS or ROS2.
• Experience with automated test scripts and CI pipelines.
• Comfortable working in Linux environments, including shell, networking basics, and log analysis.
• Project management experience or certification (for example PMP).

Position is onsite a minimum of 3 days at our Pleasanton, CA Office.

Base Annual Salary Range: $140K-180K