Sr/Staff Graphics Engineer

Figure; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 275,000; Full time

Job summary

Figure, an AI robotics company, is seeking a Senior/Staff Graphics Software Engineer to own the graphics stack powering robot displays and to build the rendering engine and UI framework that bring Figure’s humanoid to life on embedded hardware.

You will work with the Head of HMI to translate creative vision into pixel-perfect, high-performance interfaces and optimize Vulkan/OpenGL ES pipelines for smooth rendering within constrained resources.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in CS, graphics or related field.
• 7+ years of graphics/UI industry experience.
• Expert Qt/QML proficiency with custom rendering and performance optimization.
• Hands-on Vulkan/OpenGL ES shader development and render pipeline design.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize the graphics rendering stack for robot head displays.
• Build Qt/QML-based apps on embedded Linux with tight CPU/GPU/memory constraints.
• Develop and tune shaders for real-time vector graphics, animations, and visual effects.
• Implement Vulkan/OpenGL ES pipelines for smooth, high-framerate output.
• Collaborate with Design and HMI to translate visual specs into technical implementations.
• Profile and optimize rendering performance on resource-constrained hardware.
• Integrate graphics components into the Robot Platform software stack.
• Establish best practices for graphics development and CI integration.

Skills

Qt/QML proficiency

C++

Vulkan/OpenGL ES

Embedded Linux graphics

Vector graphics/animation

Linux userspace development

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in CS/Graphics

Tools

Unreal Engine

Unity

EGLFS/DRM/KMS

Job description

Figure is an AI robotics company developing autonomous general-purpose humanoid robots. The goal of the company is to ship humanoid robots with human level intelligence. Its robots are engineered to perform a variety of tasks in the home and commercial markets. Figure is headquartered in San Jose, CA.

We are looking for a Senior/Staff Graphics Software Engineer to join the Platform Software team and own the graphics stack powering our robot’s displays. You will build the rendering engine and UI framework that brings Figure’s humanoid to life — crafting fluid, expressive interfaces that make every human-robot interaction feel natural and engaging. You will work closely with the Head of HMI to translate creative vision into pixel-perfect, high-performance reality on embedded hardware.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and optimize the graphics rendering stack for robot head displays, from low-level GPU pipeline to high-level UI components.
• Build and maintain Qt/QML-based applications targeting embedded Linux systems with strict CPU, GPU, and memory constraints.
• Develop and tune shaders for real-time vector graphics, animations, and visual effects.
• Implement and optimize Vulkan and OpenGL ES rendering pipelines to achieve smooth, high-framerate output.
• Collaborate closely with the Design team and Head of HMI to implement and iterate on UI/UX designs, ensuring fidelity and responsiveness.
• Profile and optimize rendering performance on resource-constrained embedded hardware, targeting consistent frame rates with minimal power draw.
• Integrate graphics components into the broader Robot Platform software stack, working with middleware and embedded systems engineers.
• Establish best practices for graphics development, testing, and CI integration within the platform team

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Graphics, or a related field.
• At least 7 years of industry experience in graphics or UI engineering.
• Expert-level proficiency in Qt and QML, including custom rendering and performance optimization.
• Deep hands‑on experience with Vulkan and OpenGL ES — including shader authoring (GLSL/SPIR‑V) and render pipeline design.
• Strong experience with vector graphics rendering and animation.
• Proven track record developing on embedded or resource-constrained systems (limited RAM, GPU, thermal envelope).
• Solid C++ skills and familiarity with Linux userspace development.
• Strong cross‑functional communication skills — comfortable working directly with designers and translating visual specs into technical implementations.

Bonus Qualifications

• Hands‑on experience with game engines such as Unreal Engine or Unity.
• Experience with scene graph architectures or retained‑mode rendering frameworks.
• Experience with SVG or other vector graphics formats and their GPU‑accelerated rendering.
• Knowledge of display hardware interfaces (MIPI DSI, HDMI) and display driver integration on embedded Linux.
• Experience with EGLFS/DRM/KMS display backends.
• Background in HMI or human‑robot interaction design.

The US base salary range for this full-time position is between $150,000 - $275,000 annually.The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.