Staff Systems Engineer

Hayden AI; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 185,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Hayden AI in San Francisco is seeking a Staff Systems Engineer to lead the end-to-end design, integration, and deployment of advanced camera systems for transit and government applications.

You will own architecture, requirements, and system-level design across hardware and software, partnering with hardware, software, operations, and field teams. This hybrid role requires 3+ days in-office weekly at the SF office and offers a path to impact smarter, safer cities.

Qualifications

• Deep understanding of lens design fundamentals and optical aberrations.
• Hands-on experience with image sensors, ISPs, and image tuning.
• Expert with automotive CMOS image sensors and sensor vendors.
• Familiar with sensor interfaces GMSL, MIPI, CSI.
• Proficiency in C, Python, MATLAB for data analysis and IQ evaluation.
• Ability to read schematics and use lab equipment such as IR meters and lux meters.
• Experience automating image characterization and ISP tuning.
• MS or PhD in Science or Engineering with 8–10 years of relevant space experience.

Responsibilities

• Define camera architecture with product, camera design and perception teams.
• Specify image sensor and lens requirements.
• Refine camera software with ISP tuning and vendor collaboration.
• Evaluate CMOS image sensors based on performance metrics.
• Define specifications for lenses and assemblies.
• Source lens parts and perform MTF testing and stray light analysis.
• Match sensor and lens for optimal FOV.
• Collaborate with vendors to design protective cover glass.
• Develop testing to characterize sensor performance and image quality.
• Lead camera system integration into test vehicles and collect real-world data.
• Analyze field data to diagnose image quality issues.
• Collaborate with software engineers to tune auto-exposure and auto-white balance.
• Work with firmware team to validate camera drivers.

Skills

Lens design fundamentals

CMOS image sensors

ISPs

GMSL/MIPI/CSI

C

Python

MATLAB

Imatest

Image tuning

Automotive electronics

Education

MS or PhD in Science or Engineering

Tools

IR meters

Lux meters

Light boxes

Job description

About Us

At Hayden AI, we are on a mission to harness the power of computer vision to transform the way transit systems and other government agencies address real-world challenges. From bus lane and bus stop enforcement to transportation optimization technologies and beyond, our innovative mobile perception system empowers our clients to accelerate transit, enhance street safety, and drive toward a sustainable future.

About The Role

As the Staff Systems Engineer, you will play a key technical leadership role in the design, integration, and deployment of complex, end-to-end systems that are essential to Hayden AI’s mission of shaping smarter, more efficient cities. In this role, you will own the architecture, requirements gathering, and system-level design of integrated hardware-software solutions, driving projects from concept through deployment and support. You will report into the Engineering Leadership Team and work closely with hardware, software, operations, product, customer engineering, and field deployment teams. We’re looking for someone with a deep background in systems engineering, proven project leadership experience, and a collaborative, solutions-driven mindset. This position is based in our SF Office and follows a hybrid schedule with at least 3 days in-office per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with product, camera design and perception team to define camera architecture
• Define specification for image sensor and lens
• Work with ISP vendors and refine camera software for ISP tuning.

• Evaluate and select CMOS image sensors based on performance metrics such as dynamic range, SNR, and power consumption.

• Define specifications for custom and off-the-shelf lens and assemblies
• Engage with the vendors to source the lens parts, MTF testing and stray light analysis
• Match the sensor and lens for FOV optimization
• Partner with vendors to design and source protective cover glass designs

• Develop and execute rigorous testing protocols to characterize sensor performance and image quality in lab and real life use case scenarios (IQ).
• Define and execute tests in controlled lab environments to measure and analyze MTF, SNR, dynamic range, and color accuracy.
• Lead the integration of camera systems into test vehicles. You will perform real-world data collection, evaluating how vibration, motion blur, and varying lighting (tunnels, sunset, glare) affect system performance.
• Act as the "Imaging Detective" for customer projects. You will analyze field-returned data to identify, reproduce, and debug complex image quality (IQ) issues or software regressions.

• Collaborate with software engineers to tune Auto-exposure, Auto-white balance algorithms and ensure the hardware-software handshake is seamless.
• Work closely with the firmware team to validate camera drivers performance, ensuring the software stack correctly interprets the hardware's output.

Required Qualifications

• Deep understanding of lens design fundamentals, f-number, focal length, optical aberrations, Hands‑on experience with image sensors, ISPs and Image tuning, 3A algorithms
• Expert with industrial and automotive CMOS image sensors, technologies and sensors vendors
• Good understanding of Sensor interfaces GMSL/MIPI/CSI
• Proficiency in C, Mathlab, Python, Imatest or similar for data analysis and IQ evaluation.
• Ability to read schematics and use lab equipments IR meters, lux meters, light boxes
• Experience in automating image characterization process and ISP tuning
• MS or PhD in Science or Engineering with 8‑10 years of experience in relevant space.

Compensation Range: $185K - $240K