Technical Lead, Computer Vision

Niantic Spatial, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Niantic Spatial, Inc. is seeking a Lead Computer Vision Engineer in San Francisco to drive the development of geospatial AI solutions. The role demands technical leadership in 3D reconstruction and requires a strong background in Computer Vision and Machine Learning. Candidates should have over 8 years of experience, proficiency in C/C++ and Python, and a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field. Experience with Gaussian Splatting and shader-based implementations is preferred. Hybrid work is available, requiring 3 days in the office.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in Computer Vision, or 6+ years with a PhD.
• Strong production-level software development skills.
• Experience with 3D reconstruction and Gaussian Splatting.

Responsibilities

• Translate research papers into production-level features.
• Lead design of 3D reconstruction pipelines.
• Optimize Gaussian Splatting algorithms.

Skills

C/C++ proficiency

Python skills

3D Computer Vision expertise

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

Shader-based programming

Job description

Overview

At Niantic Spatial, we’re building the future of geospatial AI. Powered by a proprietary database of over 30 billion posed images and a groundbreaking third-generation digital map, our mission is to develop spatial intelligence that helps both humans and machines better understand, navigate, and engage with the physical world. Our high-fidelity mapping technology unlocks a new dimension of interaction—laying the foundation for AI to truly comprehend and operate within real-world environments. Join us as we build a living model of the world that people and machines can talk to.

Responsibilities

• Applied Research & Implementation: Actively translate top-tier research papers (e.g., from CVPR, ECCV, NeurIPS) into production-grade features within our tech stack.
• Technical Leadership: Lead the design and implementation of 3D reconstruction pipelines, focusing on Structure from Motion (SfM) and high-fidelity mesh generation as well as 3D gaussian splats.
• Algorithm Optimization: Develop and optimize Gaussian Splatting quality algorithms and general ML code for high-performance execution on CPU and GPU.
• Production Implementation: Write and maintain high-performance, shader-based production code in C++ for Android and Linux environments.
• Technical Strategy & Mentorship: Work with engineering leadership to define the technical roadmap and quarterly objectives for the Applied CV Team; provide high-level mentorship and code governance to elevate the team’s technical bar.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with the Research and Spatial Solutions teams to turn strategic goals into actionable plans.
• Quality & Benchmarking: Drive decision-making creating high quality data that allows the accurate spatial grounding of AI queries with structural, semantic and location specific knowledge.

Requirements

• Years of Experience: 8+ years of professional experience in Computer Vision, Machine Learning, or a related field (or 6+ years with a PhD in a relevant domain).
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field; Master’s or PhD preferred.
• Core Technical Skills: Strong proficiency in C/C++ and Python for production-level software development.
• Specialized Expertise: Proven experience in 3D Computer Vision/ML, specifically with Structure from Motion (SfM), 3D reconstruction, and Gaussian Splatting rendering techniques.
• Hardware Optimization: Demonstrated ability to optimize algorithms for GPUs in Android or Linux environments.
• Graphics Knowledge: Experience with computer graphics and C++ shader-based implementations.
• Technical Leadership Experience: Previous experience tech leading a team of computer vision engineers in a high-growth environment.
• Work Location: This position requires 3 days per week in our San Francisco OR Sunnyvale office.