Lead Software Engineer Jobs in San Francisco, CA

Position Overview

We are seeking a Lead Software Engineer to join a team of 12 engineers developing a 6-DOF robotic arm mounted on a mobile robotic platform. This role is ideal for engineers who enjoy solving complex systems problems across software, robotics, firmware, networking, and infrastructure.

You will own critical systems end-to-end, build production-grade Rust services, and develop the software that enables robots to operate reliably in real-world environments.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain core Rust services powering robotic systems.
• Build and optimize inverse kinematics solvers and real-time control systems.
• Develop and enhance teleoperation platforms using VR-based controllers.
• Create scalable infrastructure for robot fleet management and data collection.
• Integrate cameras, sensors, and hardware components across the robotics stack.
• Collaborate with firmware and mechanical engineering teams.
• Improve system reliability, performance, and deployment readiness for production environments.
• Solve cross-functional challenges involving ROS2, networking, streaming systems, and hardware interfaces.

Required Qualifications

• 3+ years of professional software engineering experience.
• Strong experience developing production systems in Rust or another systems programming language.
• Experience with Linux-based systems and networking fundamentals.
• Knowledge of real-time systems, distributed systems, or streaming architectures.
• Familiarity with hardware communication protocols such as UART, CAN, I2C, or EtherCAT.
• BS/MS in Computer Science, Robotics, Engineering, or a related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or hardware-focused software environments.
• Hands-on experience with ROS2.
• Knowledge of 6-DOF robotic arms, teleoperation systems, or inverse kinematics.
• Experience building backend systems for robotics or real-time applications.
• Startup experience with ownership of systems from design through deployment.

Technology Stack

• Rust
• Axum
• Tokio
• ROS2
• FlatBuffers
• WebTransport
• MoQ
• GStreamer
• Linux
• UART
• I2C
• CAN
• EtherCAT

Ideal Background

Candidates from robotics, autonomous vehicle, industrial automation, defense robotics, or hardware-focused software companies such as Waymo, Cruise, Boston Dynamics, Skydio, Aurora, Nuro, Figure, Agility Robotics, or similar organizations.

Pay: $160,000.00 - $250,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person