Senior Embedded Software Engineer

About KnightscopeKnightscope is a security technology company building the nation’s first Autonomous Security Force. The Company combines autonomous machines, advanced software, and human expertise to help protect people, property, and critical infrastructure. Knightscope’s long-term mission is to make the United States of America the safest country in the world.Job SummaryKnightscope is seeking a Mid/Senior Embedded Software Engineer to join our product development team and support a new hardware program. In this role, you will lead software system design, subsystem development, component integration for a wearable technology product—from early prototyping through production readiness. You will work cross-functionally with mechanical, electrical, systems and other software engineers in a fast-paced, gate-driven product development environment and play a critical role in shaping a first-of-its-kind platform.Location Requirement: Full-time, on-site at Sunnyvale HQAbout The RoleThe role is an on-site, ownership-driven position within a multidisciplinary program team, requiring a hands-on engineer who is comfortable operating in ambiguity and driving decisions across mechanical, electrical, and software boundaries. You will be expected to make thoughtful tradeoffs and carry designs from early conceptThis individual will own the full software scope of a new wearable hardware product, including IMU bring-up and sensor integration, sensor fusion, electronic image stabilization (EIS) of the video stream, optimization for real-time performance on the target compute (NVIDIA Jetson / ARM SoC), working knowledge of video systems, and testing support.Please include the Disney character that best describes you in your resume—and make sure to ask your interviewers the same.Key ResponsibilitiesIMU IntegrationInterface with IMU chip (gyroscope/accelerometer) via SPI or I2C communication protocolsRead, parse, and timestamp raw IMU sensor data in real timeCalibrate IMU for bias, drift, noise, and temperature compensationImplement sensor fusion algorithms (e.g., Kalman filter, Madgwick filter) to produce accurate orientation and motion estimatesVideo StabilizationDevelop Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) algorithms using IMU motion dataCompute camera motion trajectories and apply correction transforms to video framesMinimize latency between IMU data capture and video frame correctionTune stabilization parameters to balance smoothness vs. responsivenessSystem IntegrationSynchronize IMU data timestamps with video frame timestamps preciselyIntegrate stabilization pipeline into the embedded system or host applicationOptimize algorithms for real-time performance on target hardware (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, ARM SoC)Work with camera/hardware team to understand the mechanical and optical constraintsTesting & ValidationDesign test procedures to evaluate stabilization quality under various motion conditionsMeasure and benchmark latency, jitter, and stabilization accuracyDebug and resolve issues related to sensor noise, frame drops, or timing misalignmentRequired QualificationsB.S. or M.S. degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or a related field.7+ years of software engineering experience, including shipping software on hardware products.Hands-on experience interfacing with IMU or other MEMS sensorsDemonstrated experience with real-time systems and low-latency data processingPrior work on image or video processing pipelines is strongly preferredExperience with robotics, drones, action cameras, or autonomous vehicles is a big plusStrong proficiency in C and C++Experience with SPI, I2C, and UART communication protocolsSolid understanding of digital signal processing (DSP) conceptsFamiliarity with sensor fusion techniques (Kalman filter, complementary filter, etc.)Experience with Linux-based embedded systems or RTOS (FreeRTOS, Zephyr)Compensation & BenefitsBase Salary: $150,000 - $180,000Equity: Stock optionsBenefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time offLocation Requirement: Full-time, on-site at Sunnyvale HQ