Definition

Software Engineer - Sensors

Applied Compute

Applied Compute

Software Engineering
Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Posted on Mar 6, 2026

Location

Sunnyvale

Employment Type

Full time

Department

Self-Driving Systems

About the role

We are looking for a software engineer to work on real-world sensor integration, ensuring that all of our sensors function effectively within our vehicle systems. This role involves developing and maintaining sensor drivers, optimizing performance, and collaborating with teams across perception, planning, and hardware. You will play a critical role in building the software platform that helps us to make sure our sensors are correctly configured and tuned to meet the high demands of autonomous vehicle applications. High quality and reliability of sensor data are essential for the development and integration of AI models for Applied’s autonomous systems.

At Applied Intuition, you will:

  • Develop and maintain high-performance and safety-critical drivers for several different sensors

  • Ensure seamless integration of sensors with perception, planning, and other autonomy subsystems

  • Debug and optimize sensor performance, including parameter tuning for real-world conditions

  • Work closely with hardware teams to configure and validate sensor functionality

  • Build tools for analysis, and visualization to diagnose sensor-related issues

  • Improve system reliability and robustness through testing, validation, and continuous refinement

We're looking for someone who has:

  • Bachelor's in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field

  • 3+ years of relevant experience, including writing and maintaining drivers for automotive sensors (lidar, radar, cameras, or similar)

  • Strong proficiency in C++ and experience developing low-level software

  • Solid understanding of Linux, networking, real-time data processing, bootstrapping processes

  • Experience with reverse engineering and firmware extraction techniques

  • Strong debugging and problem-solving skills related to hardware-software interactions

  • Ability to collaborate across engineering disciplines to integrate and optimize sensor performance

  • Previous experience working with platforms like NVIDIA Orin or NVIDIA Jetpack

Nice to have:

  • Experience with real-time, low-latency, safety-critical systems

  • Familiarity with automotive or robotics sensor stacks

  • Hands-on experience characterizing and optimizing sensor performance

  • Knowledge of signal processing, sensor fusion, or embedded systems

  • Proficiency in Python for scripting and data analysis

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

Please reference the job posting’s subtitle for where this position will be located. For pay transparency purposes, the base salary range for this full-time position in the location listed is: $130,000 - $250,000 USD annually.