Senior Software Engineer, Algorithms

Based in San Francisco with offices in Stuttgart, Germany, Shaper was founded in 2012 to make precision cutting easy and accessible to craftspeople everywhere, beginning with a handheld CNC router called Origin.
Today, Shaper supports thousands of woodworkers and craftspeople around the globe with the simple approach of developing tools to meet users' needs, rather than expecting users to conform to the tools.
We’re looking for an Algorithms Engineer to help us build unique embedded and web experiences focused on digital fabrication, computer perception, and computational geometry. In this role, you will be instrumental in helping Shaper to pioneer an entirely new field and develop products with large, active, and passionate user communities.
This position is open to candidates based in the San Francisco Bay Area, but in-office time is flexible. Because the role will involve frequent interactions with Shaper hardware that is in development, this role will need to have the ability to come into the office/workshop when needed. On days when this is not required, flexible work-from-home is an option.

The Job

• While this position will have regular opportunities to work across our software ecosystem (Shaper Studio, Shaper Origin, and in-development products), an ideal candidate will take a technical leadership role in the development of Shaper Origin’s on-tool algorithmic capabilities (motion control, computer vision, etc).
• Provide technical leadership to the engineers working on Shaper Origin’s software experience
• Research and implement techniques from diverse areas including computer graphics and vision, computational geometry, and robotics
• Prototype and implement new user interactions and application functionality using Qt, OpenCV, OpenGL, and other C++ graphics libraries
• Develop robust design applications to enable and empower our users' creativity
• Fluent in modern C++ and common design patterns
• Design and implement software architectures and data structures for managing complex applications
• Collaborate with our existing vision, web, and on-tool engineers
• Validate your work through automated testing and close collaboration with our Quality Assurance team
• Bring projects all the way from prototype to production, and own ongoing development and updates

You might be a good fit if you:

• Have a solid understanding of 2D and 3D computer graphics and linear algebra (e.g., using matrices for transforming from one coordinate system to another)
• You have experience solving problems in the field of computational geometry and are able to digest and contribute to state-of-the-art in this field
• Have 4+ years experience with C++
• Familiarity with ES6+ Javascript for QML and web applications
• Have experience working in production codebases, modifying as well as, developing algorithms
• Are experienced with using Qt for embedded application development
• Have familiarity with Yocto-built Linux distributions for embedded systems
• Have developed for embedded platforms
• Take pride in your problem-solving and debugging skills
• Are a strong written and verbal communicator
• Are passionate about user experience
• Are looking to learn and grow

Even better if you:

• Are experienced with backend frameworks such as Node.js
• Interest in building computationally-demanding Javascript applications using techniques including Emscripten, WebAssembly, Web Workers, and WebGL.
• Experience with web development using frameworks such as React and Redux
• Create and modify algorithms for generating and displaying vector graphics on the web
• 3D 
• Enjoy working independently on a small team
• Love to make digital and/or physical things

What we offer:

• A take what you need vacation and sick leave policy
• Generous medical, dental, and vision benefits
• Generous parental leave
• 401k plan with matching
• Commuter benefits
• Employee discounts on Shaper’s products and our partner brands
• Access to a full woodshop at our San Francisco HQ, with support from experienced staff to help realize your projects

Important Note
Although we do our best to list everything we are looking for in a candidate, we are very likely missing skills and/or attributes that could make you a great fit for the role. Research has shown that women and other marginalized groups are less likely to apply if they don’t clearly meet every requirement. This means we both might miss out on a great opportunity—it never hurts to take a chance and apply!