Point One Navigation provides centimeter-level precision location technology for vehicles, robots, drones, and other mobile platforms.
STAFF EMBEDDED SOFTWARE ENGINEER (GENERALIST) (C++) Location: San Francisco, CA – In Office 3 Days/Week ABOUT POINT ONE NAVIGATION Point One Navigation is on a mission to bridge the digital and physical worlds through precision location. Our RTK Corrections Network and FusionEngine™ software deliver centimeter-level accuracy and high-confidence positioning for vehicles, robots, drones, and devices across industries. We're API-first, developer-focused, and pushing the boundaries of autonomy and automation. ROLE OUTCOME Staff Embedded Software Engineers own the design, implementation, and integrity of Point One's core navigation engine and products - from low-level hardware integration to system-level software architecture and algorithm design. This is an ownership-first role: you will conceptualize and drive complex technical challenges end-to-end - from early architecture through deployment in mission-critical systems - while raising the technical bar across the team. FusionEngine powers a wide range of devices, hardware platforms, and customer applications. This team is responsible for making it work reliably across all of them: designing solutions to difficult new problems, responding to evolving customer needs, and ensuring the navigation engine stays thoroughly tested, verified, and production-ready as it grows. Success in this role means: - The navigation engine is robust, performant, and correct across a diverse and expanding set of hardware platforms and customer environments. - New sensors, interfaces, and hardware platforms are integrated reliably, with clear abstractions that scale. - Engineering decisions reflect a deep understanding of real-world deployment constraints - timing, power, reliability, and safety. - Customer challenges are met with well-designed, durable solutions - not one-off fixes. - Testing and verification are treated as first-class responsibilities, giving the team and customers confidence in every release. - Junior engineers grow faster and the team's practices improve measurably over time. IMMEDIATE AREAS OF FOCUS Own the Navigation Engine and Platform - Lead design, implementation, and optimization of the core navigation engine across a wide range of hardware platforms, devices, and customer applications. - Conceptualize and architect solutions that integrate GNSS receivers, inertial sensors, wheel odometry, cameras, and other hardware - with abstractions that scale across diverse deployments. - Break down high-level work descriptions into concrete tasks, schedules, and milestones, and hold yourself accountable for delivering against them. - Drive performance tuning and low-level optimizations across a range of platforms - from Linux-based devices (ARM and x86) to bare-metal microcontroller environments. - Ensure the software stack is well-structured, maintainable, and built to last as the product and customer base grow. Drive Hardware Integration and Bring-Up - Own board bring-up, driver development, and hardware validation for new platforms and peripherals. - Work hands-on with hardware interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C, CAN) and debugging tools (gdb, JTAG, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes). - Identify and resolve timing-critical and hardware-software interaction issues early in the integration process. Respond to Customer and Market Challenges - Engage directly with evolving customer needs and translate them into well-designed, durable technical solutions. - Collaborate with hardware, firmware, cloud infrastructure, and customer-facing teams to deliver reliable end-to-end systems. - Surface technical risks and tradeoffs early so architecture and delivery decisions reflect real-world constraints. Own Testing and Verification - Design and maintain rigorous testing and verification strategies across the navigation engine and supported hardware platforms. - Treat test coverage as a first-class engineering responsibility - ensuring the team and customers have confidence in every release. - Identify gaps in coverage proactively, particularly as new platforms, sensors, or customer configurations are added. Raise the Technical Bar - Mentor junior engineers and establish best practices across the team. - Contribute to architecture discussions, technical strategy, and roadmap planning. - Apply Python or similar tools for automation, scripting, and debugging to accelerate team productivity. QUALIFICATIONS - 7+ years of professional software development experience, with significant depth in embedded or platform-level systems. - Proven ability to conceptualize, design, and implement major software components - from early architecture through testing and production deployment. - Proven ability to take high-level project goals and decompose them into actionable tasks, realistic schedules, and clear milestones - with a track record of delivering on commitments. - Expert in modern C++ (C++14 or later), with deep knowledge of system-level programming, memory management, and concurrency. - Strong experience with embedded Linux, RTOSes, and bare-metal systems. - Hands-on experience with board bring-up, driver development, and timing-critical systems. - Proficiency with common hardware interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C, CAN) and debugging tools (gdb, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes). - Experience designing and owning testing and verification strategies for complex systems. - BS/MS/PhD in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience. BONUS POINTS FOR - Experience with GNSS, state estimation, Kalman filtering, or inertial navigation. - Working knowledge of positioning technologies and error sources (multipath, drift, bias). - Background in safety-critical or highly available systems in automotive, robotics, or aerospace. - Familiarity with IP networking as implemented in Linux-based operating systems. OUR CULTURAL FOUNDATION At Point One, o