Software Engineer, Sensor Fusion

About the role

You will architect and deliver the core sensor fusion stacks that power real-time augmented reality on rugged industrial hardware. This role owns the pipelines that merge inertial, visual, and spatial data into a single, coherent understanding of the world. You will be responsible for ensuring that these systems operate with deterministic latency and high reliability in the field. Your work will directly equip the people on the front lines with spatial awareness that does not fail when it matters most. You will translate complex sensor inputs into stable 3DoF and 6DoF tracking that survives real-world environmental interference. You will partner with hardware and firmware teams to close the loop between sensor design and runtime perception. Ultimately, you will define the software backbone that turns raw measurements into actionable spatial context for every Rivet platform.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Architect and implement sensor fusion pipelines that ingest IMU, camera, depth, and auxiliary inputs for AR workloads.
• Build deterministic C++ and C# runtime systems that meet strict latency and jitter requirements for real-time XR.
• Integrate and adapt OpenXR and AR runtime interfaces to ensure cross-platform consistency and performance.
• Optimize motion tracking, spatial stability, and timing synchronization across heterogeneous device platforms.
• Profile, measure, and refine CPU, GPU, and memory utilization to meet constraints of embedded Linux and Android targets.
• Create validation tooling, visualization layers, and debugging workflows that accelerate sensor diagnosis and calibration.
• Develop Java and Kotlin services that expose sensor data and control paths to Android-based edge devices.
• Use Python to build simulation environments, automated test suites, and CI pipelines that validate fusion behavior at scale.
• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, computer vision, and backend teams to align interfaces and resolve integration risks.
• Define and maintain metrics that track tracking accuracy, latency, and robustness across operational scenarios.
• Partner with application teams to ensure that sensor fusion features meet the demands of downstream AR experiences.
• Drive the adoption of best practices for state estimation, coordinate transforms, and temporal filtering.
• Document system behavior, calibration procedures, and failure modes to support field deployment and maintenance.
• Participate in on-call responsibilities to triage and resolve performance or stability issues in deployed systems.

Requirements

• Demonstrate deep experience designing real-time sensor fusion stacks for robotics, AR/VR, or spatial computing.
• Hold an MS with at least 3 years of relevant professional experience or a PhD with at least 1 year of relevant professional experience.
• Apply strong fundamentals in state estimation, filtering, coordinate systems, motion tracking, and real-time processing.
• Write high-performance C++ and C# code for latency-sensitive applications with a proven track record of correctness.
• Show hands-on experience developing for Android or embedded Linux in resource-constrained environments.
• Demonstrate familiarity with XR frameworks, including OpenXR, ARCore, or SLAM/VIO pipelines and related tooling.
• Exhibit a strong grasp of latency optimization, synchronization strategies, and performance profiling techniques.
• Bring experience building Android services using Java and Kotlin for peripheral integration and system interaction.
• Use Python for scripting, simulation, automation, and build or test infrastructure to ensure pipeline reliability.
• Collaborate effectively across hardware, firmware, perception, graphics, and backend engineering organizations.
• Provide evidence of shipping complex real-time systems or delivering production XR capabilities in prior roles.
• Pass a background check and meet U.S. Person requirements as defined by applicable export control regulations.
• Upon hire, provide documentation verifying U.S. Citizenship, lawful permanent residency, or protected status under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).
• Thrive in mission-driven environments where software directly supports operational users in demanding conditions.

Nice to have

• Hold a PhD with 5+ years of industry experience or an MS with 10+ years of industry experience in a relevant field.
• Have hands-on experience with visual-inertial odometry, SLAM, Kalman filtering, or probabilistic estimation methods.
• Have shipped software using Unity, Unreal Engine, StereoKit, or other 3D/XR engines for immersive applications.
• Bring background working on wearable systems, robotics platforms, aerospace, defense systems, or embedded sensing devices.

Practical notes

• Work Authorization Requirement: Due to the nature of our business and compliance with federal regulations, all candidates must be a U.S. Person. Upon hire, you will be required to provide documentation verifying your status as a U.S. Citizen, a lawful permanent resident, or a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

-

Location: This role is based in Bellevue, Washington.

-

Engagement: Full-time.

• Compensation may vary within the posted range based on relevant experience, skills, education, and other job-related factors. In addition to base salary, this role may be eligible for equity and other forms of compensation. Eligible employees also receive a competitive benefits package, including unlimited PTO.
• Rivet is an Equal Opportunity Employer.