Founding Engineer – Embedded Robotics Sensing

Theseus’ Micro Visual Positioning System (VPS) allows any drone to determine its location using computer vision instead of GPS. We hit accuracies of 20m or less over any flight distance. Our system simulates a serial GPS and is seamlessly retrofit onto existing airframes. We are solving the key problem that limits autonomy for drones in contested environments.

The role

We are seeking a Founding Engineer with deep expertise in embedded engineering and robotics localization to join our team. This is a unique opportunity to be a part of YC’s first defense startup. If you are passionate about robotics, and are excited to solve cutting edge, time sensitive problems that have a real-world impact, this role is for you.

As a founding engineer, you will be instrumental in shaping the future of Theseus and will grow with the company as we scale. You will have immense ownership over our core product and have a direct hand in how our systems operate, perform, and are deployed.

You Will

• Lead the development and optimization of our visual navigation system, ensuring high accuracy and performance across large fleets of drones.
• Design, test, and implement embedded software with a focus on vision-based robotics, ensuring they meet cost, SWAP (Size, Weight, and Power), and performance constraints.
• Make key decisions around system architecture, balancing execution risk, lead time, and cost to deliver scalable, reliable solutions.
• Work closely with vendors and suppliers, managing external relationships to ensure performance of hardware components for your software.
• Drive fleet management strategies, overseeing QA for large deployments and proactively addressing issues that arise in the field.

You Have

• 4-6 years of experience with visual robotics sensing, particularly with systems that involve cameras.
• 4+ years of experience in embedded hardware, including 2+ years working on systems that involve cameras and VIO (Visual Inertial Odometry).
• Proven experience designing and implementing embedded SLAM architectures or embedded VIO systems for commercial products.
• Demonstrated ability to balance technical trade-offs (SWAP, cost, lead time) and develop solutions that prioritize scalability and cost-efficiency.
• Significant individual contributions to a cost-constrained robotics sensing system with hundreds to thousands of units in active use.
• Experience managing fleets of robotic systems, leading QA efforts, and working directly with vendors to troubleshoot and ensure system reliability.

Nice to have’s

• Experience working with drones or other autonomous aerial vehicles.
• Previous experience in a startup environment or building something from the ground up.

Benefits / What we offer

• Competitive salary and equity package
• Opportunity to be part of the founding team, with direct influence over product and company direction
• Flexible working hours
• Comprehensive health benefits
• Office in San Francisco with easy CalTrain / I280 access

At Theseus, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment. We believe that a variety of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences is essential for innovation and success. We encourage people of all identities to apply, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other dimension of diversity. If you are energized by solving hard problems that impact geopolitics, this is for you.