Staff Software Engineer - Systems & Infrastructure

Company Description

Third Wave Automation is a rapidly growing startup that has demonstrated its core technology components, proven its market fit, and just closed its Series C funding. If you are excited about cutting edge machine learning, robotics that affects the real world, and want to join a company where your skills can have a huge impact, you’ll fit right in. 

Third Wave Automation is applying modern machine learning to materials handling—delivering site-specific forklift navigation and infrastructure-free pallet handling that continuously adapts to changing floor configuration and warehouse demand. 

Job Description

Third Wave Automation is looking for a Staff Software Engineer to help drive the development of the core systems powering our autonomous forklifts. This is a high-impact individual contributor role focused on designing and building robust, scalable, and efficient software infrastructure that supports real-time, safety-critical robotic systems deployed in production environments. You'll lead efforts around performance-critical C++/Python development, systems integration, build tooling, and deployment workflows in Kubernetes-based environments. This position requires a deep understanding of networked systems, Linux internals, and build systems such as Bazel, with an emphasis on delivering production-grade solutions for robotics at scale.

How You Can Make an Impact

• Architect and implement core infrastructure components in C++ and Python for autonomous vehicle systems
• Own and optimize the Bazel build system to support large-scale, multi-language codebases with fast iteration cycles
• Design and troubleshoot complex networked systems used in communication between vehicles, edge systems, and cloud services
• Dive into Linux internals to tune performance, debug low-level issues, and ensure system reliability under real-world conditions
• Structure and package applications for reliable and scalable deployment on Kubernetes, both in edge and cloud-based environments
• Collaborate closely with autonomy, perception, and infrastructure teams to integrate and operationalize robotics software
• Lead technical direction for key infrastructure efforts, mentor other engineers, and contribute to the long-term architectural vision

Desired Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering, with at least 2+ years in a staff-level or senior IC capacity
• Deep expertise in C++ and Python, with strong system design and debugging skills
• Strong proficiency with the Bazel build system in large, polyglot repositories
• Experience with ROS or similar middleware.
• Extensive experience in a particular subfield of robotics (e.g. planning, SLAM, perception, real-time systems, etc.)
• Thorough understanding of network protocols, distributed system design, and fault-tolerant communication
• Advanced knowledge of Linux internals: namespaces, IPC, scheduling, memory management, and device drivers
• Hands-on experience packaging and deploying applications in Kubernetes, ideally with edge compute or robotics use cases
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and drive technical outcomes across teams
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Bonus Points For 

• Experience working in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or other real-time/safety-critical systems
• Familiarity with container runtimes and edge deployment strategies
• Exposure to real-time networking, QoS, or time synchronization in distributed systems
• Contributions to open-source infrastructure or build tooling projects

Leadership experience, including mentoring junior engineers, and project planning.

The pay range for this position is $158,000 - $238,000/yr+ benefits+equity; however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.  Base pay information is based on market location.

More About Working Here

Our Core Values:

• Safety. We consider safety in everything we do.
• People. We care about our teammates as people.
• Encouragement. We encourage teaching, asking questions, and sharing opinions.
• Transparency. We are transparent and sincere in our actions.

A robust set of benefits and perks:

• Comprehensive benefits. Health, Dental, Vision, and a 401k matching program, to boot!
• Flexible working schedule. Be productive when you work best.
• Show & Tell. We love to learn from one another, and see the cool stuff everyone is working on!
• Meals are covered. Lunch is provided every day, and dinner for those evenings that run long.
• Stacks of snacks. Donuts are a main food group, and the snack shelf is always stocked with a wide variety of items.
• Great teammates. One of the best parts of working here!

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We value each person's expertise and experiences. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. 

All qualified applicants able to work in the United States are encouraged to apply.