Senior Software Engineer

Location: San Francisco, CA - Hybrid (1-2 days a week); local candidates only; no relo
Type: Full-Time / Permanent
Salary: $200k - $230k stock options

Who We Are

Focal Systems is the industry leader in retail AI solutions. We are a Silicon Valley based startup that has more than doubled in size every year since inception. We are a Deep Learning first company. Our mission is to automate and optimize brick and mortar retail using deep learning computer vision. Focal Systems has been deployed at scale with the top retailers in the world. We are looking for smart, creative and passionate people who want to help build a great and enduring company and deploy Deep Learning to the world!

What We Are Looking For

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer to design and scale our backend systems and data infrastructure. This role is pivotal in ensuring our systems can handle the massive volumes of data generated by our AI solutions. You will work closely with cross-functional teams to create robust, scalable systems that power our data products and services.

As an Engineer, you will have ownership of backend architecture, data pipelines, and storage optimization. This is an opportunity to shape the technical foundation of a rapidly growing AI company and create systems that can scale globally.

Mission of the role

• To enable us to scale from 200k to 1 million cameras

What You Will Do

• Design, implement, and optimize backend systems to support large-scale data ingestion, transformation, and storage
• Own the overall data architecture, including ETL pipelines, data lakes, and warehouses
• Develop scalable and maintainable APIs to support both internal and external systems
• Architect and manage real-time data streaming pipelines using Apache Kafka to ensure high availability and low-latency processing
• Drive optimization efforts for data storage (e.g., partitioning, clustering) to improve query performance
• Collaborate with AI and analytics teams to ensure backend infrastructure meets business and product needs
• Establish best practices for backend development, data governance, and pipeline monitoring
• Lead efforts to enhance reliability, fault tolerance, and security of backend systems
• Identify and drive new initiatives to improve efficiency and productivity through automation and process improvements

What You Need to Be Successful

• Education: BS/MS in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field
• Experience: 7 years in backend system design and data architecture, with at least 3 years in a lead/architect role
• Expertise in cloud platforms like Google Cloud (BigQuery, Dataflow) or AWS (Redshift, Lambda)
• Strong knowledge of SQL, Python, and backend frameworks (e.g., Node.js, Django, Flask)
• Proven experience designing and optimizing data warehouses and ETL/ELT pipelines
• Extensive experience with Apache Kafka, including designing, deploying, and managing Kafka-based streaming pipelines
• Proficiency in containerization and orchestration tools (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes)
• Familiarity with DBT or similar transformation layer tools
• Strong understanding of API design, security best practices, and RESTful principles
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to manage complex data-driven projects
• Recent startup experience preferred

Why Focal Systems?

• Strong Values and Mission - We are a tightly-knit team with an ambitious mission and a strong set of core values, which define our approach to business and have successfully guided us since inception.
• Exceptional Team - We are a team of hard-working, fun-loving professionals from some of the most eminent universities, research labs, and tech companies of our time. We pride ourselves on recruiting exceptional individuals to help us redefine the state-of-the-art.
• Outstanding Partners - We work with 10 of the largest retailers in the world and have a world-class roster of investors, advisors and partners to support & advise us in our endeavors.

Benefits

We care deeply about the health, happiness, and wellbeing of all of our employees. We offer:

• Competitive Salary & Attractive Stock
• Paid Time Off 
• Quarterly Team Retreats
• Education grants

Note: We value transparency in our hiring process. Salary and level placement are based on a thorough evaluation of education, experience, and performance in our interview process. Candidates will receive clear communication on their compensation range and leveling.

If you’re passionate about building scalable systems and shaping the future of AI-powered retail, we’d love to hear from you!