Senior Camera Engineer

About Zipline

Do you want to change the world? Zipline is on a mission to transform the way goods move. Our aim is to solve the world’s most urgent and complex access challenges by building, manufacturing and operating the first instant delivery and logistics system that serves all humans equally, wherever they are. From powering Rwanda’s national blood delivery network and Ghana’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution, to providing on-demand home delivery for Walmart, to enabling healthcare providers to bring care directly to U.S. homes, we are transforming the way things move for businesses, governments and consumers. The technology is complex but the idea is simple: a teleportation service that delivers what you need, when you need it. Through our technology that includes robotics and autonomy, we are decarbonizing delivery, decreasing road congestion, and reducing fossil fuel consumption and air pollution, while providing equitable access to billions of people and building a more resilient global supply chain.   Join Zipline and help us to make good on our promise to build an equitable and more resilient global supply chain for billions of people.

About You and The Role  

Zipline is at the forefront of a logistics revolution, using autonomous aircraft to deliver just-in-time, life-saving medical supplies on multiple continents, 7 days a week. 

We believe access to medical care should not depend on your GPS coordinates. In service of our mission to operate at global scale, we’re growing our perception capabilities to expand quickly and safely into new products and locations, with the ultimate goal of delivering essential packages right to your doorstep. We are looking for a passionate and creative Camera Engineer to join Zipline’s Camera team and level up the quality of our images to enable the autonomy capabilities we are building. In this role, you’ll be part of a cutting-edge team responsible for developing tools for large-scale testing of image quality, development of ISP algorithms, and productionization of the cameras embedded into our Platform 1 and 2 vehicles. 

We’re looking for someone who is excited to take on the challenge of creating innovative and robust camera solutions to unlock and expand our vehicles operating domain.To be successful in this role, you’ll need to have a strong technical background in image signal processing, deep understanding of image processing and computer vision fundamentals, and a solid understanding of embedded systems. You should be comfortable working with and debugging complex software systems and have a record of delivering high-quality products. 

What You'll Do  

• Be responsible for sensor configuration and ISP algorithms, including fine-tuning and evaluating the image quality parameters; e.g., color, contrast, sharpness, noise reduction, and dynamic range.
• Develop hardware test automation code and batch processing scripts (e.g in Python) for validating sensor performance in a manufacturing test environment and in our in-house image quality lab.
• Interface with embedded engineers (e.g. in C++) on driver implementation and tuning.
• Develop and test custom algorithms for Zipline-specific imaging applications, including HDR, exposure control, and rolling shutter correction.
• Implement quality metrics and calibration processes used in end-of-line screening at Zipline’s contract manufacturers.
• Develop laboratory methods and tooling to assess image quality metrics.
• Perform failure analysis and conduct laboratory experiments for image quality and camera system issues, originating from reliability testing, quality, and field-based issues.
• Develop failure mitigations using a variety of methods including analysis, simulation, and laboratory testing to validate solutions. 
• Help define camera and imaging roadmaps at Zipline.

What You'll Bring 

• A deep understanding of ISP data-flows and processing blocks and their impact on image quality.
• Programming experience in Python, MATLAB, or equivalent (mid-level or above) and proficiency writing software to interface with hardware.
• A deep understanding of sensor characteristics, optics, and interaction with opto-mechanical systems.
• Hands-on experience in image quality testing and corresponding test standards (e.g. MTF/SFR, color reproduction)
• Experience with industry-standard image quality testing software, e.g. Imatest.
• Familiarity with Linux operating environments
• Familiarity with Embedded systems and embedded compute, e.g. in C++
• Experience designing and building test fixtures for camera systems.
• Pragmatic and fast-paced troubleshooting and iteration.
• At least one complete design and ship lifecycle of a significant camera product.
• BS/MS in computer science, physics, optics, EE, or similar.

What Else You Need to Know   

The starting cash range for this role is $180,000 - $225,000. Please note that this is a target, starting cash range for a candidate who meets the minimum qualifications for this role. The final cash pay for this role will depend on a variety of factors, including a specific candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, working location, and projected impact. The total compensation package for this role may also include: equity compensation; discretionary annual or performance bonuses; sales incentives; benefits such as medical, dental and vision insurance; paid time off; and more.   Zipline is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state, federal or local law or our other policies.   We value diversity at Zipline and welcome applications from those who are traditionally underrepresented in tech. If you like the sound of this position but are not sure if you are the perfect fit, please apply!