Software Engineer

Atomic Machines is creating a smart digital MEMS factory consisting of modular building blocks (each a digital microfactory) that will enable real-time manufacturing of complex devices from CAD and a broad library of input materials.  With physics-informed generative design AI, we will deliver true “text to device,” where the prompt is a specification of a desired device and the output is a functional implementation of that device, immediately.  Finally, the other 98% of MEMS devices – micro-robotics, true lab-on-a-chip (not “chip in a lab”) microfluidics, tunable antennas, speaker pixels, and much more – that could never be manufactured will be possible, and prototyping and volume manufacturing will occur on the same hardware.  Our first device (which is none of the above) already has significant commercial traction and a very large potential market.

Our engineering offices are in Berkeley and Santa Clara, California.

About the Role:

We are seeking a seasoned software engineer who will architect, design, and build any and all code above the embedded level in the software stack, i.e. from the operating system up. 

• Design and build the distributed software system that controls the AMP manufacturing platform: a truly novel fabrication system for micro-devices and components.  Your software will orchestrate all of the activities of the fab, from high-level workflow planning to the code that operates individual robotic nodes and automated material transport.
• Architect and design complex systems that must scale to very large numbers (e.g. production quantities per unit time), be highly robust (meaning fault tolerant, designed to uptime requirements), high performance and both monitor-able and controllable.
• Work at multiple levels of the software stack, and must be “fluent” at all levels:  operating system (including real-time OS), device drivers, and otherwise communicating with low-level code controlling hardware, network (building distributed systems with complex communication patterns), structured APIs, databases and associated architectures and algorithms.
• Code in a variety of languages, as needed for the situation.  This role will involve a prolific amount of coding - we’re not looking for an ivory-tower architect type, but a real builder.  
• Thrive within the Scrum methodology (which means we’re looking for at least excitement from the candidate about the principles, but ideally significant experience building complex software systems in Scrum and an understanding of its benefits).
• Partner productively with other peer software engineers in team projects.

• Ability to code fluently in multiple languages, particularly at multiple levels of the stack. Should be comfortable working in at least C on the low end and an object-oriented language like Java or C++ at the high end, understand code compilation and optimization and the “at the metal” interface to hardware.  
• A strong understanding of computer hardware architecture, how operating systems work and how networking works from at least the protocol level up.
• Time/space complexity understanding with associated algorithms.
• Experience designing, building, and shipping complex distributed software systems that control hardware in sophisticated ways, as part of a team.
• Experience with instrumenting software, both for debugging and real-time observability of the machines. We need to be able to detect problems before they affect uptime.
• Understanding of and proclivity for agile development methodologies.
• Familiarity with the fundamentals of robotic systems, such as feedback control systems, motion planning, and computer vision.
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (bonus points for an advanced degree).