{"id":1101791,"url":"https://alion.io/job/afference-sdkplatform-engineer","title":"SDK/Platform Engineer","company":{"id":669730,"name":"Afference","domain":"afference.io","url":"https://alion.io/company/afference","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":3,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-11-07T05:47:08Z"}},"role":"DevOps","role_family":"DevOps","seniority":"middle","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"hybrid","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["Cleveland, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":147000,"max":165000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":165000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":3,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Java","optional":false},{"name":"Physical AI","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-21T20:25:22Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-21","last_verified_at":"2026-11-07T11:11:01Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":46,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":46},"description":"About Our Work\nWe are neuroscientists who build ground-breaking technology for the spatial computing era. We stimulate nerves to create artificial tactile sensations, creating new, more meaningful connections to the user for notifications, 3D digital content, physical AI, health information, and beyond. Our first products will be mobile, wearable devices that stream haptic data from multiple digital sources to create meaningful sensations of touch.\nWhat You'll Be Doing\nThe SDK Platform Developer is responsible for leading the design, development, testing, and troubleshooting of software and SDK solutions, including integration with firmware. This role works independently on complex technical objectives, provides technical leadership and problem-solving expertise, and collaborates with software, development, leadership, and cross-functional teams to deliver reliable solutions aligned with product and business goals.\nKey Responsibilities\nLead the design, development, testing, and maintenance of software and SDK platforms, including integration and interfacing with firmware.\n\nProvide technical leadership for software and SDK initiatives that support product development and organizational strategy.\n\nWork independently on complex technical objectives with guidance from the Director of Software.\n\nDevelop robust software and SDK architectures and solutions aligned with company and product goals.\n\nCollaborate with software, development, firmware, and cross-functional teams to define technical requirements, priorities, deliverables, and timelines.\n\nTroubleshoot complex software, SDK, and firmware integration issues and drive issues through root-cause analysis and resolution.\n\nDevelop, implement, and improve software and SDK testing protocols, validation procedures, and troubleshooting methodologies.\n\nPartner with the Director of Software to identify appropriate test strategies and provide technical guidance on test protocols.\n\nEvaluate technical approaches, tools, technologies, and vendors; support vendor evaluation and selection as needed.\n\nTranslate technical findings and development results into clear recommendations for technical and business stakeholders. Identify technical risks and proactively develop mitigation strategies to protect product quality, performance, cost, and schedule.\n\nMaintain a high level of technical quality, documentation, accuracy, and attention to detail throughout the development lifecycle.\n\nProvide technical mentorship and guidance to other software and development team members as appropriate.\n\nCollaborate with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to ensure technical execution remains aligned with department objectives and broader business goals.\n\nHelp establish and maintain development practices that promote scalability, reliability, maintainability, and high-quality SDK deliverables.\n\nOther duties as assigned\n\nWhat You'll Need for This Position\nEducation\nBachelor’s degree or advanced degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, or related technical field.\n\nMust-Have Skills & Experience\n3-5 years of professional experience in software development, firmware development, SDK development, embedded systems, or a closely related technology domain.\n\nDemonstrated experience developing and supporting software development kits (SDKs), software platforms, APIs, libraries, or developer-facing tools.\n\nStrong understanding of software architecture, development methodologies, testing, debugging, and troubleshooting.\n\nExperience working at the software/firmware interface, including diagnosing and resolving integration issues.\n\nStrong programming and software development skills in one or more relevant languages such as C, C++, Python, Java, or similar, depending on the product environment.\n\nExperience developing and executing software testing and validation protocols. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to independently investigate complex technical issues and determine practical solutions.\n\nDemonstrated ability to take ownership of complex technical objectives and drive them through execution.\n\nAbility to provide technical leadership and influence development decisions without necessarily having direct people-management responsibility.\n\nStrong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with software, firmware, development, engineering, leadership, and external vendors.\n\nExcellent attention to detail and a strong commitment to software quality, reliability, and performance.\n\nAbility to assess technical risks and understand the potential impact of engineering decisions on product schedules, costs, system performance, and business objectives.\n\nStrong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate technical concepts and recommendations to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.\n\nExperience evaluating technologies, development approaches, tools, or external vendors is highly desirable.\n\nAbility to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment where technical decisions can have a significant impact on product development timelines and business outcomes.\n\nWhat's in It for You\nWork closely with cutting-edge technology. You'll be hands-on with novel neural haptic technology that's defining the future of spatial computing and immersive experiences.\nWork in a close-knit, startup environment. We strive to create an intellectually stimulating and collegial working environment. Our energy for inventing, creating, and learning spans work and play: we have regular happy hours, plan field trips, play games, play music, and generally have a good time.\nAn early employee experience. We are an early-stage deep tech startup company that requires all members to contribute across the entire business. On any given day, there will be new challenges and new demands to propel the business forward. We expect all employees to be able to dive into any new challenges that present themselves, even if they are beyond the job description above. If your are driven by the desire to see success and to create new tech not seen by the world previously, you will fit right in to the team's culture.\nCompensation & Benefits\nAfference is committed to providing the sense of touch for the evolution of the human connection to technology and the future of the digital experience. We are leading this effort through deep science and technology, which provides unique experiences compared to classical haptic technologies. Our lean team of experts demands a high level of excellence but can compensate with the commensurate upside potential of an early-growth startup in a high-growth sector of extended reality.\nCompensation offers depend on skills, qualifications, and experience, and range between:\n$147,000 to $165,000 per year at 100% FTE\nBenefits include:\nMedical, dental vision, life, STD, FSA, additional company perks\n\nEquity incentive\n\nSelf-managed PTO\n\nLocation: On-site; Cleveland, OH office","description_format":"text","description_chars":7036,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":3,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":["Equity"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"United States","iso":"US","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Virtual & Augmented Reality"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-21T23:30:58Z"}],"visa":[],"liveness":{"score":25,"band":"fade","label":"Fading","p_open":1,"p_active":0.558,"p_room":0.45,"age_days":46,"expected_fill_days":30,"reasons":["conf:2","win:tail"],"computed_at":"2026-11-07T05:47:08Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":165000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/afference-sdkplatform-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/afference-sdkplatform-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-11-07T13:22:34Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":16072,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-11-08T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":669730},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=669730"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fafference-sdkplatform-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fafference-sdkplatform-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fafference-sdkplatform-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/afference-sdkplatform-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fafference-sdkplatform-engineer"}],"agent":{"mcp":"https://alion.io/mcp/jobs","mcp_open":"https://alion.io/mcp/open","next":[{"tool":"get_job","arguments":{"id":1101791}},{"tool":"search_jobs","arguments":{"company":"afference.io","detail":"compact"}},{"tool":"match_people","arguments":{"job_id":1101791},"note":"people open to offers who fit this vacancy"}],"note":"The same data through MCP tools: https://alion.io/mcp/open needs no sign-in (compact searches, postings, people); https://alion.io/mcp with an Alion account has everything. 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