Software Engineer, Physical AI
About us
Encord is the universal data layer for AI that helps 300+ AI teams train and run models on the right data. Our platform indexes, curates, annotates, and evaluates data across the full AI lifecycle, from development through production.
Trusted by Woven by Toyota, AXA, UiPath, Zipline, and more. We're an ambitious team of 100+ working at the frontier of AI and have raised $60M in Series C funding from Wellington Management, CRV, Next47 and Y Combinator.
The role
We're building tools for the full Physical AI data stack - from data acquisition, through ingestion and curation at scale, to 3D rendering, annotation, and verification. You'll solve problems of large-scale efficient data transfer and storage, complex domain modelling, applying the latest machine learning models, and squeezing performance out of web browsers.
You'll work with the biggest names in robotics and autonomous vehicles, and join a small, highly collaborative team at a crucial stage of accelerated development. You'll be a key driver of progress on a core part of our product, operating with a high degree of autonomy and crafting performant, reliable, and maintainable solutions at speed.
What you'll do
Build and maintain high-performance frontend experiences, including rendering complex 3D scenes with thousands of objects at smooth frame rates
Work across the full stack - from backend data pipelines and storage systems to frontend visualisation and interaction
Take end-to-end ownership of projects, from product and architectural decisions through to deployment, monitoring, and measuring user impact
Work with visual, spatial, and sensor data to make sense of the physical world
Tackle complex domains at massive scale using simple, well-crafted solutions
Take initiative, be proactive in problem-solving, and continuously seek improvements
Who we're looking for
Experienced: you've seen a lot and built a lot - personally developed and maintained multiple systems from scratch, with a deep understanding of the trade-offs involved in building reliable, performant software at speed
At home with challenging frontend work: you're comfortable rendering complex 3D scenes, working with spatial and sensor data, and optimising for browser performance
Impact-driven: you want your work to have a tangible outcome for people and aren't satisfied by products that don't see the light of day
A builder: you enjoy all aspects of building a complete product, are comfortable moving across the stack, and love problem-solving from first principles
Comfortable with uncertainty: happy to tackle problems without a predefined solution, and excited to make decisions autonomously as you go
A team player: you contribute your best work and actively help others do the same - you enjoy levelling up those around you
Experience requirements
Strong full-stack engineering experience, with a particular strength in complex, high-performance frontend work
Experience with 3D rendering, WebGL, or similar technologies for visualising spatial/sensor data is a strong plus
Proficiency in Python and/or TypeScript; experience with React a plus
Familiarity with cloud infrastructure (GCP preferred) and containerised deployment (Kubernetes)
Experience in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or Physical AI is a plus
Tech stack
- We are technology agnostic at Encord and not looking for experience across all of these - as long as you're open to learning, please apply.
Why Encord
Competitive salary, commission, and meaningful equity in a high-growth startup
Clear, accelerated growth opportunities as the company scales rapidly
Strong in-person culture: 4-5 days/week in our newly launched North Beach loft office
Flexible PTO to fully recharge
18 paid vacation days in the U.S. plus federal holidays
Annual learning & development budget
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
Frequent travel opportunities across the U.S., London, and Europe
Bi-annual company offsites, twice-weekly team lunches, and monthly socials