Job Summary & ResponsibilitiesWe are looking for a Software Engineer to join the Inspection Business Unit (IBU). Whether you are launching your career or bringing years of deep expertise, what matters most is how you think: we need someone who can hold a global, system-level view of a complex inspection platform-optics, mechanics, electronics, and software-and then zoom into any layer to get into the weeds when a problem demands it.
Because AI coding agents can now generate and refactor code effectively, the critical skill we are seeking is the ability to maintain an accurate mental model of a complex system consisting of optics, electrical, and mechanical subsystems, and effectively map customer problems to the right technical solutions.
Key ResponsibilitiesResponsibilities will be scoped to your experience level; early-career engineers will focus on the foundational items while senior engineers will take on broader ownership and leadership.
Systems Thinking & Problem Decomposition
- Build and continuously refine an accurate mental model of the full Onto inspection platform-optics, motion, electronics, image acquisition, and software stack.
- Translate customer problems and application requirements into well-scoped engineering tasks by reasoning across subsystem boundaries.
- Agility to zoom from system-level architecture down into any specific areas: databases, algorithm performance, hardware, data flow, GPUs, GUIs, etc.
- Participate in New Product Development (NPD) alongside hardware engineers, application engineers, Technical Project Managers, and Program/Product Managers.
- Algorithms & Software Engineering
- Apply machine learning, image processing, computer vision, mathematics, and optics to develop algorithms integrated into Onto inspection platforms.
- Develop or contribute to optical imaging modeling/calibration and/or image segmentation, classification, and detection algorithms.
- Write, test, and debug software to ensure high-quality, reliable operation; optimize for performance and scalability.
- Perform or lead (based on experience) requirement analysis, detailed software design, production code development, and associated test plans.
- Participate in design/code reviews collaborating with systems engineers, software developers, and other technical staff.
- Leverage AI coding agents to accelerate implementation, while maintaining ownership of architecture decisions, design integrity, and code quality.
- Continuous Learning & Collaboration
- Stay current with academic research and industrial practices in machine vision inspection, image processing, machine learning, and AI-assisted engineering.
- Document software designs, system-level rationale, development processes, and troubleshooting steps.
- Support teammates and, at senior levels, provide technical mentorship-especially in systems thinking.
- Contribute to improving the team's development workflows and tooling, including AI-assisted practices.
Qualifications- PhD, MS, or Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Physics, or related field.
- Doctorate degree with 0+ years related experience; or Master's degree with 0+ years related experience; or Bachelor's degree with 0+ years related experience.
- Demonstrated ability to reason about systems at multiple levels of abstraction-from high-level architecture down to implementation details.
- Strong problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills; able to articulate complex system behavior clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Competency (or demonstrable coursework) in at least one numerically focused environment such as Python or MATLAB, including linear algebra, image processing, and/or machine learning libraries.
- Competency (or demonstrable coursework) in at least one compiled or production language used in large-scale software systems, such as C++, C#, or Java.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in semiconductor inspection, machine vision, robotics, or similar highly technical domains where hardware/software co-design is essential.
- Track record of diagnosing cross-subsystem issues that span optics, electronics, firmware, and application software.
- Experience effectively using AI coding agents (e.g., Copilot, Cursor, Aider, or similar) to accelerate development.
- Experience with software development methodologies such as Agile, Scrum, or Kanban.
- Experience with version control and CI/CD practices.
- Experience debugging complex multi-threaded software environments.
- Familiarity with embedded systems, hardware communication protocols, and/or real-time constraints.
Compensation & Growth• Base Salary Range:
$115,200.00 - $172,800.00, offered in good faith and based on experience, location, and qualifications.
- Additional Rewards: Annual bonus opportunities and potential long-term incentives tied to both company and individual success.
