Staff Backend Software Engineer

About Cyngn, Inc. Based in Mountain View, CA, Cyngn is a publicly-traded autonomous technology company. We deploy self-driving industrial vehicles -specifically autonomous tuggers - to factories, warehouses, and other facilities throughout North America. To build this emergent technology, we are looking for innovative, motivated, and experienced leaders to join us and move this field forward. If you like to build, tinker, and create with a team of trusted and passionate colleagues, then Cyngn is the place for you. Key reasons to join Cyngn: We are small and big. With under 100 employees, Cyngn operates with the energy of a startup. On the other hand, we’re publicly traded. This means our employees not only work in close-knit teams with mentorship from company leaders—they also get access to the liquidity of our publicly-traded equity. We build today and deploy tomorrow. Our autonomous vehicles aren’t just test concepts—they’re deployed to real clients right now. That means your work will have a tangible, visible impact. We aren’t robots. We just develop them. We’re a welcoming, diverse team of sharp thinkers and kind humans. Collaboration and trust drive our creative environment. At Cyngn, everyone’s perspective matters—and that’s what powers our innovation. About The Role As the Staff Software Engineer for our SaaS platform team, you will be crucial in developing Cyngn's cutting-edge fleet management system for autonomous industrial vehicles. You'll collaborate with product and engineering teams to design, implement, deploy, and maintain a robust cloud-based solution that enables real-time control and monitoring of autonomous vehicles in the field. Your expertise will be instrumental in creating a scalable, high-performance system that empowers our customers to optimize their automated workflows and maximize operational efficiency. What You'll Do Architect and lead the development of a sophisticated, cloud-native fleet management system capable of real-time control and monitoring of numerous autonomous vehiclesDesign and implement scalable, distributed systems that can handle high-volume, real-time data processing and decision-makingDevelop robust APIs and microservices to support integration with various autonomous vehicle platforms and customer systemsCreate efficient algorithms for route optimization, task scheduling, and resource allocation across vehicle fleetsImplement advanced data analytics and machine learning capabilities to provide predictive maintenance, performance optimization, and business intelligence featuresEnsure system reliability, security, and compliance with industry standards and regulationsLead a team of skilled engineers, fostering a culture of innovation, code quality, and continuous improvementCollaborate with product managers, UX designers, and customers to translate business requirements into technical solutions Engage with customers to understand their needs and translate them into technical requirements Mentor junior developers and contribute to the technical growth of the engineering teamParticipate in the entire software development lifecycle, from concept and design to testing, deployment, and maintenance Qualifications 10+ years of software development experience, with a strong focus on backend systems and distributed architecturesExtensive experience in building and scaling cloud-native SaaS platforms, preferably in the IoT or robotics domainsExpert-level proficiency in at least one of Python, Go, Java, or C++, with working knowledge of othersDeep understanding of cloud technologies and services (AWS, Azure, or GCP)Proven experience with event-driven architectures and message queuing systems (e.g., Kafka, RabbitMQ, Apache Pulsar)Strong background in database design and optimization, including both SQL and NoSQL solutionsProficiency in developing scalable WebSocket-based real-time communication systemsExpertise in developing real-time data processing pipelines and analytics systemsProficiency with containerization and orchestration technologies (Docker, Kubernetes)Experience with infrastructure-as-code and CI/CD practices (e.g., Terraform, GitOps)Track record of leading development teams and mentoring junior developersExcellent problem-solving skills and ability to optimize complex systemsStrong collaboration skills with a low ego Strong communication skills and ability to explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders Bonus Qualifications Experience with IoT platforms, robotics frameworks (e.g., ROS), or autonomous vehicle technologiesSolid understanding of network protocols and communication standards relevant to IoT and autonomous systemsKnowledge of AMQP, MQTT, DDS, or other IoT-specific communication protocolsExperience with time-series databases (e.g., InfluxDB, TimescaleDB) for handling large volumes of sensor dataFamiliarity with edge computing and fog architecturesExperience with real-time operating systems and embedded software developmentExpertise in building and maintaining scalable API platformsExperience with geospatial data processing and mapping technologies Experience with simulation environments for autonomous systems testing Knowledge of fleet management software and vehicle telematics systems Benefits & Perks Health benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision) through Aetna, Kaiser Permanente, and Guardian, with multiple plan tiers to choose fromAncillary benefits including accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity plans (Voya)Company-paid basic life insurance, plus voluntary (supplemental) life for you and your dependentsShort-term and long-term disability insurance plans, fully paid by CyngnHSA and FSA (Health & Dependent Daycare)Employee Assistance Program1:1 Health ConciergeCompany 401(k)Commuter BenefitsFlexible PTO policySabbatical leave opportunity after 5 years with the companyPaid Parental LeaveDaily lunches for in-office employees and fully-stocked kitchen with snacks and beverages What You Can Expect (Cyngn’s Interview Process) A real person will review your applicationWe’ll kick off the process with a one-sided video interview where you’ll share a little more about yourself and we’ll get some basic questions out of the wayA Recruiter touch point will go over the process in more detail and answer your questionsA 45-minute interview with the hiring managerA full-loop interview process consisting of 3-4 additional conversations to gauge technical and soft skills and culture fit. A final onsite interview with the team. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us. Equal Opportunity Employer Cyngn is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, familial status, military or veteran status, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, training, promotion, discipline, and termination. If you require accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please let us know and we will work with you to provide reasonable accommodation A Note on Recruitment Scams We've seen an increase in fraudulent job offers and phishing attempts impersonating real companies, including Cyngn. To Protect Yourself All official communication from Cyngn recruiters and hiring managers will come from an email address ending in @cyngn.com. We will never contact you from a personal email (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) or via unsolicited text message or messaging app.Cyngn will never ask you to pay for equipment, training, background checks, or any other fees as part of the application or hiring process.We will never ask for sensitive personal or financial information (e.g., bank account or Social Security number) before you've been extended and have accepted a formal offer through official channels.If you receive a suspicious message claiming to be from Cyngn, please do not respond with personal information, and feel free to verify by reaching out to us directly through our official careers page. The Pay Range For This Role Is 187,000 - 207,000 USD per year (HQ - Terra Bella)