Principal Engineer

Principal Engineer Signals PlatformKnightscope is seeking a Principal Engineer to own the end-to-end technical design and architecture of Signals — our autonomous Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) platform. Signals is a mission-critical, enterprise-grade system that unifies our entire fleet of Autonomous Security Robots (K1 Super Tower, K5, K7), PTZ/Axis cameras, and AI detections into a single real-time operational pane of glass hosted on AWS GovCloud via Palantir FedStart.This role is a technical lead position that bridges deep systems architecture with day-to-day engineering leadership. You will define how multi-sensor data streams (video, audio, LiDAR, telemetry) are ingested, fused, and surfaced across role-based dashboards, real-time 3D digital twins, and AI-powered alerting workflows. You will drive key decisions across the platform's microservices, real-time data pipelines, security and compliance posture (FedRAMP High / DoD IL5 / CMMC), and integration with both internal tools and third-party systems such as Milestone VMS and Axis Communications.Key ResponsibilitiesPlatform Architecture & DesignTechnical LeadershipSecurity, Compliance & InfrastructureCross-Functional CollaborationRequired Qualifications8+ years of software engineering experience, with at least 4 years in a systems architecture or principal/staff engineering role.Proven experience architecting large-scale, real-time distributed platforms — ideally in defense, public safety, robotics, IoT, or enterprise security domains.Deep expertise in microservices architecture, event-driven systems, and real-time data streaming (e.g., Kafka, WebRTC, or equivalent).Hands-on experience with AWS GovCloud and/or FedRAMP-compliant infrastructure; familiarity with Palantir Foundry or FedStart is a strong plus.Experience integrating video management systems (VMS), camera APIs (e.g., Axis, Milestone), or physical security systems.Strong understanding of AI/ML inference pipelines, edge computing, and sensor fusion architectures.Experience designing RBAC systems, secure API gateways, and zero-trust security patterns.Familiarity with 3D spatial data, digital twin platforms, LiDAR point cloud processing, or geospatial systems.Excellent communication skills — able to present complex architectural decisions to both technical teams and executive stakeholders.Preferred QualificationsFamiliarity with robotics middleware platforms (e.g., ROS2, Autoware) is a plus.Background in physical security, PSIM/VMS platforms, or autonomous systems.Familiarity with CMMC, DoD IL5, or other defense-grade compliance frameworks.Prior experience leading architecture in a scale-up or growth-stage technology company.Compensation & BenefitsBase Salary: $180,000 – $230,000 (DOE)Equity: Stock optionsBenefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time offLocation Requirement: Full-time, on-site at Sunnyvale HQ