The Lead Computer Vision Engineer will define and build perception systems for innovative makeup robot technology, collaborating across teams and ensuring reliability from prototypes to production.
About Overlay
Why This Role Is Different
What You’ll Do
What We’re Looking For
Bonus Points
Benefits
The Team
Culture & Values
Overlay is building the world’s first intelligent makeup robot—reimagining beauty application through robotics, perception, and design. As a venture-backed, pre-launch startup, we’re defining a new category of personal robotics at the intersection of self-expression and engineering. Our system operates directly on the human face, requiring an unprecedented level of precision, safety, and real-world robustness.
We’re a small, highly technical team working in person in Oakland—building something that does not yet exist, and making it real.
This is not a traditional execution-focused computer vision role. You will help define how perception works for a completely new class of consumer robot.
This means:
- Identifying the hardest problems before they are obvious
- Making judgment calls on what matters vs. what doesn’t
- Driving research, prototyping, and production—not just one layer
- Owning perception end-to-end in a real, physical system
You will play a critical role in shaping both the product and the company’s technical direction.
- Work closely with the Head of Robotics to build the the perception stack end-to-end
- Transition early-stage prototypes into reliable, production-ready consumer products by collaborating with external fabrication houses, contract manufacturers, and industrial design partners
- Define and prioritize perception problems that are critical to product success
- Design and build real-time vision systems for precise interaction with the human face
- Develop and optimize pipelines for 3D reconstruction, tracking, and spatial understanding
- Make architectural decisions that scale from prototype to production hardware
- Integrate perception with robotics and motion control systems (ROS2, real-time systems)
- Build data pipelines, evaluation frameworks, and validation systems
- Collaborate with hardware, mechanical, and design teams to deliver production systems
- Understand and help guide the long-term perception direction and contribute to the overall product roadmap
- 5+ years solving applied computer vision problems in real-world systems (robotics, embedded, or similar)
- Strong foundation in modern CV/ML (OpenCV, PyTorch / TensorFlow / JAX)
- Proficient in Python and C++ with production-quality engineering standards
- Demonstrated ownership of complex systems or projects end-to-end
- Track record of identifying and solving high-impact problems independently
- Strong engineering judgment — able to make practical tradeoffs under constraints
- Comfortable operating in ambiguity and making decisions with incomplete information
- Experience translating research or prototypes into reliable production systems
- Clear communicator who can work effectively across disciplines
- Experience with ROS2 and motion planning (MoveIt2, Nav2, OMPL)
- Background in real-time systems, embedded Linux, or hardware integration
- Experience shipping robotics or hardware products to real users
- Hands-on prototyping experience (3D printing, machining, etc.)
- Strong opinions on perception systems—and the ability to defend them
- Highly competitive salary & generous early-stage equity
- Best-in-class medical, dental & vision insurance
- 401(k) matching program
- Flexible Time Off with 10 paid holidays
- Commuter benefits
- Office in downtown Oakland near 19th Street BART station
- Small, fast-moving team with high ownership and low process
- Strong bias toward shipping, learning, and iterating quickly
- In-person collaboration in our Oakland office
Culture & Values
- Move Fast, Move Smart: Act quickly, but with clear thinking and good judgment.
- Extreme Ownership: Own outcomes fully from idea to execution to results.
- Disagree Boldly, Then Commit Fully: Challenge ideas openly, then align and execute without hesitation.
- Intellectual Honesty Above All: Prioritize truth over ego. Be candid, admit mistakes, and follow the evidence.
- Live Demos: Show real, working results instead of talking about ideas.
Compensation: The annual salary range for this position is $190,000–$260,000 annually based on level in addition to equity & benefits.
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