Applications Engineer, San Francisco

Applications Engineer
San Francisco, CA · Applications · Full-time, hybrid

Overview.ai is bringing the cutting edge of AI computer vision to manufacturing, solving inspection problems that were previously not solvable with traditional machine vision. We're a full-stack company: we deploy GPU-powered cameras on production lines, run inference on the edge, and operate a platform that supports large fleets of devices deployed across the world.

We're growing extremely fast. Our customers love the product because it works: high accuracy, fast deployment, and an operator-friendly experience that makes real factory rollouts possible, not just pilots.

We're looking for a hands-on Applications Engineer to help develop, validate, and deploy AI-powered vision inspection systems, with a strong focus on imaging feasibility and technical ownership of our San Francisco lab.

Customer samples arrive here before anything gets deployed. You'll determine how to make defects visible, selecting the right lighting, lenses, cameras, and imaging configurations to build reliable inspection solutions.

But the work doesn't stop in the lab. You'll also help bring these solutions to life on production lines, integrating our cameras with existing PLCs and industrial equipment, troubleshooting hardware and controls issues, and ensuring systems perform reliably under real manufacturing conditions.

This role combines machine vision application development, industrial automation, and hands-on customer deployment. You'll work directly with hardware, collaborate with customers and field engineers, and take ownership of technical challenges from initial feasibility through production validation.

• Own the SF lab: Take responsibility for imaging trials, testing standards, hardware evaluation, and technical feasibility.

• Solve challenging inspection problems: Work on applications where traditional machine vision has struggled, from difficult surfaces to complex manufacturing environments.

• From lab to production: See your solutions move beyond proof-of-concept testing and into real production lines, integrating with industrial controls and equipment.

• Variety and technical depth: Work across automotive, aerospace, and consumer manufacturing, combining optics, automation, AI vision, and industrial troubleshooting.

• Direct product impact: Your findings will influence hardware decisions, deployment approaches, and future product improvements.

• Imaging feasibility and application development: Run trials on customer samples, evaluate inspection requirements, and determine how to reliably capture defects using the right imaging configuration.

• Lighting and optics selection: Select and configure cameras, lenses, lighting, filters, and geometry, including challenging reflective, transparent, dark, or low-contrast surfaces.

• SF lab operations: Own lab testing standards, hardware inventory, sample handling, equipment evaluation, and documentation of technical findings.

• Proof-of-concept development: Build and validate inspection POCs, evaluate performance, and communicate technical feasibility, limitations, and recommendations to Sales, Applications, and customers.

• PLC and industrial integration: Configure and integrate vision systems with existing PLCs and production equipment, including I/O mapping, communication protocols, signal validation, and basic PLC logic troubleshooting.

• Hardware installation and troubleshooting: Support camera and lighting installation, diagnose electrical, connectivity, and hardware issues, and troubleshoot system integration challenges.

• Production performance optimization: Investigate false rejects, missed defects, image quality variation, and environmental factors affecting inspection reliability.

• Customer deployments and technical support: Work directly with customer engineers, maintenance teams, and field Applications Engineers to install, validate, and troubleshoot systems in manufacturing environments.

• Hardware and technology evaluation: Test new cameras, lenses, lighting, and related technologies to improve inspection capabilities.

• Documentation and technical feedback: Document testing results, system configurations, and lessons learned while providing feedback to Product and Engineering teams.

• 3+ years of hands-on experience in applications engineering, machine vision, industrial automation, systems integration, or a related technical field.

• Machine vision experience: Hands-on experience configuring industrial cameras, lighting, and lenses for inspection or measurement applications, including imaging trials, feasibility studies, or proof-of-concept testing.

• PLC and controls knowledge: Practical experience working with PLC systems such as Allen Bradley, Siemens, Beckhoff, or similar, including I/O configuration, basic programming logic, and troubleshooting.

• Industrial system integration: Experience integrating cameras, sensors, or other hardware with industrial equipment and production systems.

• Hardware and electrical troubleshooting: Comfortable diagnosing connectivity, electrical signals, and hardware issues using tools such as multimeters and other diagnostic equipment.

• Manufacturing environment experience: Familiarity with production lines, industrial equipment, and the technical constraints of working around live manufacturing operations.

• Independent technical problem-solving: Comfortable working directly with hardware, running experiments, troubleshooting issues, and making technical decisions.

• Technical communication: Able to document findings clearly and explain technical trade-offs to customers and internal teams.

• Location: Based in the San Francisco Bay Area or willing to relocate, and able to work primarily from our SF office.

• Travel flexibility: Willing to travel to customer manufacturing facilities for installations, troubleshooting, and deployment support.

• Experience running machine vision feasibility studies or application development in a lab, demo center, vision vendor, distributor, or systems integrator.

• Experience imaging challenging parts, including reflective, specular, transparent, dark, or low-contrast surfaces.

• Knowledge of advanced lighting techniques such as dome, dark field, backlight, coaxial, or polarized lighting.

• Experience with industrial vision platforms such as Cognex, Keyence, Matrox, Halcon, or Dalsa.

• Experience with industrial communication protocols such as EtherNet/IP, PROFINET, Modbus, or similar.

• Experience integrating vision systems into PLC-controlled production lines.

• Customer-facing technical experience, including on-site installations, application support, troubleshooting, or operator training.

• Experience troubleshooting inspection performance in production environments, including false rejects, missed defects, and image quality variation.

• Experience with telecentric optics, precision measurement, or advanced optical configurations.

• Experience with Allen Bradley CompactLogix/ControlLogix or Siemens S7 PLC platforms.

• Familiarity with AI-based inspection workflows, including image collection, labeling, model evaluation, or inspection performance optimization.

• Experience with industrial networking, electrical schematics, or controls system troubleshooting.

• Background in plant engineering, manufacturing support, or industrial equipment commissioning.

• Extreme growth and real-world impact: We're not building demos. We're deploying AI systems on real production lines, at scale.

• Talent density: You'll work with world-class engineers and operators across AI, embedded systems, and enterprise deployment.

• Front-row seat to the AI manufacturing wave: One of the biggest transformations happening in industry right now.

• Ownership: Your work directly changes the trajectory of the company.

• Global exposure: You'll work wit