Software Engineer, See and Spray

We’re Blue River, a team of innovators driven to create intelligent machinery that solves monumental problems for our customers. We empower our customers – farmers, construction crews, and foresters - to implement safer and more sustainable solutions, driving increased profitability with less reliance on scarce labor. We believe that focusing on the small stuff – pixel-by-pixel and task-by-task - leads to big gains. 

Blue River Technology aligns with John Deere’s vision to “innovate on behalf of humanity” by quickly identifying and solving high-value, high-uncertainty challenges in AI, machine learning, computer vision, and robotics. BRT acts as a research and development flywheel, building not only new products but also new platforms that reliably create value for both Deere and its customers. From fully autonomous machines to highly precise farming equipment, BRT and Deere are partnering to create technical breakthroughs in industries like agriculture and construction. 

Our people are at the heart of what we do. Through cross-disciplinary collaboration, this mission-driven team is eager to define the new frontier of robotics. We are always asking hard questions, rapidly iterating, and getting our boots in the field to figure it out. We won’t give up until we’ve made a tangible and positive impact on the planet!

Blue River Technology is based in Santa Clara, CA. This is an onsite or hybrid role, requiring up to 15% travel offsite to field visits.

Summary

Our See & Spray Team is looking for a highly motivated Software Engineer to deliver the promise of Precision Agriculture to the world’s farm fields. In this role, you will collaborate with our team in the development, testing, and optimization of software systems that power our agricultural and construction equipment. We tackle our objectives with multi-functional engineering teams of systems and embedded software, test and QA, mechatronics, computer vision, and machine learning engineers. Our team is empowered to figure out how to overcome challenges, and plan and prioritize work – everyone is a key contributor. 

This is an onsite or hybrid role, requiring up to 15% travel offsite to field visits.

Job Responsibilities

The main job responsibilities are noted below. 

• Design, develop, and test robotics system software in a complex distributed system using C++ in a Linux environment in a small multidisciplinary team.
• Provide remote and in-field troubleshooting and support of distributed systems during deployment and testing phases.
• Travel to field sites as needed to work with operators, partners, or customers on system assembly, maintenance, and debugging. 
• Document code, APIs, and system architecture to ensure knowledge sharing.
• Break down work and estimate time to completion. 

Required Experience and Skills

• BS degree or higher in Computer Science or related field.
• 2 or more years of experience with distributed robotics software development in C++.
• Proficiency with Linux/bash environments and command-line tools.
• Knowledge of version control systems (e.g., Git) and collaborative development workflows.
• Problem-solving skills with the ability to debug complex systems.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, iterative development environment.
• Familiarity with SSH for remote access and scripting on single-board compute for rapid prototype/ test applications (i.e., Raspberry Pi use cases).
• OS and machine deployment + management ability (Ansible, etc.)
• Strong written and verbal documentation. 

Preferred Experience and Skills

• Experience with sensor integration and vision systems on autonomous vehicles or robotic systems.
• Passionate about agriculture.
• Experience in smoothly deploying a continuously evolving data collection device.

At Blue River, we’re passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity.  While we have more work to do to advance diversity and inclusion, we’re investing in our programs, including recruiting, mentorship, career development, and learning & development to ensure they support our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion goals. We support each employee in living a full life, enabling a thriving career, and accomplishing a meaningful, challenging mission while collaborating with incredible people. We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align completely with the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, perform essential job functions, and receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation. 

The US annual base salary range for this position is $117,000 - $175,000, along with eligibility for Blue River’s bonus and benefit programs. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process. During the recruitment process, we may identify an alternative role or level to which you are more suited. If your ideal role at Blue River differs from the advertised position, we will provide an updated pay range as soon as possible during the hiring process.

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