--- title: 'Software Engineer - Core at 1X' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-core-1x-san-carlos-shbff6qj0tff' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-06' --- # Software Engineer - Core at 1X - **Company:** [1X](https://feeny.ai/companies/1x) - **Location:** San Carlos, CA - **Compensation:** $200k–$280k - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** onsite - **Posted:** 2026-06-17 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-06 - **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/1x/664d3be4-5805-4062-b191-aa9b80f914af/application **Skills:** C++, Linux, Systems Programming, Profiling, Benchmarking, Debugging, Flamegraphs, Perf Counters, Assembly Inspection, Linux Kernel Interfaces, Real-time Systems, Lock-free Data Structures, Memory Pools, Shared-memory IPC, Cross-compilation Toolchains, Embedded Linux, Robotics, Autonomous Vehicles, Physical Systems > Join the Foundations team at 1X to build and own the core C++ infrastructure for NEO, a humanoid home robot. You will develop real-time sensor pipelines, motor control interfaces, and IPC layers that ensure deterministic performance and reliability as the company scales production. ## Job description ## ABOUT 1X We’re building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it’s not. To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you’re inspired by this, you’ll thrive here. We’ve been at this since 2014 and we’re at the point where the hard problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us. NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We’re not demoing it - we’re shipping it. We’re excited to meet you, if this excites you. If you’ve spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world - this is that moment. We’re scaling, we’re hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time - safely creating abundance for all. ## ABOUT THE TEAM The Foundations team builds and owns the core C++ infrastructure that NEO’s entire stack runs on sensor pipelines, motor control interfaces, inter-process communication, and the foundational libraries that ship on every robot. Our code executes thousands of times per second on hardware moving through the real world, and its correctness and performance directly determines what every other team can build and ship. If you want to work on the systems layer that makes physical AI possible at scale, this is that team. ## YOUR CHARTER Own the foundational C++ infrastructure that NEO’s brain and nervous system depend on ensuring it is fast, deterministic, and reliable as we scale from prototypes to thousands of robots in homes and warehouses. This is critical-path work: the latency, correctness, and maintainability of sensor pipelines, motor control loops, and IPC layers directly determines what the perception, planning, and controls teams can ship. Every clean interface introduced, every regression caught, and every millisecond saved here multiplies across every robot we deploy. ## KEY OUTCOMES - Own and continuously improve real-time C++ infrastructure: sensor pipelines, motor control interfaces, deterministic scheduling such that dependent teams can build on it without hitting foundational performance or reliability blockers - Establish performance as a measurable standard: deliver benchmarking, flamegraph tooling, and regression tracking that catches latency or throughput drift before it reaches production - Build the IPC and serialization layer connecting perception, planning, and actuation: lock-free queues, memory pools, shared-memory buffers with clean interfaces that other engineers trust and build on - Ship foundational libraries that run reliably on thousands of robots in homes and warehouses, not just prototypes in the lab ## KEY COMPETENCIES - Thinks in cycles, cache lines, and budgets designing systems around latency, memory, and bandwidth constraints and can explain exactly where time and memory go under load - Deep Linux and systems fluency debugging across toolchain, ABI, kernel interfaces, and cross-compilation; uses profiling, tracing, and assembly inspection as everyday tools, not last resorts - Interface-first thinker writing code with clear contracts, minimal dependencies, and obvious correctness that other engineers reach for when building higher-level systems - Reliability-oriented under pressure shipping real-time systems where failure has physical consequences, and treats deterministic behavior and clean failure modes as engineering requirements, not afterthoughts ## MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS - 5+ years shipping production C++ in performance-critical systems: robotics, autonomous vehicles, HFT, game engines, OS/runtime, compilers, or HPC - Demonstrated ability to profile, benchmark, and debug at the systems level: flamegraphs, perf counters, assembly inspection, and Linux kernel interfaces - Proven track record of writing systems code other engineers build on clean interfaces, minimal dependencies, deterministic behavior under load ## PREFERRED SKILLS - Experience with real-time or safety-critical systems where latency guarantees and failure modes have physical consequences - Familiarity with lock-free data structures, memory pools, and shared-memory IPC patterns - Experience with cross-compilation toolchains and embedded Linux targets - Background in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or other physical systems WHAT DOES A SUCCESSFUL 1X TEAM MEMBER LOOK LIKE Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it’s the one thing you can’t get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect. ## COMPENSATION RANGE $200,000 – $280,000 + Equity ## BENEFITS - Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage - Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave - 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%) - Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options - Commuter benefits (transit and parking) - Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance - Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support - Onsite snacks and catered lunches ## EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER 1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law. ## About 1X ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: 1X develops general-purpose humanoid robots for home and industrial environments, combining AI and hardware to automate everyday tasks. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series B funding stage) - **Headquarters**: Palo Alto, California, United States - **Founded**: 2015 - **Founders**: Bernt Øyvind Børnich ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Robotics Engineering / Artificial Intelligence - **Target customers**: B2C (home consumers via NEO) and B2B/Enterprise (industrial tasks via EVE) - **Mission**: Build a truly abundant society through general-purpose robots capable of performing any kind of work autonomously, allowing humans to focus on what they love. ## Products & Services - **NEO**: A friendly home humanoid robot designed to integrate seamlessly into daily life and handle chores. Currently in early access after the NEO Beta (2024) and NEO Gamma (2025) iterations. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about) - **EVE**: A wheeled industrial humanoid deployed in factories worldwide for autonomous industrial tasks. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about) - **Revo1**: A high-torque-to-weight drive servo motor inspired by human tendon actuation, used in 1X robots. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about) - **1X World Model**: A physics-grounded video model that enables NEO to learn autonomously from text or voice commands. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies) ## Market Standing - **Valuation**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total funding of $169M as of mid-2026, with a $100M Series B led by EQT Ventures in January 2024. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: EQT Ventures (lead), plus other investors in secondary rounds. Acquired Kind Humanoid in January 2025. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies) - **Growth Signals**: - Headcount grew 121.2% YoY to 394 employees. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies) - Full-scale production of NEO began in Hayward, CA, with capacity to build 10,000 units per year. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies) - New Palo Alto HQ consolidated teams from Sunnyvale and Moss, Norway. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies) - Appointed Mohi Khansari as Head of Robot Learning (January 2026) and Vikram Kothari as VP of Operations (August 2025). [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies) ## Competitive Advantages - **Vertical integration**: Owns manufacturing in Hayward (U.S.) and Moss (Norway), controlling the full production stack. - **Proprietary hardware**: Revo1 servo motor offers world-leading torque-to-weight ratio, enabling flexible, low-gear-ratio robotics. - **AI-first approach**: The 1X World Model allows robots to learn physical tasks via simulation and self-supervised video prediction, reducing need for manual programming. - **Early home deployment**: NEO is one of the first humanoid robots entering private homes, giving 1X real-world data and feedback loops. ## Strategic Focus - Scaling NEO production and expanding early access to more households across the U.S. - Enhancing AI capabilities through the World Model and reinforcement learning (e.g., Redwood mobility controller). - Building a robust supply chain and service network for home robots. - Continuing enterprise deployments of EVE while shifting emphasis to the consumer market. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Fast-paced, mission-driven environment focused on building humanoid robots that coexist with humans. Strong emphasis on AI, hardware, and real-world impact. - **Work model**: Likely on-site for hardware and AI roles (multiple offices in Palo Alto, San Carlos, Sunnyvale, Hayward, and Moss). Some software roles may offer flexibility. - **Notable perks**: Opportunity to work on cutting-edge robotics and AI, contribute to a product (NEO) that is already entering homes, and be part of a rapidly scaling company with strong funding. - **Engineering culture**: High concentration of talent from Tesla, Apple, Google, and SpaceX. Active research in biomechanics, reinforcement learning, and simulation. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/1x-technologies) - **Open roles**: 65+ positions listed on the careers page across AI, hardware, software, operations, and manufacturing. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/careers) ## Sources 1. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/about) 2. [1x.tech](https://www.1x.tech/careers) 3. 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