Focal Systems
Focal Systems is the industry leader in retail AI solutions. We are a San Francisco-based startup that has expanded globally since our founding. We are a deep learning company relentlessly focused on delighting our customers. Our mission is to automate and optimize brick and mortar retail using computer vision. Our technology has been deployed at scale with some of the top retailers in the world. We are looking for team members who drive results, continuously learn and challenge the status quo, and collaborate globally across our team, partners, and customers.
Why Focal Systems?
- Mission-Driven
We are a mission-driven team committed to results, innovation and collaboration in our daily work to serve our customers. - World-Class Team
We are a global team of hard-working, fun-loving experts in our fields. We hail from top retailers, best-in-class software companies, and premier research institutions around the world. We pride ourselves on recruiting exceptional individuals to help us redefine the state-of-the-art. - Learning, Growth, and Total Rewards
We want Focal to be an accelerant for your career and growth. You will pursue stretch assignments, operate with autonomy to help reach our long-term goals, and learn from industry leaders. We ensure each team member has a professional growth plan, and offer learning allowances to enable it. We focus on providing competitive benefits in each geography from great insurance to flexible time off and an annual winter shutdown. Each full-time team member receives an equity grant, as we view our employees as co-owners, and want to share our long-term success. - Outstanding Partners
We work with some of the largest retailers in the world and have a world-class roster of investors, advisors and partners to support & advise us in our endeavors.
Our Benefits
We provide a competitive total rewards package including:
- Market-benchmarked and transparent salaries in each geography where we operate
- Medical, dental and vision insurance in the USA, and supplemental medical coverage in Australia, Canada, and the UK
- Flexible time off, with a minimum of three weeks per year
- Paid companywide shutdown the last week of the year to rest and recharge together
- Learning and development stipends
- Offsites for team collaboration and strategic planning
- Weekly lunches for team members based at our San Francisco headquarters
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Field Service Technician - Manchester Region, UK (Fixed Term Contractor)
Work Location: On the road and at customer sites.
Pay: £17 per hour
Focal Systems is the industry leader in retail AI solutions. We are a Silicon Valley-based startup that has more than doubled in size every year since our founding. Our mission is to automate and optimise brick-and-mortar retail using deep-learning computer vision. Focal has been deployed at scale with the top retailers in the world. We are looking for smart, creative, and passionate people who love to learn, enjoy thinking critically, share our values, and want to build a great and enduring company.
We have built the next-generation operating system for brick & mortar retail. This OS leverages shelf-mounted cameras that constantly measure the state of the retailers’ shelves and use that information to order quicker and smarter, planogram better, and schedule, direct, train, and manage their staff. We have proven this with major retailers around the world.
Job Description
We are currently expanding our operations throughout the UK and seeking a dedicated Field Service Technician to maintain installations for our customers in your area. This role will primarily involve working store opening hours but may include overnight work and attending installations where our product will be installed. As a crucial member of our team, you will assume accountability for the successful maintenance, deployment and adoption of our system. Physical stamina, proficiency with power tools, and the ability to meet quality and speed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are essential for this role.
This will be a 6 Month contract position, working 20 hrs per week with a possibility to extend beyond the initial contract.
- Possibility of weekend or night work
- Driver's License and Transportation: Valid driver's license and reliable transportation to travel to sites is required.
What You Will Be Doing
- Onsite and offsite maintenance of camera hardware: diagnose issues, install, replace and configure in accordance with company standards.
- Conduct routine preventative maintenance checks to identify and address potential issues.
- Respond promptly to service calls and ensure customer SLAs are met.
- Maintain accurate records of service activities, including work performed, parts used, and time spent, using company-provided tools
- Onboarding/scanning products into the system.
- As required, attend installations at various clients during night hours.
- Installation of Focal Systems product onto shelves, ceilings, and other equipment as per installation plans and specifications.
- Operate power tools safely and efficiently to complete installations.
- Adhere to safety protocols and guidelines to minimize risks during maintenance visits and installations.
- Work collaboratively with team members to ensure timely completion of installations.
- Maintain a high level of attention to detail to ensure maintenance tasks meet quality standards.
- Meet or exceed speed and quality Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) consistently.
- Communicate effectively with supervisors and team members to provide updates on progress and address any issues or challenges encountered during store visits.
- Adhere to company policies and procedures at all times.
Requirements:
- Proven Field Service Technician Experience: Previous experience in a field technician role, preferably in field service, installation, construction, or a related field.
- Strong technical aptitude and troubleshooting skills, with the ability to diagnose and resolve hardware and software issues efficiently.
- Proficiency in using power tools and other installation equipment required for this type of role.
- Physical Stamina: Strong physical stamina to work on feet and perform physically demanding tasks for extended periods (up to 9 hours).
- Detail-Oriented: Excellent attention to detail to ensure maintenance work meets quality standards and adheres to specifications.
- Time Management: Ability to work well under pressure, meet tight deadlines, and ensure timely completion of assigned tasks.
- Communication Skills: Effective communication skills to liaise with supervisors, team members, and customers, providing updates on progress and addressing any issues encountered during maintenance visits.
- Driver's License and Transportation: Valid driver's license and reliable transportation to travel to sites as required.
- Ability to work nights and weekends
Why Focal Systems
Strong Values and Mission - We are a tightly-knit team with an ambitious mission and a strong set of core values, which define our approach to business and have successfully guided us since inception.
Exceptional Team - We are a team of hard-working, fun-loving professionals from some of the most eminent universities, research labs, and tech companies of our time. We pride ourselves on recruiting exceptional individuals to help us redefine the state-of-the-art.
Outstanding Partners - We work with 10+ of the largest retailers in the world and have a world-class roster of investors, advisors and partners to support & advise us in our endeavors.
What we offer
We care deeply about the health, happiness, and wellbeing of all of our employees. We offer:
- Paid Time Off
- Pension
- Sick Leave
Ready to apply?
Apply to Focal Systems
Senior QA Engineer - Poland
Position: Senior QA Engineer
Location: 100% Remote in Poland
Type: This can be structured as a B2B contract or as an Employment Contract with full benefits.
Salary: $75,000 - $95,000 + stock options
Focal Systems is the industry leader in retail AI solutions. We are headquartered in San Francisco, California with operations in Canada and the UK, and a tech-hub in Poland. We are a Deep Learning first company. Our mission is to automate and optimize brick and mortar retail using deep learning computer vision. Focal Systems has been deployed at scale with some of the top retailers in the world.
We seek smart, creative and passionate people who want to help build a great and enduring company and deploy Deep Learning to the world!
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for a Senior QA Engineer who is curious, detail-oriented, and eager to build a career in quality engineering. You enjoy understanding how systems work, spotting issues others might miss, and learning how to improve product quality through testing and automation.
You’re a strong collaborator and communicator who enjoys working closely with engineers, product managers, and data teams. You’re motivated to learn modern QA tools and practices, especially around automation, APIs, and backend validation.
What you will do
You will support the team in ensuring the quality and reliability of our products across UI, APIs, and backend systems. You’ll gain hands-on experience with testing frameworks, automation tools, and data validation, while contributing to improving our overall quality standards.
Additionally, you will
- Support GUI / API testing and backend validation to ensure systems behave as expected
- Work closely with engineers to ensure quality coverage across frontend and backend features
- Identify bugs, document issues clearly, and support their resolution
- Continuously build your knowledge of QA best practices, tools, and automation strategies
Must Have:
- 6+ years of professional software development experience as a QA engineer
- 3+ years of experience with Python
- Extensive experience with REST APIs
- Experience with Claude Code / Goose
- Experience working with data intensive applications & microservices
- Experience with Playwright or Selenium
- Experience with GCP
- Experience with Kubernetes and Docker
- Experience with CI/CD tools
- Experience in debugging large and complex architectures is a plus
- Experience in analysis of large datasets is a plus
- Startup mentality, team player
- Fluent in Polish with advanced English skills (written & spoken)
- Excellent communication, presentation, and demonstration skills
- Flexibility in adjusting working hours to meet the needs of the global and time zone-diverse team (urgent tasks or meetings may occur outside of regular CEST working hours)
- Strong work ethic and commitment to completing assigned tasks and projects within established deadlines
- Previous success in developing large-scale web application with a user-focus mindset
Why Focal Systems
Strong Values and Mission - We are a tightly-knit team with an ambitious mission and a strong set of core values, which define our approach to business and have successfully guided us since inception.
Exceptional Team - We are a team of hard-working, fun-loving professionals from some of the most eminent universities, research labs, and tech companies of our time. We pride ourselves on recruiting exceptional individuals to help us redefine the state-of-the-art.
Outstanding Partners - We work with 10+ of the largest retailers in the world and have a world-class roster of investors, advisors and partners to support & advise us in our endeavors.
What we offer
We care deeply about the health, happiness, and wellbeing of all of our employees. We offer:
- Competitive Salary & Attractive Stock
- Paid Time Off
- Team Retreats
Note: Our pay bands are driven by market benchmarks in the target geography for hiring. Our posted ranges typically include multiple job levels. A candidate's level is determined by their performance throughout our talent acquisition process including technical screens, behavior interviews, presentations, work samples, and references. We will communicate transparently with the candidate at final stages regarding how we have leveled them, and what salary range that places them into. Placement within range is equally determined by education, general experience in your profession, specific experience in our domain, and your performance in the talent acquisition process. It is rare to receive an offer at the top of the range for a role.
Ready to apply?
Apply to Focal Systems
Business Analyst - UK
Location: Remote in the UK only.
Salary Range: £49,000 - £57,000 + stock options
Focal Systems is the industry leader in retail AI solutions. We are headquartered in San Francisco, California with operations in Canada and the UK, and a tech-hub in Poland. We are a Deep Learning first company. Our mission is to automate and optimize brick and mortar retail using deep learning computer vision. Focal Systems has been deployed at scale with some of the top retailers in the world.
We seek smart, creative and passionate people who want to help build a great and enduring company and deploy Deep Learning to the world!
What We Are Looking For
- You’re a curious problem solver who enjoys asking “why” until you find the root cause
- You have strong technical chops, especially in SQL and Python
- You pay close attention to the details
- You’re comfortable wrangling messy, incomplete, or complex datasets
- You know how to turn data into a story - charts, dashboards, decks, whatever it takes
- You’re a clear communicator and a cross-functional collaborator
What You Will Be Doing
- Bring your experience to the team as we upgrade our infrastructure and build a foundation for future analytics work
- Write SQL queries to pull and analyze data from multiple sources
- Transform complex, unstructured datasets into clean, presentation-ready formats
- Develop dashboards, reports, and visualizations that highlight trends and drive strategic decisions
- Audit system outputs and provide feedback to improve functionality
- Collaborate with Product, Engineering, and Operations teams to identify key metrics and design reporting solutions
- Present findings to stakeholders in a clear, impactful way
- Help define and refine best practices for data quality, reporting, and analysis
Requirements:
- 2+ years of experience as a Business Analyst, Data Analyst, or similar role
- Proficient in SQL
- Experience with data visualization tools
- Strong analytical thinking and attention to detail
- Excellent communication skills - verbal, written, and visual
- Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
Nice to have:
- Experience with Python
- Experience with Sigma or similar BI tools
- Background in retail, logistics, or startups
- Familiarity with data warehouses like Snowflake
Why Focal Systems
Strong Values and Mission - We are a tightly-knit team with an ambitious mission and a strong set of core values, which define our approach to business and have successfully guided us since inception.
Exceptional Team - We are a team of hard-working, fun-loving professionals from some of the most eminent universities, research labs, and tech companies of our time. We pride ourselves on recruiting exceptional individuals to help us redefine the state-of-the-art.
Outstanding Partners - We work with 10+ of the largest retailers in the world and have a world-class roster of investors, advisors and partners to support & advise us in our endeavors.
What we offer
We care deeply about the health, happiness, and wellbeing of all of our employees. We offer:
- Competitive Salary & Attractive Stock
- Generous Paid Time Off
- Pension
- Sick Leave
- Parental Leave
- Learning and Development Budget
Ready to apply?
Apply to Focal Systems
Senior Product Backend Engineer - Poland
Position: Product Backend Engineer
Location: 100% Remote in Poland
Type: This can be structured as a B2B contract or as an Employment Contract with full benefits.
Salary: $102,700 - $124,800 + stock options.
Focal Systems is the industry leader in retail AI solutions. We are headquartered in San Francisco, California with operations in Canada and the UK, and a tech-hub in Poland. We are a Deep Learning first company. Our mission is to automate and optimize brick and mortar retail using deep learning computer vision. Focal Systems has been deployed at scale with some of the top retailers in the world.
We seek smart, creative and passionate people who want to help build a great and enduring company and deploy Deep Learning to the world!
What we’re looking for
We’re looking for a dynamic backend engineer (Python), who is a self-starter, enjoys taking ownership, and can effectively manage tasks, projects, and problem-solve. You’re a dynamic engineer who is an effective communicator and enjoys an environment of collaboration. You want to have a big impact and like to push trends in web development in order to create a memorable experience across our brand.
What you will do
You will work with a talented team to continually iterate and improve the experience of our internal and external users. You will be empowered to drive innovation by coming up with new and exciting ideas to creatively solve issues, as well as actively look for opportunities to improve the design and interface of our core web presence.
Additionally, you will
- Work with our engineering teams to understand their backend needs and ensure data persists in usable formats for front-end, middleware, diagnostics, and Deep Learning
- Build deployment monitoring tools
- Manage blue/green deployments or canary deployments to ensure smooth launches without downtime
- Create tools to provide transparency/ease of access into the company's rich datasets stored across varying geographic locations and data formats
- Build scalable backend infrastructure using Python and Flask/FastAPI
What you need to be successful
Bachelor's Degree or higher in CS, EE or equivalent
- 6+ years of professional software development experience as a backend engineer
- 3+ years of experience with Python
- Extensive experience with REST APIs
- Experience working with data intensive applications & microservices
- Experience with Redux is a plus
- Experience with CI/CD tools, Docker and knowledge of cloud deployments a plus
- Startup mentality, team player
- Fluent in Polish with advanced English skills (written & spoken)
- Excellent communication, presentation, and demonstration skills
- Flexibility in adjusting working hours to meet the needs of the global and time zone-diverse team (urgent tasks or meetings may occur outside of regular CEST working hours)
- Strong work ethic and commitment to completing assigned tasks and projects within established deadlines
- Previous success in developing large-scale web application with a user-focus mindset
Why Focal Systems
Strong Values and Mission - We are a tightly-knit team with an ambitious mission and a strong set of core values, which define our approach to business and have successfully guided us since inception.
Exceptional Team - We are a team of hard-working, fun-loving professionals from some of the most eminent universities, research labs, and tech companies of our time. We pride ourselves on recruiting exceptional individuals to help us redefine the state-of-the-art.
Outstanding Partners - We work with 10+ of the largest retailers in the world and have a world-class roster of investors, advisors and partners to support & advise us in our endeavors.
What we offer
We care deeply about the health, happiness, and wellbeing of all of our employees. We offer:
- Competitive Salary & Attractive Stock
- Paid Time Off
- Team Retreats
- Education grants
Note: Our pay bands are driven by market benchmarks in the target geography for hiring. Our posted ranges typically include multiple job levels. A candidate's level is determined by their performance throughout our talent acquisition process including technical screens, behavior interviews, presentations, work samples, and references. We will communicate transparently with the candidate at final stages regarding how we have leveled them, and what salary range that places them into. Placement within range is equally determined by education, general experience in your profession, specific experience in our domain, and your performance in the talent acquisition process. It is rare to receive an offer at the top of the range for a role.
Ready to apply?
Apply to Focal Systems
Full Stack Software Engineer
Position: Full Stack Software Engineer
Location: 100% Remote in Poland
Type: This can be structured as a B2B contract or as an Employment Contract with full benefits.
Salary: $120,250 - $146,250 + stock options.
Focal Systems is the industry leader in retail AI solutions. We are headquartered in San Francisco, California with operations in Canada and the UK, and a tech-hub in Poland. We are a Deep Learning first company. Our mission is to automate and optimize brick and mortar retail using deep learning computer vision. Focal Systems has been deployed at scale with some of the top retailers in the world.
We seek smart, creative and passionate people who want to help build a great and enduring company and deploy Deep Learning to the world!
What we’re looking for
We're looking for a full-stack engineer with a strong backend foundation (Python) who's equally comfortable working in React when the product needs it. Think 60/40 backend-to-frontend — you'll spend the majority of your time building APIs, data pipelines, and backend services, but you'll regularly contribute to our React/TypeScript frontend and won't treat it as someone else's problem.
You'll work on systems that process data from hundreds of thousands of IoT devices deployed across major grocery retail chains worldwide. Your code will power the tools that store employees use daily — from planogram compliance to shelf monitoring powered by computer vision.
We're not looking for someone who just writes code to spec. We need someone who understands why they're building something, validates whether it actually solves the problem, and takes ownership of the outcome. You'll dig into data, talk to internal stakeholders, and sometimes prototype directly in production to test an idea before investing in a full build.
Our problem space is broad, and our teams lean. Every engineer has massive ownership. We use AI as a pragmatic tool to move faster, not to follow trends. Expect to ship every week in an environment that values shipping over ceremony.
What you will do
- Build and maintain scalable backend services using Python (Flask/FastAPI) that process data from 300,000+ IoT devices
- Design and develop REST APIs consumed by internal tools and customer-facing applications
- Build and improve React/TypeScript frontend features — from translating designs into code to refining existing UI components
- Write database queries to analyze how features are actually being used and to debug production issues
- Build deployment monitoring and diagnostic tools that give visibility into system health across geographies
- Create tools that provide transparency and ease of access into the company's rich datasets stored across varying geographic locations and data formats
- Collaborate with engineering teams to ensure data persists in usable formats for frontend, middleware, diagnostics, and Deep Learning pipelines
- Remotely debug customer issues across the full stack and find smart solutions that actually work
- Partner with the product team to shape user experience — you'll bridge the gap between backend capabilities and what users actually see
- Support our customer success team by helping solve client problems
- Evaluate incoming requests — assess the effort required vs. potential value delivered
- Expand test coverage for critical backend services and frontend user flows
- Refactor existing code to reduce complexity and keep things maintainable
- Be part of the team that ships weekly releases to customers
- Present your work to the company and share what you've shipped
Must Have:
- 6+ years of professional software development experience
- 3+ years of hands-on experience with Python (FastAPI, Flask or similar) or other Backend Language
- 3+ years of experience with React and TypeScript
- Solid experience with REST API design and development
- Experience working with data-intensive applications and/or microservices architecture
- Experience with relational databases (MySQL or similar)
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines
- Applied experience with unit and integration testing
- Ability to work independently and take ownership of features end-to-end
- Fluent in Polish with advanced English skills (written & spoken)
- Flexibility in adjusting working hours to meet the needs of the global and time zone-diverse team (urgent tasks or meetings may occur outside of regular CEST working hours)
- Strong work ethic and commitment to completing assigned tasks and projects within established deadlines
Nice to Have:
-
- Experience with GCP (Google Cloud Platform)
- Experience with Grafana and dashboard creation
- Experience with Kafka or other message brokers
- Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, and Helm charts
- Experience implementing observability solutions (Prometheus, or similar)
- Experience with MUI (Material UI) or Tailwind
- Experience writing Node.js and Bash scripts
- Familiarity with computer vision or IoT data pipelines
Why Focal Systems
Strong Values and Mission - We are a tightly-knit team with an ambitious mission and a strong set of core values, which define our approach to business and have successfully guided us since inception.
Exceptional Team - We are a team of hard-working, fun-loving professionals from some of the most eminent universities, research labs, and tech companies of our time. We pride ourselves on recruiting exceptional individuals to help us redefine the state-of-the-art.
Outstanding Partners - We work with 10+ of the largest retailers in the world and have a world-class roster of investors, advisors and partners to support & advise us in our endeavors.
What we offer
We care deeply about the health, happiness, and wellbeing of all of our employees. We offer:
- Competitive Salary & Attractive Stock
- Paid Time Off
- Team Retreats
- Education grants
Note: Our pay bands are driven by market benchmarks in the target geography for hiring. Our posted ranges typically include multiple job levels. A candidate's level is determined by their performance throughout our talent acquisition process including technical screens, behavior interviews, presentations, work samples, and references. We will communicate transparently with the candidate at final stages regarding how we have leveled them, and what salary range that places them into. Placement within range is equally determined by education, general experience in your profession, specific experience in our domain, and your performance in the talent acquisition process. It is rare to receive an offer at the top of the range for a role.
Ready to apply?
Apply to Focal Systems