Research Engineer – CAD & Computational Geometry
Location: Toronto, Canada – fully on-site, five days per week
Working hours: 9-9-5
Base salary: $250,000–$300,000 USD
Equity: 0.1–1%
Experience: 2+ years (2–8-year experience range; demonstrated technical depth matters more than pedigree)
Work authorisation: Must already be authorised to work in Canada. No visa sponsorship available.
The Company
A seed-stage manufacturing and technology company based in Toronto, developing advanced CAD and geometry software while producing next-generation components for major technology companies. Its work spans several exciting industries, including aerospace, robotics and medical devices. The engineering team is small, with approximately six people across software, firmware and mechanical engineering.
The Opportunity
The company is looking for a Research Engineer with strong mathematical and computational geometry fundamentals to develop foundational CAD and geometry technology. Your first project will involve automating the process of matching and validating 3D CAD models against 2D engineering drawings – a task currently performed manually.
From there, you will have the opportunity to work on the company's geometry kernel, an in-house CAD environment and its CNC toolpath engine. You will own a core technical subsystem end to end, taking responsibility for understanding, developing and improving it over time. This is an opportunity to solve open-ended engineering problems and build fundamental technology rather than simply integrating existing libraries.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop algorithms and software for CAD, computational geometry and 3D modelling.
- Automate the matching and validation of 3D CAD models against 2D technical drawings.
- Contribute to the development of an in-house geometry kernel and CAD environment.
- Work on geometry processing, CNC toolpaths and related manufacturing technology.
- Investigate complex technical problems and develop solutions from first principles.
- Take full ownership of a core subsystem, from initial research through production and ongoing development.
- Collaborate closely with software, firmware and mechanical engineers.
Requirements
- At least 2 years of relevant engineering or research experience.
- Strong mathematical fundamentals, particularly in computational geometry and related fields.
- Ability to reason about how computers work at a low level, beyond simply working with high-level APIs.
- Experience with or strong understanding of CAD, CAM, 3D geometry, computer graphics, GPU programming, embedded systems, firmware or similar technical domains.
- Ability to independently investigate and solve open-ended problems without relying on a fully defined specification or predetermined technology stack.
- Demonstrated technical depth through production engineering, research, competition mathematics or substantial personal projects.
- Must be based in Toronto or willing to relocate and commute to the office every working day.
- Must already have the legal right to work in Canada. No sponsorship is available.
A PhD is not required. Strong technical ability and demonstrated problem-solving skills are more important than academic pedigree.
Particularly Relevant Experience
Candidates with experience in computational geometry, CAD/CAM, geometry kernels, CNC toolpaths or computer graphics are especially relevant.
Other strong backgrounds include GPU engineering, semiconductor technology, embedded systems, firmware and autonomous vehicles, particularly where candidates have worked close to the underlying hardware.
Experience with mathematical competitions such as AIME, USAMO, IMO or Canadian equivalents, or research in geometry, graphics or robotics, can also demonstrate the required mathematical depth.
What Makes This Opportunity Interesting?
- Work on foundational CAD and geometry technology with real-world manufacturing applications.
- Exposure to aerospace, robotics and medical-device projects.
- Take ownership of a critical technical subsystem within a small engineering team.
- Solve challenging problems involving mathematics, geometry and low-level computing.
- Help build an in-house geometry kernel, CAD environment and CNC toolpath engine.
- Join an early-stage company where engineers have significant technical autonomy.
Interview Process
- 30-minute founder screening: Discussion of computational geometry experience, mathematical fundamentals, interest in manufacturing and suitability for fully on-site work.
- 60-minute technical interview: With the technical lead and another engineer, focusing on geometry, CAD/3D experience, low-level technical depth and open-ended problem-solving.
- Optional take-home assignment: A 3–5-hour geometry or CAD problem, only if further technical clarification is needed.
- Paid on-site work trial: Up to five working days with the engineering team, working on a geometry, CAD or toolpath subsystem.
- Offer.
