Senior Algorithm Engineer - Sensor Fusion and Positioning Systems

Company Description

ZeroKey is building the spatial data layer for Physical AI.

AI transformed the digital economy because every keystroke was captured as data. The physical economy has no equivalent. On a factory floor, every human action, material movement, tool motion, and assembly step is invisible to software, and therefore to AI. ZeroKey closes that gap.

Our patented Quantum RTLS® (35+ patents) is the industry's most accurate large-scale 3D real-time location system. Using ultrasound instead of cameras, it tracks people, tools, robots, and materials across entire factories with an accuracy of 1.5 millimetres, which is over 100 times more precise than anything else on the market. Getting there means squeezing microseconds out of time-of-flight measurements in environments full of noise, echoes, and moving metal. The algorithms that survive on our factory floors are the ones you will design.

That precision is the foundation of something bigger. The spatial data from Quantum RTLS feeds OmniVisor AI™, our agentic platform that puts a dedicated AI process engineer in every work cell. Between our two technologies, 3.3 billion positions are processed every month, and more than 1.1 million production errors are prevented every year.

Production accuracy is ultimately a safety story. Automotive and aerospace OEMs trust ZeroKey to verify safety-critical assemblies, torque by torque and step by step, down to the millimetre. The buses and planes they build carry every passenger safely to their destination. Those passengers will never know our name. That is the point.

Venture-backed, headquartered in Calgary, and winner of the 16th Innovation World Cup (2025), ZeroKey is deployed by 250+ customers across 41 countries, including roughly 1 in 10 Fortune Global 500 companies.

See it in action:

• Quantum RTLS in 30 seconds: https://tinyurl.com/253avjka
• Introducing OmniVisor AI: https://tinyurl.com/hen7cy6h
• Fly through our Calgary HQ: https://tinyurl.com/2y9pmbbt

Role Description

As a Senior Algorithm Engineer, you will work within a multidisciplinary, industry-leading R&D team to shape the next generation of ZeroKey's positioning technology. You will play an integral role in developing algorithms and technical advancements for new and existing products, from the state-estimation core of our positioning engine to the high-fidelity spatial data that powers our AI platform. The role calls for efficient, creative, and academically robust solutions to sensor-fusion problems and the real-world implementation of algorithms. You are self-motivated, possess strong technical implementation abilities, and work well with team members to efficiently achieve project milestones.

Duties

• Design, develop, and improve multi-modal sensor fusion algorithms combining ultrasonic, inertial, and RF (e.g., UWB, GNSS) measurements.
• Advance the accuracy, robustness, and coverage of our positioning engine in demanding, large-scale industrial environments.

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• Create new advanced signal processing algorithms (in both hardware and software) to estimate time of flight.
• Work hands-on with the hardware, evaluating filter designs, analog signal processing chains, and ultrasonic transducers.
• Collaborate with the firmware and software teams to implement real-time algorithms within the processing and memory constraints of embedded platforms.
• Analyze and optimize existing algorithms to improve performance and accuracy.
• Design algorithms whose outputs serve as ground truth for the AI and analytics products built on top of them.
• Collaborate with software engineers, data scientists, and product managers to develop user-friendly, solution-oriented algorithms.
• Conduct experiments and simulations to validate algorithm effectiveness and gather performance metrics.
• Document algorithm designs, methodologies, and results for future reference and knowledge sharing.
• Stay current on advancements in state estimation, sensor fusion, signal processing, and machine learning research to continuously improve our offerings.

Requirements

• B.Sc. required; M.Sc. or Ph.D. highly preferred in Geomatics, Electrical, or Electronics Engineering or a related STEM discipline.

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• Minimum 5 years of experience developing sensor fusion algorithms using Kalman filters, particle filters, or other Bayesian estimators, ideally with GNSS/INS or other positioning systems.
• Strong programming skills in Python, C++, and/or Matlab.
• Experience developing, implementing, and supporting sensor fusion solutions in real-world products across all stages of the product lifecycle.
• Experience building functional prototypes from research concepts.
• Experience with acoustic/ultrasonic or RF-based positioning (e.g., UWB) is an asset.
• Experience with phased array systems or beamforming is an asset.
• Experience with machine learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and learning-based approaches to state estimation is a strong asset.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Strong communication skills to effectively convey complex concepts to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Location & Work Model

This role is based on-site at our Calgary headquarters and manufacturing facility, where you'll have direct access to our hardware and test environments, as well as the engineering team. Relocation support may be available for exceptional candidates.