Principal Systems Architect (BT to Switzerland)

Location: Remote-first (with regular travel to Neuchâtel, Switzerland)  

Our Customer is redefining data storage by developing revolutionary 5D optical systems inside fused silica. They are building state-of-the-art R&D laboratories to create exabyte-scale digital storage and advanced polarization-control optics.

We are looking for a visionary Software Architect to transform our research-grade environment into a robust, industrial-scale platform. 
The Role This is a high-impact role focusing on hardware control equipment and scientific instrument software, not generic SaaS. You will own the control architecture for two high-precision optical machine platforms, leading the transition from a Python-heavy R&D 
stack to a modular, production-ready system (C++/Rust/C). You will architect the "brain" of our machines - handling hardware abstraction, machine coordination, and real-time automation. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Architect the Platform: Design a modular stack encompassing HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer), control logic, data processing, and API layers. 
• Hardware Integration: Build and maintain integrations for Aerotech motion stages, femtosecond lasers, Zeiss high-speed cameras, and National Instruments DAQ systems. 
• Strategic Refactoring: Lead the evolution of experimental Python code into high-performance, deterministic systems (C++/Rust/C) for industrial productization. 
• Automation Development: Build proprietary laser-machining software featuring recipe-driven control, calibration/alignment flows, and machine state models. 

• Technical Leadership: Set engineering standards for testing and telemetry, establish best practice processes, and mentor a high-performing on-site engineering team and grow the team. 

  
  Qualifications 

• Experience: 6+ years building software for complex physical systems (semiconductor tools, robotics, industrial automation, or laser systems). 
• Languages: Expert-level Python plus deep proficiency in at least one system language (C++, Rust, or C). 
• Hardware Fluency: Proven experience with multi-device synchronization, machine state machines, and reading schematics to debug hardware/software interactions.
• Infrastructure: Hands-on experience integrating vendor SDKs/APIs (controllers, cameras, signal generators). 
•  Education: Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Electronics, Robotics, or a related field. 
   

Nice-to-Have 

• FPGA/HDL/Embedded firmware development
•  Image and signal processing (DSP) or machine vision. 
• Prior experience with Aerotech Automation1, NI, or Zeiss ecosystems. 
• Background in photonics or laser micromachining.