Founding ML/CV Engineer - Immersive Memories, AR/VR

About Wist Labs

Wist is redefining the way people capture, share, and relive memories. We’re solving hard problems so our users experience something simple and magical with deep emotional resonance.

At Wist Labs, we’re building a platform that lets you actually step inside memories and is so simple anyone can use it. Users can either take a video or import a video in our app, we process it, and then they can walk inside their replayable, immersive moment again.

We’re shipping a private beta across iOS, Quest, and Vision Pro. We’ve gone viral a few times. Early versions brought some people to tears.

See what we’re building :

We are backed by great investors including Long Journey Ventures, The Pitch, Pareto, Hollywood leaders, and other founders.

The founders of Wist Labs made their careers creating impactful consumer experiences at Samsung, Wells Fargo, and their own startups.

Help us turn sci-fi into an something that everyone can use!

Who We’re Looking For

We are seeking an experienced Founding Machine Learning / Computer Vision Engineer to lead the development of our immersive memory processing pipeline.

This critical role is key to transforming user-captured video into vibrant, replayable, 3D experiences.

Lead the architecture, prototyping, development, and deployment of our processing pipeline , building off of our existing implementation.

Early in this role, you’ll integrate and fine-tune open-source models as well as classical CV techniques to enhance the quality of our immersive memories.

You’ll lay the groundwork for larger features and training.

Research new methods for enhancing raw capture data and turning 2D video into immersive experiences. Topics include depth estimation, neural rendering (NeRF, Gaussian Splatting, etc.

inpainting, pose refinement, data and model fusion, segmentation, and handling various media types to improve user captures.

Collaborate closely with the team to ship our app, ensuring high performance, reliability, and a magical user experience.

Your best work comes from blending R&D and product. You default to action. You balance short-term incremental improvements with longer-term aspirations.

You focus on solving high value user problems before working on low confidence hypotheses. You want to help shape the company and team through your unique perspective, with a level of responsibility you can only get at an early stage startup.

Qualifications

We are very open to individuals with non-traditional backgrounds that still fit the spirit of our qualifications and can make an impact on day one (just look at the CEO’s background).

This is not a data science role.

Minimum Qualifications

Experienced in machine learning and computer vision, in research and / or production. Master’s, PhD, or equivalent industry experience.

You’ve solved hard problems in 3D reconstruction including architecture, training, and fine tuning. You are fluent with classical and ML-based computer vision techniques, including depth estimation, 3D reconstruction, and neural rendering.

You also have experience with some amount of pose estimation, inpainting, and diffusion.

• Proficient in ML+CV frameworks, Python, and 3D mathematics such as PyTorch, Numpy, OpenCV, linear algebra, vectorized math operations, or similar.
• Strong desire to build and scale a startup from the early days.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience leading ML pipelines , which may include video data, reconstruction, performance optimizations, and cloud deployment.
• Experience procuring, preparing, and managing training data , including preparing and generating synthetic data.
• Publication record in relevant journals and conferences.
• Competent in any additional relevant technologies / skillsets : CUDA, sensor fusion, geometry processing, signal processing, CoreML and Apple’s ML frameworks, Swift, ARKit, AVFoundation, Metal, Firebase, Unity, image / video encoding, technical art, shaders, rendering, and augmented and virtual reality.

Compensation & Benefits

• Generous package with meaningful ownership stake with the flexibility to choose a balance between cash and equity (base $120k to $170k depending on skillset, with equity up to 3.5%).
• Comprehensive health insurance , with 100% premium coverage including dependents.
• Dental and vision insurance available , with 50% premium coverage including dependents.
• Hybrid WFH policy. Our office is located in downtown San Jose, easily accessible by public transport (4m walk from VTA light rail, 16m walk from Diridon Station).
• Additional perks : free gym access, bike parking, coffee.

Process

We are actively interviewing on a rolling basis. Our process includes : the initial application, an introductory call with a founder, a take home assignment, a skills and culture interview, and reference checks.

Wist Labs is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Wist Labs thrives on diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We believe that our success depends on building a team with a wide range of perspectives and experiences.