Senior Staff Software Engineer (MES & Distribution Systems)
About Lumilens
At Lumilens we are building the critical photonics infrastructure that powers tomorrow’s AI supercomputing. From chip-to-chip optical interconnects to scalable photonic engines, Lumilens is unlocking a new era of computing faster, cooler, and massively more efficient.
We’re a well-funded startup backed by Mayfield and led by veterans who’ve built and scaled some of the most transformative technologies in the industry. This isn’t incremental innovation, it’s a ground-floor opportunity to rethink the optical layer from the silicon up. You’ll work alongside a team of world-class engineers solving some of the hardest challenges in optics, systems, and scale. Every line of code, every design decision, every breakthrough you help deliver will shape the infrastructure of tomorrow.
If you're looking for mission, momentum, and the chance to make an outsized impact—jump on the rocket ship. We’re just getting started … and we are building a team in Kraków.
About the Role
We are building a next-generation Manufacturing Execution System (MES) to power high-volume production of advanced silicon photonics devices (800G, 1.6T, and beyond). This system will serve as the operational backbone of our manufacturing—integrating shopfloor control, data systems, and external platforms (ERP, vendors, contract manufacturers).
This is a foundational, greenfield opportunity to design and build a large-scale enterprise platform from the ground up. You will operate in a highly dynamic, R&D-driven environment—shaping system architecture, defining requirements, and rapidly iterating through prototypes and production systems.
We are hiring across multiple profiles (Senior, Staff, and Technical Lead/Architect) for engineers who thrive in ambiguity and want to build systems that directly impact real-world hardware and manufacturing at scale.
Key Responsibilities
System Architecture & Development
Design and build distributed backend systems supporting MES and shopfloor control
Define system architecture, APIs, and data models for high-scale, high-reliability environments
Develop microservices and integrations connecting internal systems with ERP, vendors, and manufacturing partners
R&D & Problem Solving
Analyze existing MES and enterprise solutions (commercial and open-source) to inform system design
Translate evolving, loosely defined requirements into robust technical solutions
Lead prototyping, proof-of-concept development, and iterative system refinement
Data & Workflow Integration
Design and implement data pipelines and workflows across multiple systems
Enable real-time data movement, transformation, and event-driven automation
Build integrations that connect manufacturing systems, external partners, and internal tools
Engineering Excellence
Apply best practices in clean architecture, code quality, and system design
Conduct code reviews and enforce strong development standards
Ensure scalability, performance, and reliability through testing and optimization
Qualifications
5+ years of experience building backend or distributed systems
Strong programming experience in languages such as C#, Java, or Go
Solid understanding of distributed systems, microservices, and API design
Strong database design skills (relational models, normalization, performance)
Experience with concurrency, parallelism, and scalable system design
Proficiency with Git, branching strategies, and modern development workflows
Strong analytical mindset with the ability to operate in evolving, ambiguous environments
Excellent communication skills and ability to work cross-functionally
Preferred Qualifications
Technical Lead / Architect (Enterprise Systems)
Experience designing and scaling complex enterprise platforms
Strong system design and architecture leadership
Deep understanding of performance, reliability, and distributed systems trade-offs
Data / Integration Engineer
Experience building data pipelines, workflows, and system integrations
Familiarity with ETL frameworks (e.g., Airflow, n8n, or similar)
Strong experience in data transformation, mapping, and automation
Nice to Have
Experience with MES or manufacturing systems
Familiarity with manufacturing concepts:
BOM, work orders, MRP, production planning
Shopfloor operations, quality, traceability, inventory
Experience integrating with industrial equipment or IoT systems
Exposure to frontend technologies (React, Vue)
What We Offer
Competitive compensation and meaningful equity
Opportunity to build a greenfield, mission-critical system from the ground up
Direct impact on cutting-edge AI and photonics infrastructure
Collaborative, high-caliber engineering team
Fast-paced, high-growth environment with significant ownership
