Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior Software Engineer, Algorithms
at Hayden AI
🏢 About Hayden AI
Hayden AI is a mission-driven company leveraging AI to make transit safer, faster, and more sustainable. Their focus on real-world impact—reducing traffic congestion and improving urban mobility—offers engineers the chance to see their work directly improve city life.
About This Role
This role is at the core of Hayden AI's product: developing perception algorithms that run on edge devices in transit vehicles. You'll own the full pipeline from prototyping to production, working on real-time detection, tracking, and sensor fusion for safety-critical applications.
💡 A Day in the Life
You'll start by reviewing sensor data from field tests, then code new detection algorithms in C++ on an embedded Linux device. After lunch, you'll run simulations to validate tracking performance, then collaborate with the hardware team to integrate a new camera. The day ends with a code review and planning next sprint's milestones.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Hayden AI Is Looking For
- Has a PhD or Master's in CS/EE/Robotics with 5-7+ years deploying perception algorithms in production, not just research.
- Is highly proficient in modern C++ (C++14/17) and experienced with real-time systems on edge or robotics platforms.
- Has hands-on experience with sensor fusion (camera, LiDAR, radar) and tracking algorithms (e.g., Kalman filters, Hungarian algorithm).
- Thrives in ambiguous problem spaces and can drive technical decisions independently while collaborating cross-functionally.
📝 Tips for Applying to Hayden AI
Tailor your resume to highlight production-grade C++ projects, especially those involving real-time constraints or edge deployment.
Quantify impact: e.g., 'Reduced latency by 30%' or 'Deployed model on device with <100ms inference time.'
Include a link to a GitHub repo or portfolio showcasing relevant perception work (e.g., object detection, tracking, sensor fusion).
In your cover letter, explicitly mention experience transitioning algorithms from prototype to production.
Research Hayden AI's specific use cases (e.g., bus lane enforcement, traffic analytics) and suggest a novel improvement.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Emphasize your experience owning end-to-end perception pipelines from concept to deployment.', 'Highlight your ability to write robust, maintainable C++ for edge devices with limited compute.', 'Show passion for urban sustainability and using AI for public transit safety and efficiency.', "Mention specific algorithms you've implemented (e.g., YOLO, DeepSORT, ICP) and how you optimized them for real-time."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read Hayden AI's blog posts or press releases about their deployments (e.g., MTA bus lane enforcement).
- → Study their patent filings or technical papers to understand their approach to sensor fusion and edge AI.
- → Familiarize yourself with the challenges of perception in dense urban environments (e.g., occlusions, reflections).
- → Learn about their competitors (e.g., Waycare, NoTraffic) and how Hayden AI differentiates.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic resume without highlighting edge computing or real-time systems experience.
- Overemphasizing deep learning model training without showing deployment optimization (e.g., quantization, pruning).
- Ignoring the safety-critical nature of the work—avoid suggesting untested or experimental approaches in your application.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!