About Caper

Caper (跃氪) is a pioneering company in retail automation technology under Instacart, a North American NASDAQ-listed company. As its core smart hardware brand, Caper is committed to redefining the shopping experience through groundbreaking product design and engineering innovation.

Our flagship product, the Caper Smart Cart, stands as a benchmark for embodied AI technology applications. To achieve seamless and reliable autonomous shopping functionality, we integrate cutting-edge AI vision systems, high-precision sensors, and advanced visual-language model (VLM) algorithms.

The Caper Smart Cart has successfully served both North American and global markets, including dozens of top-tier retail brands such as the top 3 supermarket giants in North America, demonstrating the excellence of our technology and product design. Backed by our parent company Instacart—a global leader in online fresh grocery delivery with over a decade of experience serving 600+ retail brands and 55,000+ stores across North America—Caper benefits from unparalleled market insights, technical resources, and large-scale implementation platforms, providing engineers with vast opportunities to tackle real-world complex challenges.

Welcome to visit our official website: www.caper.ai

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview

Caper at Instacart is dedicated to revolutionizing in-store shopping experience with smart carts. Our CV/AI team consists of skillful and enthusiastic researchers and engineers working on cutting-edge AI solutions that empower the intelligent features of Caper shopping carts. We are an international team, collaborating closely on exciting Computer Vision and AI projects.

We are seeking a talented and passionate AI/Computer Vision Engineer. As a key contributor to our AI R&D efforts, you will play a crucial role in designing and building robust computer vision algorithms and systems . The ideal candidate will have a deep knowledge of neural networks, machine learning and computer vision, as well as a passion for solving complex real-world engineering problems and creating market-leading products.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the job (what are you going to do)

• Design & build a high‑throughput inference engine that can orchestrate multiple vision models (detection, tracking, recognition) on edge hardware.
• Accelerate model inference using TensorRT, ONNX Runtime, TVM, custom CUDA kernels, and hardware‑specific APIs (GPU, NPU, DSP).
• Create CI/CD deployment pipelines (containerization, model versioning, zero‑downtime roll‑outs) that move models from training to on‑cart runtime.
• Implement monitoring, profiling & alerting for latency, throughput, and resource use; iterate to meet strict real‑time SLAs.
• Integrate inference services with Caper’s broader infra (message buses, telemetry, OTA update system, configuration management).
• Collaborate with XFN teams (product, data, hardware, operations) to ensure the on‑board AI stack is robust, scalable, and can run A/B or store‑level experiments with minimal friction.
• Partner with research engineers to translate prototype CV models into production‑ready, inference‑efficient versions.
• Document architecture, standards & best‑practice guidelines; mentor junior engineers on infra‑focused development.
• Stay current on emerging edge‑AI frameworks, model compression, and multi‑model scheduling algorithms; evaluate and adopt them when beneficial.

About You

Minimum Qualifications

• MS or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field (AI/Computer Vision focus a plus).
• 5+ years of professional experience building and maintaining AI inference infrastructure for edge or embedded systems.
• Strong software‑engineering background with expertise in C++ and Python, solid understanding of design patterns, CI/CD, and debugging.
• Proven experience with model deployment frameworks (TensorRT, ONNX Runtime, TVM, OpenVINO, Triton Inference Server, etc.) and hardware acceleration (CUDA, cuDNN, Vulkan, OpenCL, ASIC/NPU APIs).
• Hands‑on experience creating inference engines that orchestrate multiple models simultaneously while meeting real‑time latency budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate AI components into larger distributed systems (REST/gRPC services, message queues, edge‑cloud orchestration).
• Excellent communication skills; comfortable presenting technical solutions to cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Excellent English documentation skills – must be able to write clear, comprehensive technical documents for a global audience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and MLOps tools (Kubeflow, MLflow, SageMaker, etc.).
• A portfolio of computer‑vision projects (object detection, tracking, pose estimation) that showcases end‑to‑end pipelines from data collection to deployment.
• Knowledge of model training workflows, dataset management, and transfer learning – useful for close collaboration with research teams.
• Publications or open‑source contributions in efficient inference, model compression, or edge AI.
• Proficiency with GPU profiling tools (Nsight, PerfKit) and performance‑tuning techniques (kernel fusion, quantization, pruning).
• Good English communication skills – ability to present ideas clearly and collaborate effectively with globally distributed teams

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

We offer a competitive salary package

At Caper, the total compensation consists of base salary and equity in the form of RSUs (Restricted Stock Units). The job description shows only the base salary component, but we will additionally offer additional stock rewards from our parent company, Instacart. As a publicly traded company in the U.S., Instacart's stock can be directly traded on the market and holds potential for appreciation.

Caper has our own salary philosophy. The final salary of an offer will have a direct connection with the candidate's experience and skill level presented during the interview.

What benefits we aim to provide:

New employees can enjoy 10 days of paid annual leave, 10 days of paid sick leave, and male employees will have an additional 4 weeks of paid paternity leave.

Annual learning fund, annual personal living fund, annual team building activities, health & medical coverage, and more.

Who should join us!

We are looking for driven individuals who thrive in a fast-paced engineering/product environment, are passionate about product and improving team performance, and feel comfortable pushing the limits of what is possible.

We welcome every individual who is direct and open to facilitate our adorable no-political culture.

Every day we solve incredibly complex problems to create an experience for our users that is absolutely magical. Join us!

About Caper

Caper (跃氪) is a pioneering company in retail automation technology under Instacart, a North American NASDAQ-listed company. As its core smart hardware brand, Caper is committed to redefining the shopping experience through groundbreaking product design and engineering innovation.

Our flagship product, the Caper Smart Cart, stands as a benchmark for embodied AI technology applications. To achieve seamless and reliable autonomous shopping functionality, we integrate cutting-edge AI vision systems, high-precision sensors, and advanced visual-language model (VLM) algorithms.

The Caper Smart Cart has successfully served both North American and global markets, including dozens of top-tier retail brands such as the top 3 supermarket giants in North America, demonstrating the excellence of our technology and product design. Backed by our parent company Instacart—a global leader in online fresh grocery delivery with over a decade of experience serving 600+ retail brands and 55,000+ stores across North America—Caper benefits from unparalleled market insights, technical resources, and large-scale implementation platforms, providing engineers with vast opportunities to tackle real-world complex challenges.

Welcome to visit our official website: www.caper.ai

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Overview

Caper at Instacart is dedicated to revolutionizing in-store shopping experience with smart carts. Our CV/AI team consists of skillful and enthusiastic researchers and engineers working on cutting-edge AI solutions that empower the intelligent features of Caper shopping carts. We are an international team, collaborating closely on exciting Computer Vision and AI projects.

We are seeking a talented and passionate AI/Computer Vision Engineer. As a key contributor to our AI R&D efforts, you will play a crucial role in designing and building robust computer vision algorithms and systems . The ideal candidate will have a deep knowledge of neural networks, machine learning and computer vision, as well as a passion for solving complex real-world engineering problems and creating market-leading products.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

About the job (what are you going to do)

• Design & build a high‑throughput inference engine that can orchestrate multiple vision models (detection, tracking, recognition) on edge hardware.
• Accelerate model inference using TensorRT, ONNX Runtime, TVM, custom CUDA kernels, and hardware‑specific APIs (GPU, NPU, DSP).
• Create CI/CD deployment pipelines (containerization, model versioning, zero‑downtime roll‑outs) that move models from training to on‑cart runtime.
• Implement monitoring, profiling & alerting for latency, throughput, and resource use; iterate to meet strict real‑time SLAs.
• Integrate inference services with Caper’s broader infra (message buses, telemetry, OTA update system, configuration management).
• Collaborate with XFN teams (product, data, hardware, operations) to ensure the on‑board AI stack is robust, scalable, and can run A/B or store‑level experiments with minimal friction.
• Partner with research engineers to translate prototype CV models into production‑ready, inference‑efficient versions.
• Document architecture, standards & best‑practice guidelines; mentor junior engineers on infra‑focused development.
• Stay current on emerging edge‑AI frameworks, model compression, and multi‑model scheduling algorithms; evaluate and adopt them when beneficial.

About You

Minimum Qualifications

• MS or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field (AI/Computer Vision focus a plus).
• 5+ years of professional experience building and maintaining AI inference infrastructure for edge or embedded systems.
• Strong software‑engineering background with expertise in C++ and Python, solid understanding of design patterns, CI/CD, and debugging.
• Proven experience with model deployment frameworks (TensorRT, ONNX Runtime, TVM, OpenVINO, Triton Inference Server, etc.) and hardware acceleration (CUDA, cuDNN, Vulkan, OpenCL, ASIC/NPU APIs).
• Hands‑on experience creating inference engines that orchestrate multiple models simultaneously while meeting real‑time latency budgets.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate AI components into larger distributed systems (REST/gRPC services, message queues, edge‑cloud orchestration).
• Excellent communication skills; comfortable presenting technical solutions to cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Excellent English documentation skills – must be able to write clear, comprehensive technical documents for a global audience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) and MLOps tools (Kubeflow, MLflow, SageMaker, etc.).
• A portfolio of computer‑vision projects (object detection, tracking, pose estimation) that showcases end‑to‑end pipelines from data collection to deployment.
• Knowledge of model training workflows, dataset management, and transfer learning – useful for close collaboration with research teams.
• Publications or open‑source contributions in efficient inference, model compression, or edge AI.
• Proficiency with GPU profiling tools (Nsight, PerfKit) and performance‑tuning techniques (kernel fusion, quantization, pruning).
• Good English communication skills – ability to present ideas clearly and collaborate effectively with globally distributed teams

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

We offer a competitive salary package

At Caper, the total compensation consists of base salary and equity in the form of RSUs (Restricted Stock Units). The job description shows only the base salary component, but we will additionally offer additional stock rewards from our parent company, Instacart. As a publicly traded company in the U.S., Instacart's stock can be directly traded on the market and holds potential for appreciation.

Caper has our own salary philosophy. The final salary of an offer will have a direct connection with the candidate's experience and skill level presented during the interview.

What benefits we aim to provide:

New employees can enjoy 10 days of paid annual leave, 10 days of paid sick leave, and male employees will have an additional 4 weeks of paid paternity leave.

Annual learning fund, annual personal living fund, annual team building activities, health & medical coverage, and more.

Who should join us!

We are looking for driven individuals who thrive in a fast-paced engineering/product environment, are passionate about product and improving team performance, and feel comfortable pushing the limits of what is possible.

We welcome every individual who is direct and open to facilitate our adorable no-political culture.

Every day we solve incredibly complex problems to create an experience for our users that is absolutely magical. Join us!