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