Software Developer - C++ (Co-op)

We are an innovative, Vancouver-based startup at the forefront of robotics, AI, and machine vision technologies. Backed by VC funding and we’ve been recognized with the 2025 Frost \& Sullivan Technology Innovation Leadership Award, the AAM Supplier Excellence Innovation Award, and the 2024 BC Tech “Company of the Year – Growth”, we are on a mission to redefine the future of AI-driven robotic vision systems. Apera AI helps manufacturers make their factories more flexible and productive. Robots enhanced with Apera’s software have 4D Vision – the ability to see and handle objects with human-like capability. Challenging applications such as bin picking, sorting, packaging, and assembly are now open to fast, precise, and reliable automation. Apera is led by an experienced team from high-growth companies focused on robotics, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing. **Role Overview** Apera AI is seeking a Software Developer (Co-op) with strong C\+\+ skills and an interest in robotics to join our Apera Vue engineering team for the **8 months term period (Sep 2026 - April 2027\).** You'll contribute to the development of real-time machine vision applications that power robotic systems across manufacturing and automation environments. This role is based in-person at our Vancouver office. In this role, you'll build features in C\+\+, support image processing and robotics integration, and contribute to testing efforts in both simulated and physical lab environments. Your work will improve the performance, reliability, and scalability of a system used on real factory floors. **Employee Value Proposition (EVP)** **Purpose** You'll contribute to the core of our 4D Vision Technology, helping robots perceive and act in complex, real-world environments. Your code will directly impact robotic accuracy, speed, and adaptability. **Growth** You'll deepen your understanding of robotics, computer vision, and modern C\+\+ development. You'll gain experience working in a professional R\&D environment with exposure to production code, lab hardware, and team-based workflows. **Motivators** You'll collaborate with engineers solving high-impact technical challenges. You'll take on meaningful tasks that go beyond academic exercises, seeing your code influence how robots make decisions in real time. **Major Objectives** * Develop and Ship Core C\+\+ Features for Apera Vue Within the first 8-10 weeks, contribute a discrete feature or performance improvement to the Apera Vue application. [Tech: C\+\+, Qt, OpenCV] * Support Robotic Integration and Image Processing Assist in testing and debugging real-world vision system behavior with robotic systems in the lab. Identify edge cases and performance issues. Suggest and test code-level improvements. [Tech: Linear algebra, multithreading, image pipelines] * Improve Code Quality through Testing and Review Participate in unit testing, test coverage expansion, and refactoring. Contribute to automated testing infrastructure to ensure robustness as the product scales. [Tools: CMake, Git, GTest, internal CI tools] **Critical Subtasks** * Participate in daily standups, planning, and code review sessions with experienced engineers. * Implement C\+\+ modules that interact with vision data, robot pose data, or internal image pipelines. * Run and validate your code in a live robotic lab environment. * Write tests and help investigate edge cases or bugs in production builds. * Contribute to documentation and developer notes for the next co-op or new team members. * Learn from performance profiling tools to understand how to optimize for speed and memory. **Culture and Situation Fit** At Apera AI, We Blend Scientific Exploration With Product Execution. Our Teams Move Quickly And Iterate Often, Balancing R\&D Depth With Industry-level Engineering. You'll Succeed Here If * You enjoy learning by building and testing in the real world. * You're curious about how software meets robotics, perception, and physical action. * You value clean, well-documented code and thoughtful collaboration. **Required Qualifications** * Strong knowledge of C\+\+, including object-oriented design and memory management. * Solid foundation in linear algebra, vectors, and 3D transforms. * Experience with version control (e.g., Git). * Experience with software projects through coursework, personal work, or prior co-op/internships. **Bonus Experience (Not Required)** * Experience in Linux development environments. * Exposure to computer vision or robotics libraries (OpenCV, ROS, PCL). * Knowledge of multithreading or networking in C\+\+. * Familiarity with Python for scripting and automation The compensation for this co-op role is CAD $3,600 to $4,500 per month. This is your opportunity to gain hands-on learning experience in one of the fastest-growing industries at the intersection of robotics, AI, and industrial automation. **Note:** Please ensure you upload both your resume and transcript, either combined into a single file or as separate files.