SageMesh Inc. · Toronto, ON · Hybrid

This is a talent-pool posting, not an active vacancy. We're lining up candidates ahead of hiring in 2026, conditional on our current funding decisions (expected around September 2026). Applying now puts you first in line for a role once hiring opens, and we'll reach out as positions are confirmed.

Who we are: SageMesh builds autonomous, off-grid sensor networks that detect, classify, and track low-flying drone threats and feed them straight into allied command systems: no cloud, no operator, no infrastructure required. We're a founder-led Toronto startup advancing multiple Canadian and NATO defence R&D; programs.

How we work: Small team, fast pace, and we hire for ability over credentials. You'll own problems end to end with real room to grow as we scale from a two-person startup toward a dual-use defence company. We care about output and judgment, not hours logged. All roles are hybrid in Toronto; the specific arrangement varies by role, noted below.

- Embedded / Electrical EngineerSalary Range: $100,000 – $145,000 per year

Build the board, radio, and power system that keep our sensor node running unattended through a Canadian winter, from prototype to a production-ready design for a government field test.

- What you'll do: custom carrier PCB (schematic to bring-up) on an industrial, Linux-capable SoM; firmware across an always-on low-power core and application cores; a low-power sub-GHz mesh radio link; the off-grid power subsystem (solar, battery, thermal control to −40 °C); DFM with PCBA partners.
- You bring: strong embedded firmware on ARM Cortex-M and Linux SoCs; end-to-end custom PCB design (schematic, layout, bring-up); low-power design instincts; a debug-first mindset with scope and logic analyzer.
- Setup: primarily on-site in Toronto, hybrid for focused work.

- Computer-Vision / Edge-AI EngineerSalary Range: $150,000 – $195,000 per year

Build the perception layer that answers "drone, bird, or aircraft?" in real time on the node, and prove it against real field data.

- What you'll do: edge object-detection models for small-target detection and ID; optimize for embedded NPUs (quantization, edge runtimes, tight latency); build training datasets from field captures and synthetic data; integrate vision with the node's other sensors.
- You bring: solid deep-learning CV with hands-on PyTorch training and evaluation; experience deploying to edge/embedded (quantization, runtimes, latency); dataset and augmentation skills; a metrics-driven approach.
- Setup:



hybrid, mixing in-person lab and outdoor-test days with remote focus time.

- AI/ML Engineer: Language and Decision ModelsSalary Range: $150,000 – $195,000 per year

Build the core decision-maker (a coupled neural network and LLM) from research skeleton to a validated, real-time system at the edge. Founding-level, senior.

- What you'll do: neural networks that fuse multimodal sensor outputs; attention and association losses for multi-target tracking; an LLM reasoning layer; quantize and distill for real-time inference; serialize to open command-and-control standards; stand up a secure, on-premises ML setting.
- You bring: strong applied ML with hands-on PyTorch, trained non-trivial models end to end; experience training neural networks from the ground up; LLM familiarity (fine-tuning, constrained generation, local quantized models); a rigorous, evidence-first approach.
- Setup: our most remote-friendly role, with regular in-person time in Toronto; hybrid.

- Mechanical / Packaging EngineerSalary Range: $90,000 – $135,000 per year

Build the physical node: a rugged, sealed, thermally managed enclosure that survives −40 °C to +40 °C, rain, snow, fog, and impact, from in-house prototype to production-ready.

- What you'll do: IP67 field-serviceable enclosure design; thermal and cold-weather survivability; take the enclosure from 3D-printed prototypes to production with external manufacturers and DFM consultants; MIL-STD-810H design verification; fit and serviceability with the electrical and test teams.
- You bring: hands-on enclosure or product-packaging design with sealing and IP rating; 3D CAD and DFM for plastics plus 3D-printed prototyping; thermal and materials know-how for harsh outdoors; a prototyper's instinct.
- Setup: primarily on-site in Toronto, hybrid for CAD and design work.

- Test EngineerSalary Range: $65,000 – $110,000 per year

Lead verification and validation: design and run the tests that prove our nodes actually perform, and produce the evidence that carries us into a government test event.

- What you'll do:



MIL-STD-810H environmental qualification; instrumented bench acceptance fixtures; system integration testing across sensing, compute, radio, power, and comms, feeding issues back to engineers to fix and verify; long-duration field power/autonomy measurement; pass/fail criteria and clear reporting; on-site support at live field demonstrations.
- You bring: hands-on hardware test and validation; environmental testing and standards (MIL-STD-810) with test labs; instrumentation plus scripting; system-level thinking across hardware, firmware, and software.
- Setup: hybrid with significant on-site and travel around test events; may start as contract or part-time, ramping to full-time.

- Synthetic Data / 3D Technical Artist (Junior / Co-op)Salary Range: $35,000 – $65,000 per year

Create the synthetic training imagery that teaches our vision models the rare or impossible-to-film cases, and stand up a pipeline that measurably improves detection. Recent grads and co-op students genuinely welcome.

- What you'll do: build and render scenes in a game engine (Unreal or Unity); create 3D models, textures, and environments across varied conditions; generate large, accurately labelled image batches; iterate with the Computer-Vision engineer; build a repeatable pipeline.
- You bring: hands-on game engine (Unreal/Unity) and/or 3D modelling (Blender, Maya, 3ds Max); an eye for visual realism; organized, well-labelled output; eagerness to learn.
- Setup: hybrid, with in-person collaboration in Toronto plus remote focus time; a mentored on-ramp.

Eligibility: All roles require eligibility for a Canadian government security clearance and assessment under the Controlled Goods Program; existing clearance is an asset. The junior 3D artist role may only need a lighter security assessment, depending on data access.

How to apply: Email your résumé to [email protected], tell us which role (or roles) interest you, and include a link or two to relevant work (GitHub, portfolio, papers, or a demo reel). To show us you read this far, tell us briefly about something scrappy you built or proved from scratch with limited time or resources.

AI disclosure: we may use AI-assisted tools to help screen and organize applications. Our team reviews candidates before any interview or hiring decision.

SageMesh is an equal-opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of every background, including neurodivergent candidates, and people who don't meet every bullet. Need an accommodation during hiring? Just ask.

📌 SageMesh is building its founding team — 6 roles (Toronto)
🏢 SageMesh
📍 Toronto