Field Data Collection Specialist

About Cartesian

Cartesian is building spatial intelligence for indoor environments to drive operational efficiency. We’re tackling one of the biggest challenges in the $35T global retail industry: in-store inventory visibility. Our platform delivers accurate indoor positioning and actionable product location insights, helping retailers streamline operations, optimize workflows, and reduce inefficiencies. By fusing wireless signals and mobile computer vision, we provide a uniquely scalable, infrastructure-free solution already deployed by international fashion brands.

Founded by an MIT engineering professor and alumni behind award-winning, patented core technologies, Cartesian spun out in 2023. Originally backed by a U.S. National Science Foundation SBIR Award, we’ve bootstrapped to a live product now deployed in multiple countries and are scaling aggressively.

About the Role

We are looking for a Field Data Collection Specialist to join Cartesian at a pivotal moment in our growth. This is a hands-on, impact-driven role focused on data collection, field operations, and R&D product testing. You will spend significant time in retail environments evaluating model performance, collecting and validating data, identifying issues, and helping ensure our technology performs reliably in real-world conditions.

Success in this role requires curiosity, attention to detail, and a strong sense of ownership. You should enjoy investigating problems, working directly with customers and in retail environments, and collaborating closely with technical team members to design and execute on critical data collection processes.

• Location: In-person in Kendall Square, Cambridge, with regular travel to retail stores throughout the Boston area and occasional regional travel.
• Salary: $65,000 - $80,000 annually

What You’ll Do

Plan and run data collection protocols in real-world environments (e.g., retail stores, warehouses, …)

Use and provide feedback on new data collection tooling for R&D and engineering teams

Operate and maintain RFID and other collection devices, and troubleshoot hardware and app issues in the field

Travel to customer sites to evaluate system performance under real-world conditions

Collect, validate, and analyze datasets used to improve product accuracy and reliability

Perform basic scripting, troubleshooting, and debugging to support testing activities

Investigate bugs, edge cases, and unexpected behavior, providing detailed feedback to R&D and engineering teams

Improve and document testing and data collection processes to increase quality, consistency, and efficiency

Test new features, mobile applications, and workflows before deployment

Help represent customer and field perspectives within the organization

Qualifications

1+ years of experience in a technical, operational, support, research, testing, or related role

Strong attention to detail and ability to execute rigorous, repeatable testing processes

Experience running scripts (e.g., in Python) and working with technical tools

Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work independently in ambiguous environments

Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Professional, customer-facing demeanor

Reliable, accountable, and highly organized

Ability and willingness to travel regularly to retail locations

Associate's or Bachelor's degree in a technical field or equivalent practical experience

Nice to Have

Experience with product testing, field testing, QA, or beta testing

Experience collecting, validating, or analyzing data

Experience in retail, customer support, customer success, field operations, or deployment roles

Familiarity with Python, SQL, or data analysis tools

Experience supporting data pipelines, data quality monitoring, or operational tooling

Spanish language proficiency

Startup or early-stage company experience

Why Cartesian

Work on hard, real-world problems with immediate and visible impact

Join a small, highly technical team with significant ownership and autonomy

Build systems that are deployed and used globally

Collaborative, thoughtful, low-ego culture focused on learning and execution

Opportunity to become a product expert and grow into roles across data operations, deployment, R&D, testing, and product

In-person team culture in the heart of Kendall Square, Cambridge

If You’re Not Sure You’re a Perfect Fit

We know that no one checks every box—and we don’t expect you to. If this role sounds exciting to you, and you think you could contribute to Cartesian’s mission, we encourage you to apply even if your experience doesn’t perfectly match the description. We care deeply about people who are curious, thoughtful, and motivated to learn, and we believe strong teams are built from a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

Interview Process

Introductory conversation focused on motivation, background, and fit

Technical exercise involving testing, analysis, and basic coding/problem-solving

Follow-up technical discussion focused on reasoning, troubleshooting, and decision-making

Final conversation with the hiring manager focused on ownership, communication, and culture fit

References and offer