Piotr Roszak: Embedded
Software Engineering Lead
Embedded Software Engineering Lead, Piotr Roszak talks about his pride in watching Verity grow 10-fold over the last 6 years, and how overcoming challenges to achieve perfection is his daily motivator.
Polish born Piotr studied Computer Science at Poznan University of Technology in Poland, completing both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees with honors. During that time, Piotr worked with the university as part of their Mobile Systems Research Labs, where he was responsible for software development for control and simulation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).
In 2012, Piotr stepped away from his role in the university before joining Samsung and later GE Aviation as a Software Engineer. Fascinated by creating and writing software that was super reliable and had no ‘Plan B’ option, the software for commercial airplanes developed by GE Aviation seemed like the perfect fit for Piotr. However, legalities, red tape, and creative constraints led to Piotr questioning the position. “While it was fantastic engineering experience, I was seeking a more challenging environment where I could utilize the knowledge that I had gained,” he shared.
Striving to find the perfect balance between creativity and engineering, Piotr came across a job posting for Verity and was struck by the company’s leading-edge research and planned products. Inspired by the opportunity and confident he could take on the challenge, Piotr made the move to Zurich.
Being only the second employee the Verity founders took on board, Piotr reminisces on life at Verity in the early days, recalling the company’s first-ever client engagement: a permanent installation with Cirque Du Soleil. “I remember thinking that if our drones failed and dropped on the audience, it would be ‘game over’ for Verity, and that responsibility really motivated me to take ownership and strive for perfection,” Piotr explained.
Evidently driven by technical challenges, Piotr also spoke about his pride in being part of the Verity industrial solution from inception to where it is today. “The project is complex and really pushed me professionally to grow and develop. We’ve taken something that people thought impossible and made it happen—it’s very rewarding.”
Sharing his advice with anyone considering a career in embedded software engineering, Piotr outlined the importance of precision and attention to detail. “Every detail matters in a role like this. You simply can’t cut corners, but instead have to take the time to view a problem from every angle and ensure that your solution is failsafe,” he explained. “Having a deep understanding of hardware and the system as a whole is imperative. Embedded software engineers build the fundamentals for further development, so those foundations need to be solid.”
When asked about a ‘typical day’, Piotr outlined that every day is different and that is what he most enjoys about his role. “Each day brings new possibilities, new ideas and, of course, new problems,” he laughs, “but it means that we never have time to get bored. This is the first role I’ve had that I could truly say that about”.
Curious about what your career at Verity might look like? Take a look at our careers page.