Principal Perception Engineer

Principal Perception SWEAlmeda, CA (Hybrid)Up to $380K + EquityUS Citizen / GreenCard onlyMy client is Series D maritime defense company backed by over $325m in funding from top tier investors with a relentless passion for performance. Built to operate in the world’s harshest environments, their autonomous systems deliver payload effects and persistent, wide-area intelligence, enabling informed decisions across the spectrum of defense missions.Harnessing AI, advanced sensor suites, and renewable power for unmatched endurance at sea, the company delivers superior multi-domain impact—from power projection to persistent ISR to real-time threat detection and tracking—while reducing cost and risk. With proven operational success across the world’s oceans, they is advancing the frontier of autonomous maritime operations to give decision-makers and warfighters the enduring advantage to outpace adversaries today and build tomorrow’s most decisive capabilities.What we're looking for:We need a Principal-level perception engineer with 8+ years of experience deploying perception systems on autonomous vehicles, robots, aerospace, or defense platforms. You should have deep expertise in sensor fusion, probabilistic estimation, and uncertainty modeling, with a proven track record of translating research-grade algorithms into reliable production systems running on constrained edge compute. Bonus points if you have experience with maritime or ocean-based autonomy, multiple sensor modalities (radar, camera, infrared), or have led perception architecture across multiple generations of an autonomous platform.Requirements8+ years of experience as a perception engineer or robotics engineer, in a Staff role or operating at the Staff levelExperience at robotics, autonomous systems, aerospace, or defense companies (Waymo, Zoox, Zipline, Anduril, Shield, Argo AI, or local robotics companies)Experience deploying perception systems that run on- board physical hardware (autonomous vehicles, robots, aerospace, defense, or similarly complex physical systems)Deep expertise with autonomous driving or robotics systems (perception, localization, planning, decision making, model- based approaches, sensor fusion, probabilistic estimation, and uncertainty modeling)Experience operating at a Senior- level, setting technical direction and architecture for complex autonomous systems (staff level or beyond)US Person status (US citizen or Green Card holder) requiring no visa sponsorship or transferStrong familiarity with computer vision and novel sensor modalities, especially for maritime environments (radar/nighttime sensitivities)Strong algorithmic/mathematical foundation in computer vision, localization, state estimation, tracking, mapping, or machine learning (linear algebra)Ability to work hybrid in Alameda, CA (3 days/week)Preference for an advanced degree (Master's or PhD)Experience running inference workloads on constrained compute under latency constraintsEager to train, uplevel, and upskill other team membersWhat you'll do:Define the architecture and technical direction for our entire perception stack, including sensor fusion, localization, tracking, mapping, and uncertainty estimationTake ownership of the hardest perception problems — integrating heterogeneous sensors (radar, cameras, novel maritime-specific modalities) into a coherent, reliable information stream for downstream autonomyWork closely with the autonomy, navigation, and applied ML teams to ensure perception outputs drive safe and effective vehicle behavior in complex ocean environmentsTranslate state-of-the-art research and algorithms into robust production capabilities within real-world constraints on sensors, compute (Nvidia Jetson SOC), latency, and harsh environmental conditionsLead technical direction for senior and staff engineers through architecture decisions, technical reviews, and hands-on problem solving — upleveling and upskilling the current perception teamGuide data labeling strategies, ground truth dataset construction, and evaluation frameworks to continuously improve perception system performanceHelp expand the perception team over time, serving as a voice of technical leadership and authority in hiring and mentorshipWhy candidates should joinDefine the perception architecture for a proven autonomous fleet. We have ~100 vessels actively deployed across the world's oceans right now. You won't be building PowerPoints — you'll own the hardest perception problems on real hardware running in some of the most challenging environments on Earth.Maritime perception is a genuinely novel problem. Ocean-based perception is fundamentally different from land-based autonomy. You'll tackle unique challenges around radar modalities, nighttime vs. daytime sensing, sea-state noise, and sensor fusion in conditions that don't have off-the-shelf solutions. If you're bored solving the same AV problems everyone else is solving, this is the antidote.You'll have outsized influence on a lean team. The perception team is bare bones today. Ron (VP of Software, ex-Tesla) is explicitly looking for someone who can set technical direction, make architectural calls, upskill the existing team, and help shape hiring as the group scales. This is a true principal-level seat with real authority — not a title inflation situation.Hardware + software under one roof. The company manufactures everything in-house at their Alameda waterfront facility — composites, battery modules, core compute boxes, final assembly. You'll work steps away from the physical systems your code runs on. Vessels launch into the lagoon right outside the office.Mission that actually matters. Your work directly supports national security, border protection, anti-trafficking operations, and partnerships with the U.S. Navy and Coast GuardThis isn't speculative — it's combat-deployed today.Strong comp and equity. $300K–$380K base (75th percentile Radford benchmarking) plus competitive equity in a Series D+ company backed by Lockheed Martin, Lux Capital, and others with ~$300M in total funding. Hybrid schedule (3 days in office) at a gorgeous waterfront location in Alameda.