Object Detection and Tracking Engineer

• This position is ideal for an individual who thrives on building advanced perception systems that enable autonomous aircraft to operate effectively in complex and contested environments
• A successful candidate will be skilled in developing real-time object detection, sensor fusion, and state estimation algorithms using data from diverse mission sensors such as EO/IR cameras, radars, and IMUs
• Our Perception Engineers are instrumental in creating the situational awareness that underpins autonomy, ensuring our systems understand and respond to the operational environment with speed, precision, and resilience
• Develop advanced perception algorithms — Design and implement robust algorithms for object detection, classification, and multi-target tracking across diverse sensor modalities
• Implement sensor fusion frameworks — Integrate data from vision systems, radars, and other mission sensors using probabilistic and deterministic fusion techniques to generate accurate situational awareness
• Develop state estimation capabilities — Design and refine algorithms for localization and pose estimation using IMU, GPS, vision, and other onboard sensing inputs to enable stable and accurate navigation
• Analyze and utilize sensor ICDs — Interpret interface control documents (ICDs) and technical specifications for aircraft-mounted sensors to ensure correct data handling, interpretation, and synchronization
• Optimize perception performance — Tune and evaluate perception pipelines for performance, robustness, and real-time efficiency in both simulation and real-world environments
• Support autonomy integration — Work closely with autonomy, systems, and integration teams to interface perception outputs with planning, behaviors, and decision-making modules
• Validate in simulated and operational settings — Leverage synthetic data, simulation environments, and field testing to validate algorithm accuracy and mission readiness
• Collaborate with hardware and sensor teams — Ensure seamless integration of perception algorithms with onboard compute platforms and diverse sensor payloads
• Drive innovation in airborne sensing — Contribute novel ideas and state-of-the-art techniques to advance real-time perception capabilities for unmanned aircraft operating in complex, GPS-denied, or contested environments
• Travel Requirement – Members of this team typically travel around 10-15% of the year (to different office locations, customer sites, and flight integration events)

Benefits

• Excellent Medical Coverage
• Mental Health Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Parental Leave
• Pet Insurance
• Flexible Work Hours
• Onsite Gym (DC)
• Gym Discount (San Diego)
• Free Parking
• Competitive Compensation
• Stock Benefits
• 401K Services and Match- The role requires strong algorithmic thinking, deep familiarity with airborne sensing systems, and the ability to deliver performant software in simulation and real-world conditions
• Proficiency with version control, debugging, and test-driven development in cross-functional teams
• Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 9 years and a Master’s degree; or 7 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience
• Background in implementing algorithms such as Kalman Filters, multi-target tracking, or deep learning-based detection models
• Familiarity with fusing data from radar, EO/IR cameras, or other sensors using probabilistic or rule-based approaches
• Ability to interpret and work with Interface Control Documents (ICDs) and hardware integration specs
• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, and/or similar degree, or equivalent practical experience
• Familiarity with SLAM, visual-inertial odometry, or sensor-fused localization approaches in real-time applications
• Hands-on integration or algorithm development with airborne sensing systems
• Experience with ML frameworks such as PyTorch or Tensorflow, particularly for vision-based object detection or classification tasks. * Experience deploying perception software on SWaP-constrained platforms
• Familiarity with validating perception systems during flight test events or operational environments
• Understanding of sensing challenges in denied or degraded conditions
• Exposure to perception applications across air, maritime, and ground platforms