About this role
Saildrone builds autonomous unmanned surface vehicles that support national security and force projection around the world. The engineering group develops perception systems that enable these maritime vehicles to understand their surroundings and estimate position and motion using advanced sensing and edge computing.
As a Perception Engineer, you will build and deploy perception and estimation capabilities that convert raw sensor data into reliable inputs for downstream autonomy. Daily work involves designing algorithms, processing camera and radar feeds, writing production C++, and validating software on real vehicles. Candidates who succeed here have strong robotics fundamentals, hands-on software development experience, and a willingness to work directly with physical hardware.
What you will do
- Develop perception, localization, state-estimation, multi object tracking, and sensor-fusion algorithms for autonomous vehicles.
- Process camera, radar, and similar sensor data to produce reliable estimates of the vehicle and its environment.
- Implement, test, and optimize production perception software in C++.
- Analyze real-world data and vehicle behavior to diagnose failures and improve robustness.
- Integrate perception capabilities with the broader autonomy stack and validate them on real vehicles.
- Contribute to perception architecture and system design.
What you need
- Possess hands-on C++ development skills for software implementation.
- Bring experience developing perception, computer vision, localization, state estimation, sensor fusion, or related robotics systems.
- Demonstrate a strong understanding of robotics and the mathematics underlying perception and estimation.
- Have direct experience working with real sensor data and physical systems.
- Show background in integrating, configuring, and calibrating sensor systems.
- Display experience debugging and benchmarking integrated robotics or autonomous systems.
Nice to have
- Experience with probabilistic state estimation, Kalman filtering, SLAM, visual odometry, or related techniques.
- Experience deploying autonomous systems in the field.
- Python experience for analysis, experimentation, or tooling.
Benefits
- Generous Time Off: Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual plus a robust annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave.
- Comprehensive Health Coverage: Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with significant company contributions.
- Shared Ownership in the Mission: Equity grants allowing participation in long-term value creation.
- Retirement Savings: Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with flexible pre-tax and Roth payroll contribution options.
- Investment in Your Growth: Annual professional development reimbursement program.
- Relocation Support: Relocation assistance for eligible roles to help bring talent to mission-critical locations.
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
Where is this role located?
Saildrone's manufacturing and R&D headquarters are located in Alameda, CA, with business development and sales operations in Washington, DC, and deployment hubs in Europe and the Middle East.
What is the compensation range for this position?
The base salary range for this position is $144,500 to $300,000 USD. Actual compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and qualifications.
What benefits are included with employment?
The comprehensive benefits package includes competitive paid time off, multi-tier medical, dental, and vision plans, equity grants, a 401(k) retirement plan, annual professional development reimbursement, and relocation support for eligible roles.