Perception Machine Learning Engineer
About this role
Autonomous maritime systems often operate in challenging, poorly observed environments where robust perception is critical for mission success. Saildrone needs a Perception Machine Learning Engineer to develop and deploy advanced computer vision capabilities using real-world vehicle data. Working across model development, data pipelines, evaluation, and production deployment, this team member builds systems that handle detection, classification, segmentation, and scene understanding.
Candidates who thrive here bring a strong foundation in Python and PyTorch along with practical experience taking computer vision models into production. Someone who enjoys analyzing sensor data and systematically identifying model failure modes will find plenty of complex problems to solve in this maritime defense environment.
What you will do
- Develop machine-learning-based perception systems for autonomous unmanned surface vehicles.
- Train, evaluate, and improve computer vision models using real-world sensor data.
- Build data and experimentation workflows to pinpoint failure modes and boost model performance.
- Implement perception capabilities focused on detection, classification, segmentation, depth estimation, and scene understanding.
- Analyze vehicle data and model failures to drive continuous technical improvements.
- Integrate trained models directly into production perception systems.
- Translate experimental machine learning techniques into robust, deployed operational systems.
What you need
- Demonstrated programming proficiency in Python.
- Hands-on background developing computer vision or machine learning systems.
- Solid experience utilizing PyTorch or a comparable machine learning framework.
- Thorough understanding of computer vision fundamentals and real-world visual data.
- Track record of evaluating models through quantitative metrics and experimental analysis.
- Practical experience transitioning machine learning or computer vision systems into production.
Nice to have
- C++ experience for production perception systems
- Robotics, autonomous vehicle, aerospace, or defense experience
- Edge or embedded ML deployment
- Sensor fusion, 3D perception, or multimodal perception
- ONNX, TensorRT, CUDA, or other inference optimization experience
Benefits
- Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual plus a robust annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave
- Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with significant company contributions for employees and dependents
- Equity grants allowing participation in long-term value creation
- 401(k) retirement plan with flexible pre-tax and Roth payroll contribution options
- Annual professional development reimbursement program for continuous learning
- Relocation assistance for eligible roles
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 salary range for the 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 kind of benefits are included?
Employees receive comprehensive health coverage, PTO, equity grants, a 401(k) plan, professional development reimbursement, and relocation support for eligible roles.