Autonomy Perception Engineer — Real-Time Object Detection

InvestedintheMission; Greater London; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Shield AI is seeking a senior Perception Engineer to advance real-time perception for autonomous aircraft. You will design algorithms for object detection, multi-sensor fusion, and robust state estimation using IMU, GPS, and vision data, enabling rapid, reliable navigation in challenging environments.

Join a mission-driven team focused on defender autonomy, with opportunities to push theory into deployed perception systems and collaborate across hardware, software, and flight test domains.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in Computer Science or Engineering or equivalent practical experience.
• Typically requires a minimum of 7–10 years of related experience with a BS/ MS; or 9 years with a MS; or 7 years with a PhD.

Responsibilities

• Develop advanced perception algorithms for object detection, classification, and multi-target tracking across sensor modalities.
• Implement sensor fusion frameworks to generate accurate situational awareness from vision, radar, and other sensors.
• Develop state estimation capabilities for localization and pose estimation using IMU, GPS, vision, and other inputs.
• Analyze and interpret Interface Control Documents and sensor ICDs for proper data handling.
• Optimize perception pipelines for performance, robustness, and real-time efficiency in simulation and real-world settings.
• Collaborate with autonomy, systems, and integration teams to connect perception outputs with planning and decision-making modules.
• Validate algorithms in simulated and field environments to ensure mission readiness.
• Work with hardware and sensor teams to ensure seamless integration with onboard compute platforms.

Skills

Real-time perception

Object detection

Sensor fusion

State estimation

Kalman filters

SLAM / VIO

C++ / Python

Sensor data interpretation

Education

BS/MS in CS/EE/ME/Aerospace

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Job description

Shield AI is seeking a senior Perception Engineer to advance real-time perception for autonomous aircraft. You will design algorithms for object detection, multi-sensor fusion, and robust state estimation using IMU, GPS, and vision data, enabling rapid, reliable navigation in challenging environments.

Join a mission-driven team focused on defender autonomy, with opportunities to push theory into deployed perception systems and collaborate across hardware, software, and flight test domains.