Perception Engineer - Talent Pool Q426/Q127

Arctic Research and Development; Cirencester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private Health Insurance

Dental & Vision

Equity

Job summary

Arctic Research and Development in Cirencester seeks a Perception Engineer to advance autonomous systems for extreme environments. You will deploy edge ML models and design perception pipelines that fuse vision, LiDAR, radar, and IMU data for robust situational awareness.

We value a strong background in robotics and ML perception, with Python and C++ expertise and ROS/ROS2 experience. Field deployments and cross-disciplinary collaboration are core to this role.

Qualifications

• 5+ years industry experience in robotics, autonomy, or real-world ML perception systems.
• Strong foundation in computer vision, SLAM, and multi-sensor fusion.
• Proficiency in Python and C++ with production-grade engineering practices.
• Experience with perception frameworks (ROS / ROS2, OpenCV, PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.).
• Willingness to operate in safe but extreme cold environments during R&D field testing.

Responsibilities

• Design and deploy perception pipelines for Arctic autonomous platforms (surface, subsurface, aerial).
• Fuse multi-modal sensor data (vision, LiDAR, radar, IMU, GNSS) for situational awareness and autonomy.
• Build ML models for ice classification, terrain mapping, and obstacle detection in low-visibility conditions.
• Train, evaluate, and harden ML models against snow cover, ice glare, low sun angles, and polar night conditions.
• Create synthetic training data and simulation environments for Arctic-specific scenarios.
• Work closely with mechanical, electrical, RF, and autonomy teams to co-design sensor placement, calibration, and integration.
• Support field deployments in the Arctic and iterate rapidly based on real-world data.

Skills

Robotics

Autonomy

ML perception

Computer vision

Python

C++

ROS/ROS2

ML frameworks

Tools

ROS/ROS2

OpenCV

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Job description

Note: At this stage we are keen to connect with interested candidates ahead of Q426/Q127.

THE LAST FRONTIER

The Arctic is a place of extremes: unforgiving, untamed, and undergoing rapid change. A literal defrosting reveals a multi-trillion-dollar opportunity spanning energy, defence, logistics, research, and infrastructure.
ARD was founded on a paradox. The Arctic is both the next great economic frontier and one of the most hostile environments on Earth. Rich in resources and strategically vital, yet bone-chillingly cold, dark for months, and fundamentally inhospitable to humans. This paradox—an explosion of activity in a place that resists human presence—is why we exist.
Our solution is autonomy.
We build systems that operate reliably and intelligently in the Arctic, so that humans don't always have to.
Founded by record-holding pioneers with decades of polar experience, we take calculated risks on hard problems that matter. If you want to build and deploy ground-up technology with real-world impact, at an inflection point in history that won’t reappear, we’d like to talk.

THE ROLE

We're looking for a Perception Engineer to build the eyes for autonomous systems operating in the world's most sensor-hostile environment. You'll develop computer vision and sensor fusion systems that cut through Arctic whiteout, polar night darkness, and ice fog — where traditional perception stacks fail. This isn't lab work: you'll deploy ML models on edge hardware that operates at -40°C, where every watt counts and failure means mission abort.

Core Responsibilities

• Design and deploy perception pipelines for Arctic autonomous platforms (surface, subsurface, aerial)
• Fuse multi-modal sensor data (vision, LiDAR, radar, IMU, GNSS) for situational awareness and autonomy
• Build ML models for ice classification, terrain mapping, and obstacle detection in low-visibility conditions
• Train, evaluate, and harden ML models against snow cover, ice glare, low sun angles, and polar night conditions
• Create synthetic training data and simulation environments for Arctic-specific scenarios
• Work closely with mechanical, electrical, RF, and autonomy teams to co-design sensor placement, calibration, and integration
• Support field deployments in the Arctic and iterate rapidly based on real-world data
  

What We Value

• 5+ years industry experience in robotics, autonomy, or real-world ML perception systems
• Strong foundation in computer vision, SLAM, and multi-sensor fusion
• Proficiency in Python and C++ with production-grade engineering practices
• Experience with perception frameworks (ROS / ROS2, OpenCV, PyTorch, TensorFlow, etc.)
• Comfort working with real sensors, calibration workflows, and noisy data
• A track record of shipping perception systems that work outside controlled environments
• Willingness to operate in safe but extreme cold environments during R&D field testing
  

What we offer

• Competitive compensation
• Private Health Insurance
• Dental & Vision
• Equity — meaningful options as an early employee at an early-stage company
• Real field exposure — travel to Arctic sites and Outposts when needed
• Mission-driven culture — focus on impact, not hours logged
• Small team, real ownership — what you build matters and ships