Director, Perception - Autonomous Vehicles

NVIDIA Corporation; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 320,000 - 489,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

NVIDIA Corporation is seeking a driven Director of Perception to lead the evolution of AI models for autonomous driving. You will manage and scale a high-performing team focused on perception across camera, LiDAR, and radar, delivering real-time 3D world reconstruction.

You will shape network architectures, drive end-to-end ML lifecycles, and ensure production quality aligned with ISO 26262 safety standards, while collaborating with cross-functional partners.

Qualifications

• PhD or master's degree in computer science, robotics, AI, visual computing, or related field (or equivalent).
• 10+ years in deep learning, computer vision, or autonomous robotics with 5+ years in leadership.
• Hands-on expertise with Transformers, CNNs, and multi-sensor fusion for real-time systems.
• Proven track record deploying safety-critical ML to edge/embedded platforms.
• Strong Python/C++ skills and experience with PyTorch, TensorFlow, or JAX.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire an engineering leadership team of managers, researchers, and engineers.
• Guide architecture across modern networks for multi-sensor fusion and real-time 3D world modeling.
• Own the ML lifecycle from data to deployment on NVIDIA DRIVE platforms.
• Collaborate with Planning, Mapping, Hardware, and Safety teams to align AV system metrics.
• Foster radical ownership, fast execution, and adherence to automotive safety standards.

Skills

Deep learning

Computer vision

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Python

C++

Communication

Edge/embedded ML

Education

PhD or Master’s in CS/Robotics/AI or related field

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

JAX

CUDA

Job description

Achieving what has never been accomplished requires foresight, creativity, and the finest talent worldwide! We are looking for a driven Director of Perception to help lead our AI model evolution. In this critical leadership role, you will drive the development of state-of-the-art deep learning models that enable our vehicles to see, understand, and navigate complex environments. You will lead teams pushing the boundaries of modern network architectures to deliver a robust, real-time 3D world model. If you are a relentless problem-solver who thrives on building world-class teams and shipping production AI, we want to hear from you. **What you'll be doing:*** Lead and Inspire: Manage, mentor, and scale a high-performing organization of engineering managers, applied researchers, and software engineers dedicated to autonomous vehicle perception.* Drive the Architecture: Guide the strategic direction, design, and execution of modern network architectures (e.g., Transformers, BEV, Occupancy Networks, Vision-Language-Action models) for multi-sensor fusion (camera, LiDAR, radar) and real-time 3D world reconstruction.* End-to-End Ownership: Oversee the entire machine learning lifecycle—from active learning, data mining, and synthetic data generation to model training, model performance acceleration, and deployment on NVIDIA DRIVE platforms (Orin/Thor).* Cross-Functional Teamwork: Partner closely with leaders across Planning and Control, Mapping, Hardware, and Safety teams to ensure seamless integration of the perception stack and alignment on AV system-level metrics.* Cultivate Excellence: Foster a culture of radical ownership, high-velocity execution, and continuous innovation. Ensure all algorithms and production code adhere to strict automotive quality and safety standards (e.g., ISO 26262). **What we need to see:*** Ph.D. or master's degree in computer science, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, visual computing, or a related field (or equivalent experience).* 10+ overall years of industry experience in deep learning, computer vision, or autonomous robotics, with at least 5+ years in a senior leadership role managing large teams or multiple layers of management.* Deep, hands-on theoretical and practical expertise with modern network architectures (Transformers, CNNs, Foundation Models) and complex multi-sensor fusion paradigms.* A proven track record of successfully deploying production-grade, safety-critical machine learning models to edge/embedded computing platforms.* Strong foundational knowledge in Python, C++, and deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, JAX, or TensorFlow).* Exceptional communication and leadership skills. You must be able to distill complex technical uncertainty into clear, actionable strategies for both your team and executive leadership.* A highly motivated, entrepreneurial mindset. You possess a relentless drive to solve the hardest problems in the AV space and the energy to lead a team through the challenges of shipping bleeding-edge technology. **Ways to stand out from the crowd:*** Demonstrated success in shipping autonomous vehicle software to mass-production.* A recognized presence in the global AI/CV community, evidenced by top-tier publications (CVPR, ICCV, NeurIPS) or significant open-source contributions.* Hands-on experience with next-generation paradigms, such as end-to-end autonomous driving architectures, Large Vision Models (LVMs), or sim-to-real transfer techniques.* Deep understanding of hardware-software co-design, specifically optimizing modern networks for NVIDIA GPU architectures. NVIDIA is widely considered to be one of the technology world’s most desirable employers. We have some of the most forward-thinking and dedicated people in the world working here. If you're creative and autonomous, we want to hear from you! #AutonomousVehiclesYour base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 320,000 USD - 488,750 USD.You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.