Lead Perception Engineer

Energize Group; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Lead role owning perception stack

Product deployed in the field

Competitive salary and benefits

Job summary

Energize Group is seeking a Lead Perception Engineer in Boston to guide a team through concept, design, validation and field deployment of perception systems for robotics applications. You will drive cross-functional collaboration with mechanical, software and QA teams to deliver a reliable product.

The role requires hands‑on leadership with expertise in Python/C++, perception algorithms, and ML pipelines using PyTorch, OpenCV, and PCL.

Qualifications

• 8 to 10 years of experience in robotics or computer vision engineering.
• 2 to 3 years in a formal or informal leadership role.
• Strong grasp of robotics fundamentals.
• Expert-level programming in Python and C++ (Rust experience is valued).
• Proven experience designing vision systems for robotic applications.
• Experience building ML pipelines with PyTorch.
• Proficiency with OpenCV and PCL.
• Hands‑on experience debugging perception systems on physical robots in real‑world environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead the technical execution of perception, including algorithm design, sensor integration and real‑world validation.
• Design and build high-performance perception pipelines using classical and ML-based methods.
• Debug hands‑on across the lab, test and field environments.
• Set and maintain high standards for code quality and engineering best practice.
• Work closely with mechanical, software and QA teams to deliver a reliable, integrated product.
• Mentor and develop engineers on the perception team.

Skills

Python

C++

Robotics fundamentals

Perception algorithms

ML pipelines

OpenCV

PCL

ROS2 ecosystem

Leadership

Debugging on robots

Education

MS or PhD in Computer Science, Computer Vision, Machine Learning or related field

Tools

ROS2

PyTorch

Job description

Our client is a venture-backed robotics company building automated systems for the automotive industry. They take on a high-volume, labor-intensive service process with robotics that is already deployed in customer environments. The team is growing, and this hire will lead perception as the product scales.

About the Role

The Lead Perception Engineer will lead a team of engineers while staying hands-on technically. The role owns perception across the full development lifecycle: concept, algorithm design, sensor integration, validation and field deployment. It covers both classical and machine learning approaches, and it sits at the center of a cross-functional engineering team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the technical execution of perception, including algorithm design, sensor integration and real-world validation
• Design and build high-performance perception pipelines using classical and ML-based methods
• Debug hands-on across the lab, test and field environments
• Set and maintain high standards for code quality and engineering best practice
• Work closely with mechanical, software and QA teams to deliver a reliable, integrated product
• Mentor and develop engineers on the perception team

Requirements

• 8 to 10 years of experience in robotics or computer vision engineering
• 2 to 3 years in a formal or informal leadership role
• Strong grasp of robotics fundamentals
• Expert-level programming in Python and C++ (Rust experience is valued)
• Proven experience designing vision systems for robotic applications
• Experience building ML pipelines with PyTorch
• Proficiency with OpenCV and PCL
• Hands‑on experience debugging perception systems on physical robots in real‑world environments

Preferred Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Computer Science, Computer Vision, Machine Learning or a related field
• Experience with the ROS2 ecosystem

What's on Offer

• A lead role with ownership of the perception stack at a growing robotics company
• A product with a clear commercial use case and systems already deployed in the field
• Competitive salary and benefits