Senior Perception Lead — Space Autonomy & Sensing

Blue Origin; Huntsville (AL); On-site; USD 144,000 - 202,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Paid parental leave

401(k) with company match

Job summary

Blue Origin in Denver, CO seeks a Senior Perception Lead to shape perception architecture for autonomous navigation and sensing of next‑gen space systems, on‑orbit and national security missions. This is an individual contributor role driving algorithms across cameras, LIDAR, RADAR, and other sensors.

As an experienced engineer, you will mentor junior engineers, align roadmaps with vehicle autonomy goals, and collaborate with GN&C, avionics, and systems teams to deliver robust perception

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field, or equivalent experience
• 8+ years in computer vision, sensor fusion, or perception algorithm development for autonomous systems
• Strong proficiency in C++ and/or Python for perception development
• Experience with sensor fusion (Kalman/particle filtering) across multiple sensors
• Familiarity with real-time or embedded software constraints
• Ability to obtain and maintain U.S. security clearance

Responsibilities

• Lead design, development, and integration of perception algorithms for autonomous navigation and situational awareness systems
• Architect and implement CV and sensor fusion pipelines using cameras, LIDAR, RADAR, and other sensors
• Define technical strategy and roadmaps for perception subsystems aligned with vehicle autonomy goals
• Drive algorithms for object detection, tracking, and scene understanding in dynamic environments
• Establish best practices for perception software development, testing, and V&V
• Collaborate with autonomy, GN&C, avionics, and systems teams to integrate perception into flight systems
• Support HITL/SITL testing and field/flight campaigns to validate performance
• Mentor junior/mid-level engineers without formal supervisory authority
• Communicate findings and risks to leadership and customers
• Stay current with perception, CV, and ML techniques and assess applicability
• Support proposals and technical reviews as needed

Skills

C++

Python

Sensor fusion

Computer vision

Machine learning

Communication

Leadership, non‑managerial

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/EE/Robotics or related field

Master's or PhD preferred

Tools

ROS/ROS2

CUDA

Job description

Blue Origin in Denver, CO seeks a Senior Perception Lead to shape perception architecture for autonomous navigation and sensing of next‑gen space systems, on‑orbit and national security missions. This is an individual contributor role driving algorithms across cameras, LIDAR, RADAR, and other sensors.

As an experienced engineer, you will mentor junior engineers, align roadmaps with vehicle autonomy goals, and collaborate with GN&C, avionics, and systems teams to deliver robust perception