Software Engineer: Perception (I)
The Software Engineer I - Perception at Confidential Client will develop and optimize perception and machine vision algorithms critical to autonomous spacecraft protection systems. This early-career role involves building and refining models for real-time detection and classification of space targets, integrating perception models into autonomy pipelines, and collaborating across teams to enhance system fidelity and performance in complex space environments.
About Careertakes
👉 Important disclosure: Careertakes is a third-party recruiting platform supporting this hiring process. If selected, you will be employed directly by our client, Defense and Space Manufacturing.
Applicants for this role may also receive access to additional matched opportunities through the Careertakes platform.
About the Role
Our confidential client is hiring an entry-level Software Engineer focused on Perception to join their perception and machine-vision teams supporting an autonomy product for space systems. This role will help develop production-ready computer vision and ML solutions that detect, classify, and estimate the pose of dynamic objects in challenging visual environments.
What You’ll Do
- Contribute to the perception system that supports real-time autonomy for space platforms.
- Work through the full lifecycle of perception algorithms: literature review, training, evaluation, optimization, and deployment.
- Optimize existing models for edge/real-time execution and develop new model components with guidance from senior engineers.
- Develop methods to predict relative pose of dynamic targets in harsh, low-visibility conditions.
- Integrate perception models into mission simulation environments and real-time autonomy pipelines.
- Design realistic sensor models and digital twins to improve perception fidelity in mission scenarios.
- Maintain and extend perception tooling, model training infrastructure, and evaluation frameworks.
- Collaborate with autonomy, state estimation, and mission software teams to improve performance, fidelity, and scalability.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, AI/ML, Robotics, or a related field — or equivalent experience.
- 0–2 years experience in machine learning, robotics, computer vision, or related fields (internships, research, and substantial projects qualify).
- Strong software engineering skills in Python and working proficiency in C++.
- Foundational knowledge of deep learning / ML and practical experience with computer vision or image processing libraries (e.g., OpenCV).
- Demonstrated ability to take an ML model through training and evaluation (coursework, research, or project experience).
Preferred Skills & Experience
- Experience developing or deploying ML models to real-time or resource-constrained systems.
- Familiarity with end-to-end perception system architecture.
- Exposure to sensor measurements (RADAR, electro-optical, RF sensors, or LIDAR).
- Image-processing skills (feature extraction, segmentation, stereo matching) to support 3D reconstruction and classification.
- GPU acceleration experience (CUDA, TensorRT) or optimizing neural networks for edge inference.
- Distributed training or cloud scaling experience (AWS, GCP, Azure).
- Experience with Linux, Git, CI/CD, and containerization tools (Docker, Kubernetes).
- Understanding of networking/communication for distributed autonomy systems.
Eligibility & ITAR
To comply with U.S. export regulations (including ITAR), applicants must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or otherwise eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Candidates who do not meet these requirements should not apply.
Compensation & Benefits
- Pay ranges for this role:
- (P1) Entry: $99,000 - $133,000 / year
- (P2) Developing: $115,000 - $174,000 / year
- Meaningful equity incentives (employee option pool).
- Flexible PTO, paid vacation, holidays, and sick leave.
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- 401(k) with company match.
- Location: El Segundo, CA
Salary bands reflect role level, location, and market alignment. Individual base pay and level will be determined case-by-case based on skills, experience, and internal equity.
About the Industry & Team
This opportunity is with a confidential client operating in Defense and Space Manufacturing focused on protective and autonomous capabilities for high-value space platforms. The team values "extreme ownership," rapid learning, and early technical ownership for early-career engineers.
Equal Opportunity & Hiring Transparency
Careertakes and our client are Equal Opportunity Employers committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We prohibit discrimination or harassment of any kind. To support a fair and efficient hiring process, AI tools may be used to assist with application review or resume screening. These tools do not replace human decision-making. Final hiring decisions are made by people.
If you have questions about how your data is used, please contact us directly.
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