Manager, Software - Perception (R3770)

Leads teams developing real-time perception systems for autonomous aircraft, including object detection, sensor fusion, and state estimation using EO/IR, radar, and IMU data. Requires 7+ years experience in unmanned systems, algorithm expertise, and 2+ years people leadership.

About the job

Responsibilities

Lead multidisciplinary teams across autonomy, integration, and testing, aligning technical efforts and driving mission-focused execution.
Develop advanced perception algorithms for object detection, classification, and multi-target tracking across sensor modalities.
Implement sensor fusion frameworks integrating vision systems, radars, and other sensors using probabilistic and deterministic techniques.
Develop state estimation capabilities for localization and pose estimation using IMU, GPS, vision, and other inputs.
Analyze sensor ICDs and technical specifications for correct data handling and synchronization.
Optimize perception pipelines for performance, robustness, and real-time efficiency in simulation and real-world environments.
Support autonomy integration with planning, behaviors, and decision-making modules.
Validate algorithms using synthetic data, simulation, and field testing.
Collaborate with hardware and sensor teams for seamless integration.
Drive innovation in airborne sensing for complex, GPS-denied environments.
Travel 10-15% for offices, customer sites, and flight events.

Required Qualifications

BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or equivalent.
7+ years experience with BS; 5+ with MS; 4+ with PhD; or equivalent.
5+ years in Unmanned Systems for DoD or applied R&D.
2+ years people leadership.
Background in Kalman Filters, multi-target tracking, or deep learning-based detection.
Familiarity with sensor fusion from radar, EO/IR cameras using probabilistic/rule-based approaches.
Familiarity with SLAM, visual-inertial odometry, or sensor-fused localization.
Ability to work with ICDs and hardware integration specs.
Proficiency with version control, debugging, test-driven development.

Preferred Qualifications

Hands-on integration or algorithm development with airborne sensing systems.
Experience with PyTorch or TensorFlow for vision-based detection/classification.
Deploying perception software on SWaP-constrained platforms.
Validating perception systems in flight tests or operational environments.
Understanding sensing challenges in denied/degraded conditions.
Exposure to perception across air, maritime, and ground platforms.