Perception Engineer, Missile Defense

True Anomaly • Long Beach, CA

9d • $125,000 - $270,000 • Onsite

About The Position

True Anomaly is hiring a Perception Engineer to architect and deploy perception systems for space-based missile defense. The role turns multi-band infrared and visible imagery into a physical understanding of objects in space, including under changing illumination, occlusion, and maneuver conditions. The engineer owns the perception stack from phenomenology and algorithm design through software- and hardware-in-the-loop validation and integration into flight software running on space-qualified processors with strict power and timing budgets.

The work includes image processing, multi-object tracking, and discrimination; physics-based modeling of object signatures; and statistical verification of algorithm performance. This is an onsite position for candidates based near Denver, Colorado, or Long Beach, California. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and eligible for a DoD Secret or TS/SCI clearance. U.S. Government space technology export-control authorization requirements also apply.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in physics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, or a similar discipline.
• Experience with C/C++ and Python.
• At least 2 years of experience implementing image-processing, detection, and tracking algorithms deployed in real-world systems.
• Working knowledge of radiometry and infrared phenomenology.
• Ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and solve complex problems using first-principles approaches.
• U.S. citizenship and eligibility for DoD Secret or TS/SCI clearance.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s or Ph.D. in physics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a similar discipline.
• Experience with missile defense or EO/IR sensor programs.
• Deep technical expertise in one or more of: EO/IR phenomenology and signature modeling, radiometric calibration, thermal modeling, focal-plane array characterization (NUC, noise, bad pixels), or nonlinear filtering and multi-object tracking (JPDA, MHT, IMM).
• Experience with IR scene generation and sensor simulation, and validating algorithms against measured data.
• At least 2 years of professional experience writing high-reliability, production C/C++ code.
• Passion for spaceflight and advancing capabilities related to missile defense and space security.

Responsibilities

• Drive the architecture for image-processing, multi-object tracking, and discrimination pipelines for space-based missile defense.
• Design and implement multi-band EO/IR image processing in C++, including non-uniformity correction, radiometric calibration, band registration, frame stacking, adaptive detection, and PSF photometry.
• Develop physics-based features from first principles, based on objects’ thermal and optical signatures.
• Model signature-driving phenomenology, including solar and Earth illumination, thermal response through sunlight and eclipse, viewing geometry, glints, and optics and detector effects.
• Design robust tracking for many closely spaced objects.
• Perform statistical analysis to characterize and verify algorithm performance, including Monte Carlo campaigns and error budgets.
• Test and verify algorithms in software- and hardware-in-the-loop simulation with high-fidelity scene generation.
• Work with the software team to integrate algorithms into flight software.

Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and dependents, with HSA/HRA options.
• Flexible Time Off for exempt employees or accrued PTO of up to 25 days for non-exempt employees.
• 12 paid holidays.
• Parental leave and sick leave.
• Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks for in-office employees.
• 401(k) retirement plan.
• Fitness reimbursement.
• Dog Fridays.
• Equity participation as part of total compensation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level