Sr. Perception Engineer

Fortastra Corporation•Torrance, CA

5d•Onsite

About The Position

Fortastra is seeking a Senior Perception Engineer to develop computer vision and machine learning algorithms that enable autonomous spacecraft to detect, classify, and track objects in space within a coordinated, multi-agent vehicle ecosystem. The role focuses on turning raw sensor data into reliable, real-time perception for onboard autonomy, working closely with guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) and flight software engineers. The engineer will build camera-focused perception pipelines and software stacks, curate and generate datasets, and integrate algorithms into Fortastra’s proprietary simulation environment and ROS-based toolchains for end-to-end autonomy testing. The position uses Python and C++ in Linux (Ubuntu) environments, with eventual flight software integration. This is an on-site position; remote and hybrid arrangements are not considered. U.S. citizenship and the ability to obtain or hold an active TS/SCI clearance are required; U.S. persons may be considered.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, Robotics, or another science or physics-based field; a master’s degree with at least one year of relevant experience is also considered.
Five to eight years of industry experience in robotics, perception, autonomy, or related fields, excluding internships; exceptional internship experience may be considered.
Experience with computer vision and machine learning for perception, including object detection and/or tracking.
Proficiency in Python and C++ software development.
Familiarity with Linux (Ubuntu) development environments.
Experience with simulation tools such as ROS or similar robotics frameworks.
Background in robotics, vehicle navigation, or autonomous systems.
Understanding of safety-critical systems or failure modes in complex systems such as spacecraft, automotive, aviation, industrial, or robotics systems.
Comfort using modern agentic AI tools, such as Claude, in the development workflow.
Ability to work independently and in small, fast-moving teams.
Must work on-site; remote and hybrid arrangements are not considered.
U.S. citizenship and ability to obtain or hold an active TS/SCI clearance; U.S. persons may be considered.

Nice To Haves

Exposure to active safety systems, ADAS, or other perception-heavy, safety-critical applications.

Responsibilities

Develop computer vision and machine learning algorithms for object detection, classification, and tracking in the space environment.
Design and implement perception software for multi-agent spacecraft scenarios, drawing on paradigms from UAVs, drones, and advanced driver assistance systems.
Build perception pipelines and software stacks that process onboard sensor data, emphasizing camera-based systems while considering other sensing modalities.
Curate, generate, and manage datasets for training, validation, and testing of perception models.
Integrate perception algorithms into Fortastra’s proprietary simulation environment and ROS-based toolchains for end-to-end autonomy testing.
Implement perception software in Python and C++ for Linux (Ubuntu) environments, with eventual flight software integration.
Collaborate with autonomy, GNC, and flight software teams to define interfaces, data products, and performance requirements for perception outputs.
Contribute to software architecture for detecting and tracking objects in space, including analysis of edge cases and failure modes.