Staff Software Engineer, Perception

Saildrone • Alameda, CA

45d • Hybrid

About The Position

Saildrone is seeking a Staff Software Engineer, Perception to join our Perception team. Reporting to the Engineering Manager, Perception, you will play a critical role in enabling real-time detection, tracking, and classification of vessels across Saildrone’s autonomous fleet. You will architect and deliver perception systems that operate reliably in complex maritime environments, directly advancing Saildrone’s mission to provide persistent maritime intelligence. We are looking for a technical expert who creates clarity from ambiguity, drives high-performance systems from concept to deployment, and thrives in solving hard autonomy problems in real-world conditions.
This role is required to be onsite in Alameda, CA in the Bay Area 3 days per week - this is our hybrid model. This is not a remote position.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in perception or autonomy, including 3+ years of professional C++ development for real-time embedded systems.
• Demonstrated proficiency in Radar and Camera-based detection, GPU-accelerated computing (CUDA), and the ROS ecosystem.
• Proven ability to solve complex tracking and classification problems in high-noise maritime environments using advanced filtering techniques (Kalman/Particle).
• Ability to clearly communicate technical tradeoffs regarding sensor range, power consumption, and compute constraints to cross-functional stakeholders.
• Ability to work effectively in a high-stakes R&D environment, translating ambiguous mission needs (e.g., counter-smuggling) into structured technical requirements.
• Working knowledge of signal processing fundamentals and the deployment of ML models to resource-constrained edge devices (NVIDIA Jetson/AGX).

Responsibilities

• Algorithm Development: Design, implement, and optimize perception algorithms (detect, track, classify) to achieve high-fidelity situational awareness in contested maritime environments.
• System Architecture: Be accountable for high-performance C++ systems on NVIDIA Jetson/AGX platforms, ensuring ownership of the real-time "digital overwatch" stack.
• Multi-Sensor Fusion: Work closely with Autonomy and ML teams to architect pipelines that fuse Radar, Camera, and AIS data, utilizing Kalman or Particle filtering to mitigate vehicle motion and wave clutter.
• Sensor Integration: Carry out the evaluation and integration of new sensing technologies, partnering with Hardware and Systems teams to harden hardware-software interfaces for months-long deployments.
• ML & Signal Processing: Monitor for end-to-end system performance bottlenecks, taking action to optimize GPU-accelerated signal processing and machine learning models for onboard execution.
• Regression & Data Science: Adhere to rigorous testing standards by developing large-scale regression frameworks and using Python to analyze mission telemetry and sensor performance.
• User Awareness: Provide timely updates and collaborate with UI/Platform engineers to ensure perception outputs are clearly visualized for remote pilots and navigational safety systems.
• Risk & Lifecycle Management: Perform all responsibilities with a focus on hardening algorithms against environmental degradation, identifying technical risks, and driving mitigation strategies for autonomous survival.

Benefits

• Generous Time Off: Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual plus a robust annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave ensure you can rest, reset, and sustain performance over time.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with significant company contributions for employees and dependents—providing security and peace of mind.
• Shared Ownership in the Mission: Equity grants are a core part of our compensation, allowing you to participate in the long-term value you help create through meaningful, operational work.
• Retirement Savings: Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with flexible pre-tax and Roth payroll contribution options supports long-term financial planning.
• Investment in Your Growth: We support your continuous learning through an annual professional development reimbursement program, empowering you to sharpen your skills and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving field.
• Relocation Support: For eligible roles, we offer relocation assistance to help bring the world’s best talent to our mission-critical locations.

What This Job Offers

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