Perception Engineer, Missile Defense

YOUR MISSION

You will architect and deploy the perception systems that let space-based missile defense see, track and tell apart objects in space. Your algorithms will turn multi-band infrared and visible imagery into a physical understanding of each object. They will do it in sunlight and shadow, with Earth in the background. The tracking filters you design will hold custody of many closely spaced objects through occlusion and maneuvers. The physics you put into these algorithms, from radiometry and thermal behavior to optics and detector effects, is what makes the answer trustworthy. You will own the perception stack end to end: from phenomenology and algorithm design, through software- and hardware-in-the-loop validation, to flight software that runs on space-qualified processors under strict power and timing budgets. This is perception engineering where mistakes have consequences, where your code operates in vacuum, and where the systems you build defend the United States and its Allies.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Drive the architecture for the image processing, multi-object tracking and discrimination pipelines for space-based missile defense
• Design and implement multi-band EO/IR image processing in C++: non-uniformity correction, radiometric calibration, band registration, frame stacking, adaptive detection and PSF photometry
• Develop physics-based features from first principles, from the thermal and optical signatures of each object
• Model the phenomenology that drives the signatures: 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 your algorithms in software- and hardware-in-the-loop simulation with high-fidelity scene generation
• Work with the software team to integrate your algorithms into flight software

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in physics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, or a similar discipline
• Experienced with C/C++ and Python
• 2+ years of experience implementing image processing, detection and tracking algorithms deployed in real-world systems
• Working knowledge of radiometry and infrared phenomenology
• Demonstrated ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and solve complex problems with first principles approaches
• Passion for spaceflight and advancing capabilities related to missile defense and space security
• U.S. Citizen and eligible for DoD Secret or TS/SCI clearance

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Master's or PhD 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 the following: EO/IR phenomenology and signature modeling, radiometric calibration, thermal modeling, focal-plane array characterization (NUC, noise, bad pixels), nonlinear filtering and multi-object tracking (JPDA, MHT, IMM)
• Experience with IR scene generation and sensor simulation, and validating algorithms against measured data
• 2+ years of professional experience writing high-reliability, production C/C++ code

COMPENSATION

• Base Salary: $125,000 - $270,000
• Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave 

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, location, and experience. 

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

• Work Location— This is an onsite role, we are seeking only candidates based near Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA.
• Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.
• Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.

This position will be open until it is successfully filled. To submit your application, please follow the directions below.
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