Applied Perception Engineering Lead

About Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co.

We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments.

About the Role

We are looking for a Perception Team Lead who will lead a team in developing Perception pipelines for multiple modalities (EO/IR, Radar, with growth paths into Acoustics, Passive RF, and Sonar). The software will be deployed in the real world for government and defense applications. This position will help the team execute effectively through technical guidance, mentoring, collaboration with other peer teams, integration into broader systems, and using best practices for designing and building software systems. You will be responsible for maintaining and executing the technical roadmap for the Perception pipelines as well as a Perception Autonomy service, which is responsible for a number of perception-related behaviors (e.g., camera scanning, slew and cue, object following, dynamic EMCON modes, multi-track custody, track handoff between sensors, etc.).  Please note that this role does not include training ML models; instead, it will be responsible for integrating pre-trained models into these pipelines.

At Applied, you will:

• Manage a team of talented software engineers working together on exciting perception and perception autonomy projects.

• Oversee and contribute to the development of perception pipelines utilizing EO/IR and Radar sensor modalities, with potential of moving into perception pipelines for Acoustics, Passive RF, and Sonar sensors.

• Oversee and contribute to the Perception Autonomy service, which includes a growing number of behaviors, such as camera scanning, slew and cue, object following, dynamic EMCON modes, multi-track custody, and track handoff between sensors.

• Lead the development and incorporation of pre-trained models (produced by a separate team) into production Perception pipelines.

• Ensure your team delivers high quality, robust software that can fulfill project requirements for real-world deployment on hardware components.

• Work closely with partners and internal teams to ensure success on project milestones, and seamless integration with peer teams platforms.

• Manage and track multiple priorities while maintaining a focus towards common project goals.

We're looking for someone who has:

• MS in computer science, ML, robotics, or related fields from a top institution.

• 8+ years industry experience in Perception-related fields (e.g., ATR, ML).

• 2+ years experience in leading teams with varied backgrounds.

• Experience with deploying software to hardware components with rigorous verification and validation.

• Experience with perception pipelines using real-time data from Radar and EO/IR systems.

• Deep technical understanding of production-level development in C++ and/or Python for integrating object detector, classifier, and few-shot models (ATR models).

• Experience with designing and working with autonomous systems, particularly in off-road, maritime, or aerospace applications.

Nice to have:

• PhD in a Perception, Robotics, or CS related field.

• Hands-on experience in deploying autonomy in the real world.

• Deep experience in both hardware and software aspects of robotics and sensor systems.

• Competence in signal processing, linear algebra, machine learning, radar, optics, photonics, or electro-optics.

• Active U.S. SECRET clearance preferred

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment.

Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

Please reference the job posting subtitle for where this position will be located. For pay transparency purposes, the base salary range for this full-time position in the location listed is: $175,000 to $235,000 USD annually.

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.