Perception Engineer, Missile Defense

Description

The company treats space as a warfighting domain and is hiring engineers who want to build the technology that protects it.

It builds autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software and space-based interceptors to help the U.S. and its Allies keep space secure and counter threats from orbit.

This role builds the perception systems for space-based missile defense that detect, track and distinguish objects in space. The algorithms turn multi-band infrared and visible imagery into a physical understanding of each object, in sunlight, in shadow and against Earth. Tracking filters keep custody of many closely spaced objects through occlusion and maneuvers. You own the stack from phenomenology and algorithm design through software- and hardware-in-the-loop testing to flight software running on space-qualified processors under tight power and timing limits. The work is high-stakes and the code runs in vacuum.

Responsibilities

• Set the architecture for the image processing, multi-object tracking and discrimination pipelines used in space-based missile defense.
• Build multi-band EO/IR image processing in C++, covering non-uniformity correction, radiometric calibration, band registration, frame stacking, adaptive detection and PSF photometry.
• Derive physics-based features from first principles using each object's thermal and optical signature.
• Model what shapes those signatures, including solar and Earth illumination, thermal behavior through sunlight and eclipse, viewing geometry, glints, and optical and detector effects.
• Design tracking that stays robust when many objects sit close together.
• Run 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 using high-fidelity scene generation.
• Work with the software team to bring your algorithms into flight software.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in physics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, or a closely related field.
• Working proficiency in C/C++ and Python.
• At least 2 years of experience building image processing, detection and tracking algorithms that have run in real-world systems.
• Working knowledge of radiometry and infrared phenomenology.
• A track record of working within a multidisciplinary team and solving hard problems from first principles.
• Genuine interest in spaceflight and in advancing missile defense and space security.
• U.S. citizen who is eligible to obtain a DoD Secret or TS/SCI clearance.
• Preferred: Master's or PhD in physics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a similar discipline.
• Preferred: experience with missile defense or EO/IR sensor programs.
• Preferred: deep expertise in one or more of EO/IR phenomenology and signature modeling, radiometric calibration, thermal modeling, focal-plane array characterization (NUC, noise, bad pixels), nonlinear filtering, or multi-object tracking (JPDA, MHT, IMM).
• Preferred: experience with IR scene generation and sensor simulation, and with validating algorithms against measured data.
• Preferred: at least 2 years of professional experience writing high-reliability, production C/C++ code.

Conditions

Base salary ranges from $125,000 to $270,000.

Final level and base salary are set case by case, based on job-related knowledge and skills, education, location and experience.

This is an onsite role, open only to candidates based near Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA.

To meet U.S. Government space technology export rules, including ITAR, you must be a U.S. citizen, a lawful permanent resident, a protected individual under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Equity is part of total compensation, alongside health, dental, vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO, paid holidays, 401(k) and parental leave.

The role stays open until it is filled.

Do not apply to fixed-term or temporary roles.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants regardless of protected characteristics.

Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental and vision coverage for you and your dependents, with HSA or HRA options.
• Flexible Time Off for exempt employees; accrued PTO of up to 25 days for non-exempt employees; 12 paid holidays; parental leave; sick leave.
• Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks for in-office employees.
• 401(k) retirement plan, fitness reimbursement and Dog Fridays.
• Equity participation, included in total compensation, so you share in the company's success.