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San Francisco, United States

Perception Engineer

Raydar · San Francisco · United States

Salary
$144,000–$300,000 per year
Contract
Full time

Posted: 10/13/2026 · Last checked: 10/28/2026

Job description

Quoted in full from Raydar's job posting. Gavroche does not edit it.

About the company

Our client is a defense and aerospace technology company.

The role

Raydar is recruiting for this role on behalf of our client. Build and deliver software that lets autonomous vehicles interpret their surroundings and understand their own motion. The role combines algorithm design, production C++ coding, analysis of field results and hands-on validation on hardware.

What you'll do

- Design algorithms that let a vehicle sense its environment, locate itself, follow moving objects and combine inputs from multiple sensors.

- Turn raw readings from cameras, radar and related devices into dependable estimates of vehicle state and the world around it.

- Write, test and tune production-grade C++ code for the perception pipeline.

- Study recorded field data and observed vehicle behavior to find the root causes of faults and strengthen reliability.

- Connect perception components to the wider autonomy software and verify them on actual vehicles.

- Help shape architectural and design choices for the perception system.

Requirements

What we're looking for

- 4 to 8 years of professional experience in robotics perception and estimation.

- A history of building sensing, localization or fusion systems for physical platforms such as autonomous vehicles, robots or aerospace systems.

- Hands-on C++ development skills.

- Solid command of robotics fundamentals and the underlying math and algorithms.

- Practical experience with live hardware: installing, configuring, calibrating, debugging and benchmarking sensors on real platforms.

- US Person status (US citizen or Green Card holder) with no need for visa sponsorship or transfer.

- Ability to work on-site 3 days per week.

Bonus points

- Master's or PhD degree.

- Background in probabilistic estimation methods such as Kalman filters, SLAM or visual odometry.

- Experience fielding autonomous systems in real-world operations.

Benefits

Compensation and benefits

- Base salary: USD 144,000 to 300,000 per year

- Equity

Location and work model

- San Francisco or Alameda, CA, United States

- Hybrid, 3 days per week in the office

- Full-time

From Gavroche data

Figures computed from live adverts on Gavroche; the job text above is the employer's.

New openings in San Francisco, by week

  1. 8/3/2026 143
  2. 8/10/2026 193
  3. 8/17/2026 211
  4. 8/24/2026 210
  5. 8/31/2026 295
  6. 9/7/2026 271
  7. 9/14/2026 332
  8. 9/21/2026 390
  9. 9/28/2026 470
  10. 10/5/2026 431
  11. 10/12/2026 515
  12. 10/19/2026 369
  13. 10/26/2026 216

4,046 openings over 12 weeks, by the week they were published.

Other roles at Raydar

749 open, including roles outside the United States.