Senior Robotics Engineer (Perception), SteerAI at Steer AI

SteerAI is an autonomous mobility technology company powered by VentureOne, the commercialization arm of the Advanced Technology Research Council.

SteerAI’s advanced AI-powered autonomy stack, developed by the Technology Innovation Institute, empowers the logistics and defense industries by turning industrial vehicles into autonomous powerhouses that can handle complex off-road missions, transforming operations and protecting organizations' most important assets: Their workforce.

About the role:

We are seeking a Senior Perception Engineer to join our GROUND Robotics team. This high-impact role involves taking technical ownership over key features within the perception module of SteerAI’s CoreX autonomy stack. You will be responsible for the design, development, and deployment of robust, real-time perception solutions for autonomous mission execution across diverse ground platforms, and for mentoring junior team members.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, implement, and optimize core perception features, significantly improving capabilities such as robust multi-object tracking, advanced semantic segmentation, and sophisticated LiDAR-based terrain and hazard understanding.
• Take technical ownership of one or more critical components within the CoreX perception module, driving their execution from concept through production deployment and validation.
• Develop clean, high-performance C++ code aligned with stringent industry best practices and ROS1/ROS2 standards, prioritizing real-time constraints and reliability.
• Lead complex integration tasks by collaborating closely with senior engineers from the localization, planning, and controls teams to optimize interfaces and resolve critical system-level issues.
• Design and execute rigorous field validation and testing plans to ensure perception features meet mission-critical performance requirements in real-world, dynamic conditions.
• Act as a technical mentor to junior engineers, providing guidance on design patterns, best coding practices, and debugging complex autonomy challenges.
• Contribute significantly to architectural discussions, ensuring new features fit seamlessly into the existing CoreX framework.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master's degree in Robotics, Computer Vision, or a related quantitative field.
• 7+ years of experience in the design and deployment of real-time perception, computer vision, or autonomy systems.
• Expert-level programming skills in C++ with extensive experience in developing and deploying mission-critical systems based on ROS1 or ROS2.
• Deep, proven proficiency with advanced perception libraries (e.g., PCL, Open3D, OpenCV) and modern deep learning stacks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, TensorRT), including optimization for real-time edge deployment.
• Strong command of both traditional and modern deep learning-based perception techniques, particularly with hands-on experience in transformer-based models and efficient data pipeline creation.
• Demonstrated expertise in tackling complex perception problems like multi-sensor fusion, handling high-density point cloud data, advanced obstacle avoidance, and robust sensor calibration.
• Expertise across multiple sensor modalities, specifically LiDAR and advanced camera systems (monocular, stereo)
• Mastery of modern software development workflows, version control (Git), and deployment tools (Docker).
• Proven experience in taking technical lead over a major project or feature and successfully seeing it through to deployment.
• Significant experience and specialization in unstructured or off-road terrain perception, including complex navigation and hazard detection.
• Direct experience with the deployment and optimization of perception models on ARM64-based embedded platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson family).
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, capable of explaining complex ideas and justifying technical decisions effectively.
• A strong, results-oriented attitude with the ability to work independently and drive technical initiatives to completion within a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to positively influence team performance through knowledge sharing and technical mentorship.

What We Offer

We provide a competitive, tax-free salary and a comprehensive benefits package in a collaborative, innovative, and inclusive work environment.

Our benefits include an education allowance, free on-site meals, annual flight allowance, health coverage, relocation support (if applicable), and access to well-being activities such as sports and recreational events.

Join us to drive innovation and shape the future of technology!