Engineering Manager, Perception AI

Space is a warfighting domain. True Anomaly seeks those with the talent and ambition to build the technology that secures it.OUR MISSIONTrue Anomaly delivers decisive capabilities for space superiority. We build autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors — enabling the U.S. and its Allies to secure the space environment and counter threats from the ultimate high ground.OUR VALUESBe the offset. We create asymmetric advantages with creativity and ingenuity.What would it take? We challenge assumptions to deliver ambitious results.It’s the people. Our team is our competitive advantage and we are better together.YOUR MISSIONBuild and lead the perception AI team that enables autonomous spacecraft operations in complex operational environments. Your team will develop world models and generative AI for photorealistic synthetic training data, multi-target tracking and sensor fusion for object discrimination, edge-deployed AI models for on-orbit operations, and camera calibration systems maintaining performance through environmental variations. You will grow the team across five work streams: world models and generative AI for synthetic video generation, multi-target tracking with clutter and decoy discrimination, signal processing and multi-sensor fusion, camera control with online auto-calibration, and edge-deployed object detection. You will define validation standards bridging synthetic data, simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and operational acceptance. Your team will deliver perception AI systems that track satellites through occlusions and complex maneuvers, discriminate objects from decoys against Earth background clutter, and maintain custody for months without ground intervention. This is perception AI engineering where algorithms operate under spacecraft compute and power budgets, mistakes have operational consequences, and systems enable critical space operations.RESPONSIBILITIESTechnical Oversight & Strategic ContributionsProvide technical direction on world model architectures for photorealistic synthetic video generation, perception AI systems combining classical computer vision with modern deep learning, and edge deployment strategiesReview and approve technical designs for generative AI systems, multi-target tracking algorithms, sensor fusion pipelines, and model compression strategiesLead by example, setting the standard for technical work across design, implementation, and verification (approximately 50% of time)Define perception AI standards, validation approaches bridging synthetic and real-world data, and hardware-in-the-loop testing protocolsDrive technical decisions on when to use physics-based simulation versus generative AI for synthetic data, when classical algorithms excel versus learned representations, and real-time performance trade-offsMaintain technical credibility in generative AI for synthetic data, computer vision, state estimation, and resource-constrained deploymentStrategic Planning & ExecutionDefine and own the team roadmap in collaboration with perception AI leadership, balancing near-term delivery with long-term capability development across world models, multi-modal fusion, and continuous learning from operational and synthetic dataTranslate organizational strategy into actionable team objectives aligned to defense and commercial customer missionsPrioritize work across competing demands: photorealistic synthetic video generation, multi-target tracking with decoy discrimination, signal processing and sensor fusion, camera calibration and control, edge-deployed object detectionManage dependencies and coordinate with flight software, hardware, autonomy, and simulation teams for successful cross-functional deliveryTrack and communicate progress, risks, and blockers to leadership with focus on integration milestones and operational acceptanceDrive continuous improvement in processes, tools, and workflows to increase velocity from prototype to flight-ready systemsWork with program managers to scope projects, estimate timelines, and commit to deliverablesTeam Leadership & People ManagementBuild, grow, and lead a team of perception and AI engineers through recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retentionProvide direct people management including 1-on-1s, performance reviews, goal setting, and career developmentFoster a culture of technical excellence, rigorous validation, and rapid iteration from synthetic data through simulation to flightDevelop individual contributors into technical leaders through mentorship and growth opportunitiesManage team dynamics, resolve conflicts, and ensure healthy team communicationFacilitate knowledge sharing, cross-training, and documentation to build team resilienceBridge generative AI, classical perception, and modern deep learning approaches, guiding the team on when each paradigm appliesQUALIFICATIONS- Education: Master's degree in computer science, robotics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or related technical field; Ph.D. or Bachelor's degree with equivalent professional experience also acceptedExperience: 8+ years of experience in computer vision, robotics, autonomous systems, or perception AI engineering with at least 4-5 years in people management, leading teams of 4+ engineersPeople Management: Demonstrated track record of building, growing, and developing high-performing engineering teams including hiring, performance management, and career developmentLeadership: Proven ability to lead through influence, manage stakeholder expectations, drive execution in ambiguous environments, and deliver results through othersTechnical Foundation: Strong foundation in perception AI with depth in synthetic data generation, multi-object tracking, sensor fusion, or edge AI deployment (sufficient for technical oversight and credibility)Domain Knowledge: Experience with resource-constrained perception AI deployment, real-time vision systems, or aerospace applications operating under strict compute, power, and thermal budgetsCommunication: Exceptional communication skills with ability to influence senior leadership, translate between technical and non-technical audiences, and represent the team effectivelyStrategic Thinking: Translate organizational objectives into team strategy, prioritize competing demands, and balance technical excellence with deliveryProcess & Execution: Track record defining processes, establishing team norms, and driving execution excellence in fast-paced environmentsCollaboration: Strong cross-functional collaboration with ability to build relationships, resolve conflicts, and drive consensus across autonomy, flight software, hardware, and simulation teamsClearance: U.S. Citizen and eligible for government security clearancePREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCEPrior work with synthetic data generation: generative AI for photorealistic video synthesis, rendering pipelines (Blender, Unreal), domain randomization, sim-to-real transferExperience with world models and physics-based simulation: sensor phenomenology frameworks, multi-modal data synthesisExperience with deep learning for perception AI: object detection (YOLO, Faster R-CNN), classification, semantic segmentation, vision transformersDeep experience with multi-object tracking: data association algorithms (Hungarian, JPDA, MHT), Kalman filtering (EKF, UKF, IMM), track management logicBackground in sensor fusion: multi-modal perception AI (optical, thermal, LIDAR), time synchronization, covariance intersection, information-theoretic fusionExperience with edge AI deployment: model compression (quantization, pruning, distillation), ONNX/TensorRT optimization, inference on embedded systemsBackground in classical computer vision: camera calibration, coordinate transformations, structure from motion, pose estimationBackground in signal processing: sensor phenomenology, radiometry, SNR analysis, adaptive filtering, multi-spectral processingExperience with flight software integration: safety-critical systems, deterministic execution, hardware-in-the-loop validationPrior work with defense or space missions: object discrimination, space situational awareness, rendezvous and proximity operationsBackground in autonomous aerospace systems: spacecraft autonomy, UAVs, robotic systems, or defense applicationsExperience managing geographically distributed or hybrid teams through full product development lifecyclesTrack record delivering complex, multi-quarter initiatives requiring coordination across multiple teams and hardware/software integrationExperience with agile methodologies, sprint planning, and iterative delivery in engineering environmentsBackground partnering with product management to define requirements and prioritize features based on technical leverageExperience with resource planning, capacity modeling, and headcount justificationPrior work bridging research prototypes (CVPR/ICCV/ICRA-quality) to production systems with emphasis on reliability and operational deploymentCOMPENSATIONBase Salary: $205,000 to $315,000Equity + 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 REQUIREMENTSWork Location—Successful candidates will be located 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.#LI-Onsite To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.True Anomaly is committed to equal employment opportunity on any basis protected by applicable state and federal laws. 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