Skip to content

Senior Perception and Autonomy Engineer

San Diego, California
Full Time On-site

Summary

Job Description

Job Overview

We are seeking a Senior Perception & Autonomy Engineer to play a pivotal role in designing, developing, and implementing perception systems for our autonomous surface vessels. Our team is laser focused on making boats go and perform tasks with no human involvement. This job is available at multiple levels, including entry, senior, and staff.

Responsibilities:

  • Develop algorithms and models which allow boats to sense and navigate

  • Develop metrics which allow quantitative analysis of improvements and regressions in boat performance

  • Analyze and work with large data systems to enable model training and evaluation

Requirements:

  • Strong programming fundamentals

    • Extensive programming experience and demonstrated ability to work on large systems

  • Computing Fundamentals

    • A general understanding of operating systems and or similar large scale systems

    • An understanding of basic computer architecture

  • A demonstrated willingness to learn and pivot based on new information

Useful Skills:

  • Familiarity with deep learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch)

  • Understanding of various filters and their applications

  • Proficiency in Rust

  • Experience with maritime or autonomous vehicle projects

  • Experience with signals processing or sensor fusion

  • Experience with low latency inference and tracking pipelines

  • Experience with path planning algorithms

  • Experience training and deploying multi modal models

  • Experience with various sensors including radar, cameras, and lidar

  • Experience developing and optimizing deployed ML systems

Physical Demands:

  • Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer

  • Occasional standing and walking within the office

  • Manual dexterity to operate a computer keyboard, mouse, and other office equipment

  • Visual acuity to read screens, documents, and reports

  • Occasional reaching, bending, or stooping to access file drawers, cabinets, or office supplies

  • Lifting and carrying items up to 20 pounds occasionally (e.g., office supplies, packages)

Benefits:

  • Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance plans covering a range of services

  • Dental and Vision Insurance: Coverage for routine dental check-ups, orthodontics, and vision care

  • Saronic pays 100% of the premium for employees and 80% for dependents

  • Time Off: Generous PTO and Holidays

  • Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents

  • Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses

  • Retirement Plan: 401(k) plan

  • Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company’s success

  • Life and Disability Insurance: Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage

  • Additional Perks: Free lunch benefit and unlimited free drinks and snacks in the office

This role requires access to export-controlled information or items that require “U.S. Person” status. As defined by U.S. law, individuals who are any one of the following are considered to be a “U.S. Person”: (1) U.S. citizens, (2) legal permanent residents (a.k.a. green card holders), and (3) certain protected classes of asylees and refugees, as defined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

Saronic does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.

About Saronic

Saronic

Saronic is one of the fastest-growing defense technology companies focused on autonomous maritime systems for the U.S. military. Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, the company builds intelligent Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs) designed to improve maritime surveillance, operational reach, and force protection in contested environments. Saronic is helping modernize naval operations through AI-powered unmanned vessels capable of supporting missions ranging from reconnaissance and logistics to distributed maritime operations.

For job seekers, Saronic offers opportunities to work on some of the most advanced technologies in maritime defense, including autonomy, robotics, AI, naval architecture, software engineering, manufacturing, and mission operations. The company hires across mechanical engineering, embedded systems, autonomy software, marine design, production, and field testing—making it especially attractive to engineers, veterans, maritime professionals, and builders who want hands-on ownership of mission-critical systems.

Unlike traditional shipbuilders or legacy defense contractors, Saronic operates with a startup-style engineering culture centered around speed, rapid prototyping, and real-world deployment. Employees work closely across hardware, software, and field operations to design, test, and scale autonomous vessels faster than traditional defense timelines, giving team members direct exposure to high-impact products supporting national security missions.

As the U.S. military increases investment in autonomous naval systems and maritime modernization, Saronic continues to grow rapidly through major funding rounds, Navy contracts, and manufacturing expansion. For professionals seeking a high-growth defense company at the intersection of AI, robotics, and naval technology, Saronic is quickly emerging as one of the most exciting employers in the defense innovation ecosystem.

Go to company profile