Perception Machine Learning Engineer

THE COMPANY

Saildrone is a maritime defense company and the global leader in autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). With more ocean miles and real-world operational experience than any USV manufacturer or operator, Saildrone maintains active, combat-deployed systems supporting national security and force projection around the world, 24/7/365. 

Saildrone’s manufacturing and R&D headquarters are located in Alameda, CA, with business development and sales operations in Washington, DC, and deployment hubs in Europe and the Middle East. By combining proven autonomous operations, edge computing, advanced sensing, renewable power, and the most advanced and robust unmanned surface technology on the planet, Saildrone is shaping how the Navy of the future operates. Join a fast-moving, mission-driven team at the forefront of maritime security and autonomous innovation.

THE POSITION

Saildrone is applying modern machine learning and computer vision to autonomous vehicles operating in challenging, poorly observed environments. As a Perception Machine Learning Engineer, you will develop and deploy ML-based perception capabilities using real-world vehicle data.

You will work across model development, data, evaluation, and production deployment.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop machine-learning-based perception systems for autonomous vehicles.
• Train, evaluate, and improve computer vision models using real-world sensor data.
• Develop data and experimentation workflows to identify failure modes and improve model performance.
• Build perception capabilities for detection, classification, segmentation, depth estimation, or scene understanding.
• Analyze vehicle data and model failures to identify weaknesses and drive improvements.
• Integrate models into production perception systems.
• Bring new machine learning techniques from experimentation into deployed systems.

THE QUALIFICATIONS

• Strong Python programming skills.
• Hands-on experience developing computer vision or machine learning systems.
• Strong experience with PyTorch or a comparable ML framework.
• Strong understanding of computer vision fundamentals and real-world visual data.
• Experience evaluating models using quantitative metrics and experimental analysis.
• Experience taking ML or computer vision systems into production.

NICE TO HAVE

• C++ experience for production perception systems.
• Robotics, autonomous vehicle, aerospace, or defense experience.
• Edge or embedded ML deployment.
• Sensor fusion, 3D perception, or multimodal perception.
• ONNX, TensorRT, CUDA, or other inference optimization experience.

The base salary range for this position is shown below. Actual compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and qualifications. This range reflects the base salary for candidates in states requiring pay transparency disclosure.

Salary Range$144,500—$300,000 USD

To view Saildrone's candidate privacy policy, please visit: https://www.saildrone.com/privacy-policy.

BENEFITS

At Saildrone, we’re building operational capability that matters—and that requires people who can do their best work over the long term. We invest in our team’s well-being, financial security, and professional growth so you can focus on delivering real-world impact with confidence and stability. Our comprehensive benefits package is designed to support you and your family while you contribute to a mission with lasting significance. 

• Generous Time Off: Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual plus a robust annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave ensure you can rest, reset, and sustain performance over time.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with significant company contributions for employees and dependents—providing security and peace of mind.
• Shared Ownership in the Mission: Equity grants are a core part of our compensation, allowing you to participate in the long-term value you help create through meaningful, operational work.
• Retirement Savings: Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with flexible pre-tax and Roth payroll contribution options supports long-term financial planning.
• Investment in Your Growth: We support your continuous learning through an annual professional development reimbursement program, empowering you to sharpen your skills and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving field.
• Relocation Support: For eligible roles, we offer relocation assistance to help bring the world’s best talent to our mission-critical locations.

Saildrone is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.