Perception Engineer

San Francisco, Huntington Beach

About the role

<div class="content-intro"><h1 data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><strong>About Mach Industries</strong></h1> <p>Founded in 2023, Mach Industries is a rapidly growing defense technology company focused on developing next-generation autonomous defense platforms. At the core of our mission is the commitment to delivering scalable, decentralized defense systems that enhance the strategic capabilities of the United States and its allies. With a workforce of approximately 350 employees, we operate with startup agility and ambition.</p> <p>Our vision is to redefine the future of warfare through cutting-edge manufacturing, innovation at speed, and unwavering focus on national security. We are dedicated to solving the next generation of warfare with lethal systems that deter kinetic conflict and protect global security.</p></div><div> <h1><strong>

The Role</strong></h1> <p>Mach Industries is building an AI-forward autonomy stack for contested environments where GPS and other sensing are unavailable or unreliable. As a Perception Engineer, you will design, train, and deploy state-of-the-art vision and multi-sensor perception systems that enable navigation, targeting, and automatic target recognition on our product lines. You’ll work across deep learning, computer vision, and embedded systems to bring research-grade algorithms to real-world deployments.</p> <h1><strong>Key

Responsibilities</strong></h1> <ul> <li> <p>Build and refine detection/segmentation/tracking architectures (CNN/Transformer) for EO/IR and multi-spectral imagery; drive foundation-scale datasets, training recipes, and robust generalization to long-tail and degraded conditions.</p> </li> <li> <p>Stand up training/eval pipelines (PR/ROC, mAP, latency, robustness suites); implement continuous regression testing and model-update loops from field data.</p> </li> <li> <p>Optimize models for real-time embedded inference (quantization/pruning, TensorRT/ONNX Runtime), profile CPU/GPU, and meet tight throughput/latency targets on Jetson-class hardware.</p> </li> <li> <p>Combine vision outputs with auxiliary sensing (e.g., radar/LiDAR/RF cues) for confirm/deny, association, and track management using decision-level fusion.</p> </li> <li> <p>Create visualization, triage, and root-cause tools for rapid insight from simulation, HITL, and flight logs; define end-to-end test plans with hardware and flight teams.</p> </li> <li> <p>Instrument health metrics, drift detection, and graceful degradation; write clear tests and documentation mapped to performance

requirements.</p> </li> <li> <p>Perform simulation-based testing with high-fidelity sensor models and validate algorithms using real-world datasets.</p> </li> </ul> <h1><strong>Required

Qualifications</strong></h1> <ul> <li> <p>Production C++ on Linux and Python for ML/tooling; profiling, optimization, and rigorous testing discipline. Experience diving into CUDA backends for performance optimization and debugging.</p> </li> <li> <p>Strong with modern detection/segmentation/tracking (e.g., Retina/FCOS/DETR/Mask2D/Video models) and training/fine-tuning in PyTorch.</p> </li> <li> <p>Proven experience building large, diverse datasets; labeling/QA pipelines; augmentation; experiment tracking; and reproducible training.</p> </li> <li> <p>Hands-on with model compression (INT8/FP16), runtime optimization, and real-time constraints.</p> </li> <li> <p>EO/IR imagery experience and working with real flight/test data in challenging environments.</p> </li> <li> <p>7+ years of experience with either a BS/MS/PhD in CS/EE/Robotics or similar, or equivalent experience; track record shipping ML models to production.</p> </li> </ul> <h1><strong>Preferred

Qualifications</strong></h1> <ul> <li> <p>Multi-modal perception experience (EO/IR + radar/LiDAR/RF) at the decision or feature level.</p> </li> <li> <p>Robustness and safety: adversarial/rare-event testing, long-horizon reliability metrics, dataset shift/drift monitoring.</p> </li> <li> <p>Physics-aware imaging: radiometric correction, NUC/FFC, atmospheric effects modeling; synthetic data/simulation for coverage.</p> </li> <li> <p>MLOps and data infra: SQL/Parquet, dataset/versioning tools, CI-based validation; scalable training on multi-GPU.</p> </li> </ul> </div> <div> <h1><strong>ITAR

Requirements</strong></h1> <p>To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR <a href="https://www.pmddtc.state.gov/?id=ddtc_kb_article_page&sys_id=24d528fddbfc930044f9ff621f961987">here</a>.  </p> </div><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Engineer</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$125,000</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$160,000 USD</span></div></div><div class="pay-input"><div class="title">Senior Engineer</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$165,000</span><span class="divider">—</span><span>$220,000 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p data-pm-slice="0 0 []">At Mach, we believe that

compensation is more than just a paycheck. It's a comprehensive package designed to reward the time, skills, and expertise you bring to our team. We are committed to offering competitive

compensation that is equitable, transparent, and aligned with market trends.</p> <p>Key Elements of Our

Compensation Philosophy:</p> <ul> <li><strong>Competitive Salaries</strong>: We continuously research market rates to ensure our salaries are competitive with those in our industry and geographic location.</li> <li><strong>Performance-Based Incentives</strong>: Our

bonus structure is tied to both individual and company performance, creating a win-win scenario that motivates our team members to excel.</li> <li><strong>Equity Participation</strong>: We offer stock options or equity to employees, ensuring that you share in the success and growth of the company.</li> <li><strong>Benefit Packages</strong>: Our

benefits include healthcare, dental and vision plans, retirement savings, and paid time off, because we understand that your well-being extends beyond the office.</li> <li><strong>Professional Development</strong>: We allocate funds for continuing education, training, and career growth.</li> <li><strong>Transparency</strong>: We are committed to openness about our

compensation tiers and how decisions are made, ensuring trust and mutual respect.</li> </ul> <p>By joining Mach, you’re not just accepting a job—you’re becoming a key part of a team that values your contributions and invests in your growth. Together, we aim to create a rewarding environment that sets the stage for long-term success.</p> <p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><strong>Data Privacy</strong><br>To view Mach Industries candidate data privacy policy, please visit <a href="https://machindustries.com/privacy-policy" target="_blank">https://machindustries.com/privacy-policy</a>.</p> <p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><strong>Disclosures</strong></p> <p>This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR) and the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).  Please note that any offer for employment may be conditioned on authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these U.S. export control laws and regulations without sponsorship for an export license.</p> <p>Mach participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.</p> <p>The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of

compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offers may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and training, critical skills, and business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in most offers and are considered part of Mach’s total

compensation package. Mach offers

benefits such as health insurance, retirement plans, and opportunities for professional development.</p> <p>Mach is an equal opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be treated with respect and receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, uniform service, Veteran status, age, or any other protected characteristic per federal, state, or local law, including those with a criminal history, in a manner consistent with the

requirements of applicable state and local laws. If you’d like to defend the American way of life, please reach out!</p></div>

About Mach Industries

Mach Industries is a defense manufacturing company building advanced unmanned systems and defense infrastructure for the modern era. The company develops products including VTOL strike aircraft, long-range munitions, and high-altitude pseudo-satellite platforms, with a vertically integrated and distributed manufacturing model designed for supply chain resilience. Its customers include the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Special Operations Command.

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Job details

Salary

$125,000 - $160,000

Location

San Francisco, Huntington Beach

Company

NameMach Industries
IndustryAerospace
Team Size3

Funding

Total raised

$185M

Last stage

Growth

Investors

Khosla Ventures
BBedrock Capital
Sequoia Capital
DDCVC
MMarque Ventures

Founders

ET

Ethan Thornton

Founder and CEO

What happens next.

No applications, no recruiter spam. Just the intro.

01

Confirm the fit

A few questions to make sure this role is the right shape for you. Two minutes.

02

I pitch you to the company

I write the intro, send it to the founder, and handle the back-and-forth.

03

A meeting lands on your calendar

If they’re a yes, I book the chat. You show up — that’s the whole job-hunt.