At a Glance
- Tasks: Develop perception systems for autonomous underwater vehicles using cutting-edge technology.
- Company: Join an innovative startup revolutionising underwater exploration and security.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic team culture with exciting challenges and career advancement opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the future of underwater autonomy and technology.
- Qualifications: Experience in robotics perception, strong Python and C++ skills required.
The predicted salary is between 54000 - 66000 £ per year.
Perception Engineer
About Vatn Systems
Vatn Systems is an innovative startup at the forefront of designing and manufacturing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
Our mission is to revolutionize underwater security, exploration, research, and operations through cutting‑edge technology and unparalleled engineering.
Our AUVs are defining the next generation of underwater autonomy.
The Role
As a Perception Engineer, you'll develop and improve the perception stack that powers our self‑driving vehicles.
Working hands‑on with sonar and image data, you'll help build robust pipelines for detecting and tracking.
You'll work closely with the autonomy team to integrate perception capabilities into bespoke behaviors, unlocking novel capabilities.
What You'll Do
- Implement and maintain real‑time perception pipelines on autonomous vehicle platforms.
- Develop algorithms for obstacle detection, classification, and multi‑object tracking.
- Write and maintain ROS 2 nodes and packages for on‑vehicle perception software.
- Utilize Python and C++ to develop and implement algorithms for obstacle detection, classification, and multi‑object tracking.
- Participate in on‑site vehicle testing and debugging of real‑world perception failures.
- Collaborate with localization, prediction, and planning teams to ensure clean perception interfaces.
What We're Looking For
- Required
- 3–5 years of experience in robotics perception, computer vision, or autonomous systems.
- Strong
Python skills for prototyping, scripting, and ML workflows.
- Solid
ROS / ROS 2 experience, experience with commercial grade robotic systems.
- Proficient in
C++ for real‑time, production‑grade robotics software.
- Experience with 3D sensor data — Li DAR point clouds, depth estimation, or multi‑sensor fusion. Marine sensor experience is a big plus!
- Working knowledge of deep learning frameworks (Py Torch preferred) for detection or segmentation tasks.
- Working knowledge of classical data‑driven perception techniques.
- Understanding of 3D geometry, sensor calibration, and coordinate frame transformations.
- Willingness to work on‑site and participate in physical vehicle test sessions.
- US Citizen and ability to gain a security clearance.
- Preferred
- Exposure to
Rust for systems programming or robotics tooling.
- Familiarity with AV‑specific perception challenges: moving object tracking, occlusion handling, sensor degradation in adverse weather, GPS‑denied localization.
- Knowledge of Tensor RT or other inference optimization tools for real‑time deployment.
- Understanding of AV safety standards or safety‑critical software development practices.
- Nice to Have
- Prior experience at a startup and/or defense company.
- Experience deploying perception models on embedded automotive hardware (Drive AGX, Jetson, etc.)
Vatn is an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply.
We look forward to reviewing your application and potentially having you join our team in shaping the future of autonomous underwater vehicles.
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Perception Engineer in Bristol employer: Vatn Systems
Vatn Systems is an exceptional employer for Embedded Firmware Engineers, offering a dynamic and innovative work environment in Bristol, RI. As a startup at the cutting edge of autonomous underwater vehicle technology, employees benefit from a collaborative culture that fosters creativity and hands-on problem-solving, alongside opportunities for professional growth and development in a rapidly evolving field. With a focus on impactful projects and a commitment to employee well-being, Vatn Systems provides a unique chance to contribute to groundbreaking advancements in underwater exploration and security.
