Computer Vision Engineer

Chief Engineer, Computer Vision / Machine Learning

Location: San Jose | On-Site

A venture-backed defense technology company building autonomous systems is hiring a Chief Engineer to own the technical vision for the CV/ML platform powering its real-time perception stack — detection, tracking, classification, and decision-making in demanding operational environments.

• Define and own the architecture, technical strategy, and roadmap for the full CV/ML organization, partnering directly with the VP of AI and engineering leadership while leading a small team of senior and staff engineers.
• Make the hard calls across the stack — sensing, compute, model architecture, real-time constraints — and drive systems from research and prototyping through field testing, validation, and production deployment.
• Set the technical bar for the organization: architecture reviews, design standards, and mentorship of senior engineers and engineering managers across teams.
• Hands-on senior technical leadership — the majority of time spent on architecture, system-level tradeoffs, and the most ambiguous engineering problems, not process.
• Requirements: 15+ years building ML-based computer vision, image processing, or signal processing systems; demonstrated ownership of complex perception or autonomy architectures from concept to production; strong C++ and Python with PyTorch or TensorFlow; BS+ in CS, EE, CE, or related. Preferred: prior Chief/Principal/Distinguished Engineer scope, PhD, detection and tracking in cluttered or low-contrast environments, edge deployment (NVIDIA Jetson), multi-sensor fusion including IR, and defense/aerospace/AV background.

Must be a U.S. Citizen