Perception Algorithm Engineer Jobs in Toms River, NJ

Job Title: Software Engineer
Location: On-Site - Monroe Twp., NJ
Reports to: Software Architect
About Us:
OPT provides intelligent maritime solutions and services that enable safer, cleaner, and more productive ocean operations for the defense and security, oil and gas, science and research, and offshore wind markets, including Merrows™, which provides AI-capable seamless integration of Maritime Domain Awareness Systems across platforms. Our PowerBuoy® platforms provide clean and reliable electric power and real-time data communications for remote maritime and subsea applications. We also provide WAM-V® unmanned surface vehicles (USV's) and marine robotics services. The Company's headquarters is located in Monroe Township, New Jersey and has an additional office in Richmond, California.
The Role:
We are seeking a Software Engineer to join the engineering team in our headquarters office in Monroe Twp., NJ, focused on developing and deploying software for our WAM-V® and PowerBuoy® platforms. This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys working at the intersection of marine ISR, marine vehicle autonomy, and graphical user interface (GUI) design. You will take ownership of key software components supporting sensor processing and fusion, graphical rendering of sensor data, data recording, and vehicle autonomy. While based in our NJ office, this role will require close collaboration with cross-functional engineering teams in both our NJ and CA offices.
This role requires someone who is comfortable working across the stack from embedded firmware and Linux-based backend services to desktop GUI applications. While marine ISR and robotics experience is valuable, we prioritize strong fundamentals in C/C++, UI/UX design, networking, and system integration. The ideal candidate is highly collaborative, practical, and motivated to see their software operate on real hardware in challenging ocean environments. This position offers the opportunity to directly impact mission-critical autonomy systems, including sensor integration, vehicle coordination, and resilient communications, helping shape the future of marine robotics and autonomous maritime operations.
Responsibilities:

• Develop robust, reliable, and maintainable software components to support OPT's marine ISR platform (Merrows™) and the WAM-V® autonomy and control platform.
• Integrate embedded software and firmware with OPT's GUI applications, working closely with electrical, mechanical, and embedded engineers
• Work with diverse sensor inputs (e.g., cameras, radar, sonar, GPS, Starlink, cellular) to:
  • Enable data acquisition, perception, and autonomy behaviors
  • Support development of obstacle detection and avoidance capabilities
  • Implement comprehensive, performant, and accessible data recording mechanisms
• Contribute to autonomy capabilities, including vehicle coordination and multi-domain operations (surface, subsea, aerial)
• Develop and maintain simulation tools to model sensor inputs and vehicle behavior in dynamic ocean environments and support testing and validation
• Debug and troubleshoot complex issues across software, networking, and hardware systems, both in the lab and in field deployments
• Maintain clear technical documentation, including software architecture, APIs, and test procedures
• Support field testing, sea trials, and system bring-up as needed

Qualifications:
Required:

• US citizenship
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field
• Minimum 2 years of experience in a software engineering role
• Strong proficiency in C++, particularly in embedded Linux applications and Windows-based GUI applications. Experience with video processing protocols and libraries (e.g., H.264, HEVC, MPEG-TS, ffmpeg, gStreamer) is strongly desired
• Experience with software build systems and tools (e.g., CMake, make/ninja, gcc/clang, Git)

• Experience with network analysis and debugging tools (e.g., Wireshark, tcpdump) and C/C++ application debugging tools (GDB, LLDB, WinDbg, ASan).

• Experience with networking and communications systems/protocols, such as UDP, TCP, RTSP/RTP, and SRT.
• Solid understanding of software architecture, testing, and debugging practices
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to debug complex, integrated systems
• Ability to collaborate effectively across multidisciplinary teams

Desired:

• Experience with UI/UX design, especially with real-time data rendering applications
• Expertise with optimizing performance of network pipelines to minimize latency for real-time data presentation.
• Experience in computer vision or sensor processing for robotics applications. Familiarity with NVIDIA-based AI/compute tools (e.g., CUDA, TensorRT, DeepStream, Jetson Linux) is strongly desired.
• Experience with autonomous navigation and path-planning algorithms, particularly in unstructured environments
• Willingness to participate in hands-on testing, including field deployments and sea trials
• Ability to travel occasionally for testing, operations, and customer demonstrations
• Eligibility to obtain U.S. government security clearance (if required)

Ocean Power Technologies provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.
Salary range is $115,000 - $125,000 per year and includes the following:

• Bonus potential
• Restricted Stock Awards

Benefits include:

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• 401(k)