Perception Engineer Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

• Job Title: Systems Engineer Autonomy & Control
• Department: Mission Success
• Location: United States (Frequent operational travel)

Who we are:SubSea Craft, is a fast-growing, privately funded, UK-founded innovative maritime technology company specialising in next-generation, high-performance watercraft and systems. As we expand internationally, we are establishing a presence in the United States and are seeking US-based talent to support this growth. Operating at the intersection of advanced engineering, cutting-edge design, and user-centric innovation, we deliver safe, effective, and enabling solutions for both defence and commercial applications.

What we offer:

• Paid Time Off (PTO) 10 days of paid time off annually, plus public holidays.
• Sick Leave 7 days of paid sick leave per year.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan Access to a 401(k) plan to support your long-term financial wellbeing.
• Health Insurance Comprehensive medical coverage to support your overall wellbeing.
• Dental & Vision Insurance Additional coverage for routine and specialist care.
• Disability Insurance Short-term and long-term disability cover to provide financial protection if youre unable to work.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Access to confidential support services for personal, financial, and mental wellbeing.
• Professional Development Commitment to ongoing learning and career growth.
• Inclusive Culture A professional environment that values diversity, innovation, and collaboration.

Position Summary

The Systems Engineer Autonomy & Control is responsible for ensuring our autonomous vessels and their operator interfaces behave predictably, safely and credibly in all customerfacing opportunities. The role owns the missionsystem side of the craft: the autonomy stack, guidance, navigation and control, vehicle operating modes, and the integration and performance of key perception sensors as well as the control software and humanmachine interfaces used by operators.

Working as part of the Mission Success team, the role bridges software engineering and field operations by preparing, verifying and executing software loads and configuration changes, conducting rigorous premission functional checks, and tuning system parameters so that the vessels perform as required. Leading infield diagnosis of autonomy, control and sensor issues, implementing safe workarounds to protect customer events, and capturing highquality data and findings so that system behaviour, safety and performance continuously improve.

Responsibilities will include:

Autonomy and mission configuration

• Prepare, configure and verify autonomy, guidance, navigation and control software, operating modes and failsafe behaviours, maintaining clear version and parameter records across vessels and control stations.
• Translate test plans and customer objectives into mission configurations, set up and validate mission profiles and provide realtime technical support to operators during missions.

Diagnostics, troubleshooting and recovery

• Monitor telemetry and logs to detect anomalies in autonomy, sensor fusion and control performance, and diagnose issues that span software and hardware.
• Implement safe, rapid workarounds or reconfiguration to restore correct behaviour and prevent visible failures in front of customers, but collate lessons learned to mitigate reoccurrences.

Sensors, perception and humanmachine interaction

• Verify and maintain the performance of key perception sensors, ensuring they are correctly configured, calibrated and integrated into the autonomy stack.
• Configure and optimise operator control stations and workflows, capturing user feedback to improve situational awareness and usability.

Trials, data and feedback to engineering

• Plan and support structured trials and demonstrations, including defining configurations, datacapture requirements and safety measures.
• Curate logs and observations into clear technical reports and recommendations, including proposed parameter changes, software updates and new feature requests.

Configuration control and professional standards

• Enforce disciplined control of autonomy software, parameters and mission templates in the field, ensuring only approved configurations are used and temporary workarounds are documented and reversible.
• Act as the onsite technical authority for autonomy and control matters within the Mission Success team.

Qualifications and Experience:

Required Qualifications

• Experience working with robotics, autonomy systems, or unmanned platforms

• Experience diagnosing software or control system issues

• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability

Preferred Qualifications

• Degree in Software Engineering, Robotics, Mechatronics, or related field

• Experience with autonomy frameworks or robotics development tools

• Familiarity with unmanned maritime or aerial systems

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work in maritime and field-based environments

• Ability to travel for operational deployments

Note: Please note: Due to the nature of the work undertaken, the selected candidate must be able to meet the security requirements of the position. This includes, at a minimum, having the legal right to work in the United States and the ability to successfully complete applicable background checks.

For certain roles, candidates may also be required to obtain and maintain a US Government security clearance. In the majority of cases, eligibility for clearance will require US citizenship and will be subject to applicable federal laws and regulations.

Values:Our people are our greatest asset, we continually strive to provide an excellent working environment to enable our team to do their best work. We have an agile professional workforce: weare founded on the belief that our people are valued and our business is trusted, inclusive and commercially-adept.

What we expect from you:

• Teamwork, mutual respect and collaboration
• Initiative and independent working
• Honesty and integrity
• Business and commercial awareness
• Agility, adaptability and continuous development

We are committed to building an inclusive, diverse workplace where everyone can thrive. If you require any support or adjustments to interact with us, please let us know.

*Please note that all offers of employment are conditional and subject to satisfactory background screening, employment verification, and, where applicable, driving record checks. For certain roles, additional security or clearance requirements may apply in line with US defence regulations.

A criminal record will not automatically disqualify candidates from employment. Any criminal history will be considered in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, and in the context of the role, alongside the broader information gathered throughout the application, interview, and pre-employment screening process.

In the event of a high number of applications, we may be unable to respond to everyone. If you are shortlisted, we will aim to contact you within 14 days of your application or the closing date (if stated). We may retain your details for future suitable roles unless you advise us otherwise.

SubSea Craft, is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.
Compensation Range: $105,000 - $130,000