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Robotics Perception Jobs in Washington, DC (NOW HIRING)

Forterra

Autonomy Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$120 - $165/hr

Knowledge of navigation, mapping algorithms and robot perception * Familiarity with real-time operating systems and embedded programming US Salary Range $120,000--$165,000 The salary range for this ...

Forterra

Lead Autonomy Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$150 - $250/hr

Knowledge of navigation, mapping algorithms and robot perception * Familiarity with real-time operating systems and embedded programming * Leadership experience on cross-functional software teams US ...

Forterra

Lead Autonomy Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$150K - $250K/yr

Knowledge of navigation, mapping algorithms and robot perception * Familiarity with real-time operating systems and embedded programming * Leadership experience on cross-functional software teams US ...

Forterra

Autonomy Software Engineer

Arlington, VA · On-site

$120K - $165K/yr

Knowledge of navigation, mapping algorithms and robot perception * Familiarity with real-time operating systems and embedded programming US Salary Range $120,000-$165,000 The salary range for this ...

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All JobsRobotics Perception JobsRobotics Perception Jobs in Washington, DC

Robotics Perception information

See Washington, DC salary details

$95.1K

$108.7K

$131.9K

How much do robotics perception jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for robotics perception in Washington, DC is $108,729.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $101,900.00 and $115,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is robotics perception?

Robotics perception refers to the ability of robots to interpret and understand their environment using sensors such as cameras, LIDAR, and radar. This field combines elements of computer vision, machine learning, and sensor fusion to help robots identify objects, navigate spaces, and interact with the world safely and effectively. Robotics perception is crucial for autonomous systems like self-driving cars, drones, and industrial robots, enabling them to make decisions based on real-time data from their surroundings.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a robotics perception engineer?

To thrive as a Robotics Perception Engineer, you need a solid background in computer vision, machine learning, and robotics, typically supported by a degree in computer science, engineering, or a related field. Experience with tools like ROS (Robot Operating System), OpenCV, and programming languages such as Python or C++ is essential, along with familiarity with sensor technologies and perception algorithms. Strong problem-solving skills, teamwork, and clear communication are crucial soft skills for addressing complex challenges and collaborating effectively. These abilities ensure robust perception systems, enabling robots to interpret and interact safely and efficiently with their environments.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals in robotics perception roles when integrating perception systems with real-world robotics applications?

A key challenge in Robotics Perception is ensuring that perception algorithms—such as object detection, mapping, and localization—operate reliably in dynamic, unstructured environments. Professionals often need to address sensor noise, variable lighting conditions, and occlusions that can impact data quality. Integrating perception systems with robotic hardware requires close collaboration with mechanical, software, and controls engineers to ensure real-time performance and robustness. Adapting solutions to different platforms and continuously validating them in field tests is also an essential, ongoing responsibility.

What is the difference between Robotics Perception vs Robotics Software Engineer?

AspectRobotics PerceptionRobotics Software Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Robotics, Computer Science, or related fields; experience with perception algorithmsBachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related; programming skills in C++, Python
Work EnvironmentResearch labs, R&D departments, industry settings focused on sensor data processingDevelopment teams, industrial or research settings, focusing on software development for robots
Industry UsageUsed in autonomous vehicles, drones, and robotic systems for environment understandingDevelops the software that enables robotic functionalities, including perception modules

Robotics Perception specialists focus on developing algorithms that interpret sensor data to understand the environment, while Robotics Software Engineers build the overall software systems that incorporate perception modules. Both roles often collaborate but differ in their core focus and skill sets.

What are popular job titles related to Robotics Perception jobs in Washington, DC?

For Robotics Perception jobs in Washington, DC, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Robotics Perception jobs in Washington, DC look for?

The top searched job categories for Robotics Perception jobs in Washington, DC are:

Robotics Perception jobs near you
Infographic showing various Robotics Perception job openings in Washington, DC as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 80% Full Time, 19% Part Time, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 99% Physical, and 1% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $108,729 per year, or $52.3 per hour.

Senior Staff Software Engineer, Perception (R4985)

Shield AI

Washington, DC • On-site

$233K - $350K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 10 days ago

Job description

Shield AI is a venture-backed defense-tech company with the mission of protecting service members and civilians with intelligent systems. Its products include Hivemind autonomy software, V-BAT and X-BAT aircraft, and Aechelon simulation and synthetic reality technologies. With offices and facilities across the U.S., Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, Shield AI’s technology actively supports operations worldwide. For more information, visit www.shield.ai. Follow Shield AI on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and YouTube. 

The Hivemind Solutions Perception team develops the next generation of perception capabilities for autonomous systems by combining state-of-the-art machine learning with the proven foundations of computer vision. The team advances how autonomous platforms understand and interpret the world by developing vision, vision-language (VLM), and vision-language-action (VLA) models that tackle core perception challenges such as object understanding, scene interpretation, and mission-relevant environmental awareness. Working at the intersection of research and production, our engineers build the data pipelines, supervised fine-tuning (SFT) workflows, evaluation frameworks, and deployment infrastructure needed to transform cutting-edge AI research into reliable, mission-ready perception capabilities.
 
In this role, you'll develop and deploy advanced machine learning models that enable autonomous systems to better understand, reason about, and interact with their environment. You'll partner closely with machine learning researchers, autonomy engineers, perception engineers, and platform teams to translate emerging AI capabilities into reliable, production-ready systems for U.S. and international defense customers. This is an ideal opportunity for engineers who enjoy building state-of-the-art AI systems while solving the practical challenges of deploying them on operational autonomous platforms. 
What You'll Do:

Model Development – Design, train, fine-tune, and maintain state-of-the-art vision, vision-language, and vision-language-action models that improve perception and decision-making for autonomous systems. 

Data Pipelines & Model Training – Build scalable data pipelines, supervised fine-tuning (SFT) workflows, and evaluation loops that continuously improve model performance on mission-relevant tasks. 

Model Deployment & Optimization – Deploy and optimize machine learning models for embedded hardware using technologies such as ONNX, TensorRT, and hardware-accelerated inference frameworks. 

Perception & Autonomy Applications – Apply modern machine learning techniques to solve challenging perception and autonomy problems across aerial and other autonomous systems operating in complex, real-world environments. 

Research-to-Production – Translate cutting-edge machine learning research into production-ready capabilities by balancing model performance, robustness, computational efficiency, and operational reliability. 

Cross-functional Collaboration – Partner closely with perception, autonomy, platform, and software engineering teams to integrate machine learning capabilities into mission-ready autonomous systems. 

Model Evaluation & Validation – Develop benchmarks, testing methodologies, and evaluation frameworks to measure model performance, identify failure modes, and guide future improvements. 

Continuous Improvement – Improve training infrastructure, developer tooling, deployment workflows, and model lifecycle management to accelerate experimentation and production delivery. 

Required Qualifications:

  • Typically requires a minimum of 10 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree; or 9 years and a Master’s degree; or 7 years with a PhD; or equivalent work experience.

  • Mastery of machine learning fundamentals. 

  • Experience training an deploying ML models for computer vision in a production setting. 

  • Strong understanding of 3D vision problems/algorithms. 

  • Experience with machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch and TensorFlow. 

  • Demonstrated expertise in deploying models using TensorRT and ONNX. 

  • Proficiency in C++ and Python. 

  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to translate research into practical applications. 

  • Ability to obtain a SECRET clearance 
Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience with developing autonomous systems for defense customers. 

  • Experience with training/finetuning vision-language models, vision-language-action models, and/or world models.  

  • Contributions to open-source projects in machine learning or computer vision. 

  • Track record of publications in leading computer vision and robotics conferences and journals (e.g., CVPR, ICCV/ECCV, RAL, ICRA).

#LI-DS-1
#LE

Full-time regular employee offer package:
Pay within range listed + Bonus + Benefits + Equity
 
Temporary employee offer package:
Pay within range listed above + temporary benefits package (applicable after 60 days of employment)
 
Salary compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, licenses and certifications, and specific work location. All offers are contingent on a cleared background and possible reference check. Military fellows and part-time employees are not eligible for benefits. Please speak to your talent acquisition representative for more information.
 
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Shield AI is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know. 

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.