Advanced Technology Engineer - Vision & Edge AI Role Overview
The Advanced Technology Engineer will develop and deploy AI-powered machine vision systems for defect detection and quality inspection in high-volume manufacturing environments.
The primary focus of this role is building production-ready computer vision models, optimizing them for real-time edge hardware, and integrating them into manufacturing systems.
Primary Responsibilities Model Development & Training Acceleration
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Design and implement computer vision models for defect detection, segmentation, and classification.
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Accelerate training cycles using synthetic data, active learning, and domain randomization to address rare defects and specification variance.
Production Deployment
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Package models and services using Docker and manage deployments through Kubernetes or equivalent orchestration tools.
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Implement version control, rollback strategies, and monitoring for latency, model drift, and false-positive/false-negative metrics.
Edge Optimization
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Optimize inference for edge and embedded hardware (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson, Client accelerators) to meet strict real-time latency requirements for moving-line inspection.
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Ensure consistent performance under varying lighting, optics, and surface conditions.
Integration with Manufacturing Systems
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Integrate vision systems with PLCs, encoders, triggers, and industrial networks using OPC-UA, MQTT, and REST protocols.
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Align deployments with plant-level architecture and connectivity standards to ensure reliability and scalability.
Data Strategy & Quality Control
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Lead data collection campaigns and manage annotation workflows.
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Establish quality gates for model validation.
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Utilize synthetic data pipelines and augmentation techniques to improve robustness and reduce training time.
Reliability & Sustainment
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Ensure uptime and availability targets through proactive monitoring, calibration (MSA), and backup/restore processes.
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Implement drift detection, audit false-out risks, and perform root cause analysis for inspection failures.
What You'll Be Doing
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Develop and deploy production-grade machine learning models for industrial vision inspection systems.
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Accelerate model development using synthetic data and advanced AI techniques.
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Deliver containerized software optimized for edge hardware.
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Lead projects from concept through launch, including scheduling, milestone tracking, and cross-functional coordination.
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Evaluate new technologies in manufacturing environments and build business cases for adoption.
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Collaborate with internal engineering, IT, automation, and production teams to integrate robust AI solutions into high-volume manufacturing.
Required Qualifications
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Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, IT, or related field.
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5+ years of experience in industrial machine vision and edge AI deployment.
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Strong proficiency in Python and C++.
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Experience with ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow).
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Hands-on experience with Docker and Kubernetes.
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Familiarity with ONNX Runtime, TensorRT, and embedded optimization.
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Experience integrating vision systems with PLCs and industrial protocols (OPC-UA, MQTT).
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Experience managing the full AI lifecycle: data collection, labeling, validation, rollout, monitoring, and retraining.
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Knowledge of object detection, classification, and segmentation models.
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Experience with industrial cameras, lighting, and trigger-based image capture.
Preferred Qualifications
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Master's degree or advanced engineering degree.
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Experience deploying automotive or high-volume production equipment.
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Robotics experience (operation, teaching, maintenance, safety).
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Expertise in synthetic data generation (GANs, VAEs, NeRFs, Blender) and domain randomization.
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Experience with high-speed inline inspection systems and IIoT data pipelines.
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Strong understanding of calibration, MSA, PFMEA, and quality-critical inspection requirements.
Key Competencies
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Ability to deliver production-ready AI solutions under strict timelines.
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Strong cross-functional collaboration and project leadership skills.
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Commitment to quality, reliability, and continuous improvement in manufacturing environments.