Director of Perception

United States·San CarlosFull Timeexecutive

Data ScienceOtherDirector

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Overview

About you and this role: Robust AI is a fast-growing, early-stage startup founded in 2019 by an unsurpassed team of veterans in robotics, AI and business.

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About you and this role:

Robust AI is a fast-growing, early-stage startup founded in 2019 by an unsurpassed team of veterans in robotics, AI and business. We are a collaborative group with a wide range of backgrounds and perspectives, seeking talented individuals who are just as excited about robotics and AI as we are! Help us redefine the very foundation of robotics and build robots that are smart, collaborative, robust, safe, flexible and genuinely autonomous.

As the Director of Perception you will lead our computer vision and sensing efforts in developing robust, real-world robotic systems. You will build and manage a world-class team responsible for enabling our robots to perceive, understand, and interact with complex, dynamic environments. This role requires a unique blend of technical depth, strategic vision, and leadership excellence. You are someone who is comfortable working in an early stage startup environment and are able to pivot effectively.

PhD or MS in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or related field with 8+ years of relevant experience or BS with 10+ years

3+ years of experience leading and managing technical teams

Deep expertise in computer vision, including object detection, segmentation, tracking, 3D reconstruction, and/or scene understanding

Proven track record of shipping perception systems in real-world robotics or autonomous systems applications

Strong foundation in machine learning, particularly deep learning for vision tasks

Experience with sensor fusion across cameras, depth sensors, and other modalities

Excellent software engineering skills and experience with production ML systems

Strong communication skills with ability to explain complex technical concepts to diverse audiences

Lead the perception team in developing state-of-the-art computer vision, sensor fusion, and 3D understanding systems for robotic applications

Define and execute the technical roadmap for perception capabilities, balancing near-term product needs with long-term innovation

Sensor & compute selection, validation & integration

Build, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of perception engineers, computer vision researchers, and ML engineers

Drive the development of robust perception systems that handle real-world variability, edge cases, and challenging environmental conditions

Collaborate closely with robotics, planning, controls, and ML teams to ensure seamless integration of perception into complete robotic systems

Establish best practices for data collection, annotation, model training, evaluation, and deployment of perception models

Partner with product and business teams to translate customer needs into technical requirements and deliverables

Stay current with latest research and industry developments, identifying opportunities to leverage cutting-edge techniques

Contribute to the broader technical strategy and culture of the organization

Experience in warehouse automation, logistics robotics, or industrial robotics

Experience with foundation models and their application to robotics perception3D from multiview and multi-sensor including 3D reconstruction and semantic segmentation.

Background in both classical computer vision techniques and modern deep learning approaches

Track record of building teams and culture in fast-paced startup environments

Experience with edge deployment and optimization of perception models

Base pay between $200k and $230k, depending on your skills, qualifications and experience.

Stock options and huge potential for growth.

Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage.

Flexible vacation and sick leave practices.

Paid parental leave.

Robust AI fosters a culture of belonging and a shared commitment to equality and equity. Having a diverse set of perspectives is key to ensuring AI and robotics serve the needs of all.