{"id":859395,"url":"https://alion.io/job/sphere-df-principal-perception-engineer-cvml","title":"Principal Machine Learning Engineer, Computer Vision","company":{"id":694579,"name":"Sphere Defense","domain":"sphere-df.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/sphere-df","size_band":null,"is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Ashby","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":75,"open_postings":7,"ghost_share":0,"stale_share":1,"repost_share":0,"time_to_fill_p50_days":null,"computed_at":"2026-09-29T05:45:00Z"}},"role":"AI/ML","role_family":"AI/ML","seniority":"lead","employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"explicit","locations":["Brussels, Belgium"],"countries":["BE"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":106000,"max_usd":252000,"period":"year","method":"global_role_cell_scaled_by_country","sample_n":773},"experience_years_min":12,"visa_sponsorship":true,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"C++","optional":false},{"name":"Computer Vision","optional":false},{"name":"Machine Learning","optional":false},{"name":"Multimodal AI","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Rust","optional":false},{"name":"Sensor Fusion","optional":false},{"name":"ROS2","optional":true},{"name":"SLAM","optional":true},{"name":"Visual-Inertial Odometry","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-06-23T07:03:28Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-09-22","last_verified_at":"2026-09-29T22:08:08Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":98,"trust":{"level":"stale","repost_count":0,"flags":["stale"],"days_open":98},"description":"Who we are\nSphere Defense is a fully funded technology startup with the mission of providing allied countries with sovereign, effective and seamless autonomous countermeasures to neutralize todays’ and tomorrow’s aerial threats.\nSphere Defense was founded by industry veterans with previous successful exits, and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the heart of Europe.\nAbout you\nYou are an experienced and highly-motivated Principal Machine Learning Engineer that has architected, designed and implemented multi-modal perception pipelines based on computer vision on mission-critical autonomous systems, ideally flying robots or homing missiles.\nWhat you’ll do\nBe one of the first members of a high-performing team, designing and developing autonomous countermeasures to protect allied countries from aerial threats\n\nOwn, architect, design, develop, document and test state of the art perception pipelines based on vision and other data for situational awareness, detection, identification and tracking of targets\n\nIntegrate, evaluate and fuse data coming from EO/IR, IMUs, radars and other sources for target chasing\n\nBe hands-on, working close to the hardware when needed during development and tests\n\nDraft and review documentation and design documents\n\nBe a team player and a mentor, being available to support and grow the team when needed\n\nLocation: Onsite in Brussels, Belgium. Our office is close to Central Station.\nReports to: Chief Technology Officer\nRequirements\nMaster’s degree (PhD preferred) in Computer Vision, Automation, Robotics, or equivalent\n\nAt least 12 years of experience in relevant, industry or academy positions\n\nExceptional knowledge of Machine Learning and Computer Vision\n\nProficiency with one production language (C++ or Rust) and one prototyping language (Python)\n\nDemonstrated ability to produce production-grade, highly optimized target code on resource constrained platforms\n\nDemonstrated ownership of complex, production-grade perception pipelines based on vision (IR and RGB) in commercial systems\n\nExperience with implementing and training machine learning models, including data quality topics\n\nStrong understanding of control systems and state estimation\n\nExperience with multi-modal sensor fusion (IMUs, radars, lasers, etc.)\n\nExcellent interpersonal communication skills in written and spoken English; French or Dutch is a plus\n\nYou are a self-starter, able to work in a high-ambiguity environment and willing to take up new challenges\n\nPreferred Qualifications\nExperience with VIO/SLAM\n\nFamiliarity with ROS2 or iceoryx2\n\nExperience with drones (fixed-wing, VTOL) or homing missiles\n\nExperience with IR/thermal imaging and their calibration\n\nPrevious experience in the defense industry\n\nWhat we offer\nAttractive compensation\n\nYear-end bonus\n\nStock Options Plan\n\nMobility Budget\n\n32 days of holidays\n\nMeal vouchers\n\nPrivate Health insurance\n\nWe are building a core team of hard-working people. If you want to join a company with tremendous impact and you are autonomous, creative and driven, we want to hear from you!\nSphere Defense offers attractive compensation, stock options, and a unique opportunity to change the global defense landscape.\nThis role is only open to candidates with right to work in Belgium. We cannot provide visa sponsorship at this time.","description_format":"text","description_chars":3310,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":12,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"master","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[{"language":"English","level":"All levels","optional":false}]},"benefits":["Health insurance","Stock options"],"hiring_locations":[{"name":"Belgium","iso":"BE","kind":"country"}],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Robotic Software & Control Systems"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-09-13T08:56:36Z"},{"event":"close","at":"2026-09-22T06:20:04Z"},{"event":"reopen","at":"2026-09-22T15:28:17Z"}],"liveness":{"score":10,"band":"cold","label":"Long shot","p_open":1,"p_active":0.346,"p_room":0.28,"age_days":97,"expected_fill_days":24,"reasons":["conf:3","win:tail","crowd:"],"computed_at":"2026-09-29T05:45:00Z"},"pay":null,"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/sphere-df-principal-perception-engineer-cvml","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/sphere-df-principal-perception-engineer-cvml.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-09-30T05:13:50Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","usage":{"tier":"crawler","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":3610,"day_limit":5000,"remaining_today":1390,"minute_limit":60,"resets_at":"2026-10-01T00:00:00Z"}}}