Manager, Perception Hardware Engineering

Saronic Saronic · Defense · Austin, TX · Engineering

Manager for Perception Hardware Engineering at Saronic, focusing on designing, integrating, and validating hardware for autonomous maritime vessels. The role involves leading a team of engineers through the full hardware development lifecycle, ensuring designs meet stringent requirements for harsh environments, and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

What you'd actually do

  1. Manage engineers responsible for camera optomechanical systems and perception hardware integration.
  2. Own execution across perception hardware design, sensor packaging, mounting, alignment, environmental protection, and validation.
  3. Drive technical decisions related to cameras, radar, LiDAR, GPS, optical systems, calibration fixtures, and related mechanical/electrical interfaces.
  4. Ensure designs meet requirements for performance, manufacturability, serviceability, reliability, shock, vibration, sealing, and thermal management.
  5. Partner with software, autonomy, electrical, mechanical, manufacturing, and program teams to deliver integrated hardware on schedule.

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor’s degree or greater in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, Optical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, or a related field.
  • 5+ years of experience in mechanical, optomechanical, robotics, perception hardware, or complex hardware development.
  • 2+ years of experience leading engineers, projects, or technical teams.
  • Strong fundamentals in mechanical design, sensor integration, tolerance analysis, hardware packaging, and design for harsh environments.
  • Experience taking hardware from concept through design, analysis, prototype build, validation, and production support.
  • Proficiency with 3D CAD tools such as Siemens NX, SolidWorks, Creo, or similar.
  • Ability to communicate clearly, make sound technical decisions, and drive execution across multiple engineering disciplines.
  • Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Nice to have

  • Experience with camera systems, optomechanical assemblies, radar, LiDAR, GPS, or other perception sensors.
  • Experience with autonomous systems, maritime systems, robotics, aerospace, defense, or other ruggedized hardware platforms.
  • Familiarity with optical alignment, lens selection, field-of-view constraints, environmental sealing, thermal management, and vibration isolation.
  • Experience with calibration fixtures, sensor mounting, production tooling, and high-rate hardware integration.
  • Experience supporting DoD programs, unmanned maritime systems, or regulated hardware development environments.

What the JD emphasized

  • obtain and maintain a security clearance