Perception Engineer - C++ (Radar)

About Forterra

Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. Amongst some of the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, Forterra is focused on building systems that protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base. Forterra is the go-to provider of ground autonomy solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, which harnesses the technology for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions.

The Forterra autonomy team seeks a Perception Engineer with a focus on advancing the use of 4D radar for autonomous operations. This includes everything from developing radar signal processing algorithms to supporting system integration and real-world testing. The Perception team partners closely with integration, testing, and R&D groups to design, validate, and deploy radar-based perception capabilities that strengthen Forterra’s autonomy stack. In addition to advancing radar algorithms and simulations, you will work on all aspects of the radar perception pipeline, from system-level integration and performance analysis to hardware-in-the-loop testing and cross-sensor collaboration. Experience across all these areas is not expected, but a willingness to learn and adapt is.

What You'll Do:

• Build the algorithms and software that transform 4D radar and other sensor data into actionable information for off-road autonomous operations.
• Develop and maintain robust C++ software across the perception stack, including signal processing, detection, and tracking pipelines.
• Support the integration and testing of radar perception systems on autonomous vehicles, including possible travel to company, government, and partner test sites.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with integration, R&D, and testing teams, as well as other autonomy groups such as navigation, sensor fusion, and behavior generation.
• Prototype and evaluate new radar algorithms, and hardware-in-the-loop testing workflows.
• Contribute to improving code quality, system reliability, and deployment efficiency across the perception team.

What We Need:

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, or 4+ years of relevant professional experience
• Minimum 2 years of experience in C++ development for real-time or high-performance applications
• Strong proficiency in C++ and Linux OS, with familiarity in object-oriented programming design patterns
• Hands-on experience with radar perception, radar systems engineering, or radar signal processing
• Knowledge of radar concepts such as Doppler, clutter, interference, or tracking
• Experience with modern development tools such as Git, Docker, and CI/CD pipelines
• Ability to work collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary engineering environment (integration, testing, hardware, and autonomy teams)

What We Love to See:

• Experience working with a variety of autonomy sensors such as EO/IR cameras, and LiDAR.
• Hands-on experience with robotics or autonomous vehicles, in academic or industry settings
• Experience with ROS2 (Robot Operating System) or native DDS development

US Salary Range
 $145,000—$170,000
 

The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra’s overall compensation package. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:

• Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.  
• Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
• Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued p