Perception Engineer (CUDA)

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.

About the role

The perception team is looking for an experienced CUDA developer, preferably with LiDAR domain expertise, to contribute to developing and optimizing perception architecture and algorithms on NVIDIA GPUs. The ideal candidate will be willing to take ownership of optimizing existing and new GPU bound algorithms, have experience in implementing Deep Learning Models and have experience running on hardware operating in varied environments under real-time constraints.

We’re looking for a self-directed engineer who brings both strong technical fundamentals and a passion for real-world autonomy challenges. You should thrive on digging into GPU performance, love solving hard problems, and be comfortable moving fast and iterating.

What you'll do

As a Perception Engineer focused on CUDA, you'll play a key role in developing and optimizing GPU- accelerated perception algorithms for autonomous systems. You’ll work closely with a multidisciplinary team to bring high-performance, real-time solutions to life—whether that’s through tuning deep learning pipelines, optimizing LiDAR processing, or deploying on embedded hardware. This is a hands-on role that will shape how our systems perceive and interact with the world.

• Own and optimize CUDA-based perception algorithms for deployment on NVIDIA GPUs.
• Implement and adapt deep learning models for real-time operation in diverse environments.
• Profile and tune GPU performance using NVIDIA tools and custom diagnostics.
• Contribute to a production-grade perception stack integrated with real-world robotics platforms.
• Collaborate across teams to bring up systems on Jetson/Drive platforms, and ensure performance under real-time constraints.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of professional experience in perception, embedded systems, or related fields.
• Proficiency in CUDA and/or OpenCL with experience optimizing GPU code.
• Strong C++ skills with solid grasp of OOP and familiarity with Linux environments.
• Experience with NVIDIA Jetson/Drive hardware and deploying software to embedded systems.
• Comfort using GPU profiling tools (e.g., Nsight, nvprof).
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, Docker, Git, and scripting in Python/Bash.
• BS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with LiDAR and other autonomy sensor data.
• Previous work with autonomous vehicles or robotics in the field.
• Familiarity with TensorRT or other GPU-accelerated deep learning frameworks.
• Hands-on experience with ROS2.
• Contributions to open-source GPU or robotics software.

US Salary Range
 $120,000 — $170,000/anually
 

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 per year.
• A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption. 
• A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
• Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires. 
• 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.  

Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain. All qualified applications will receive equal consideration for employment.