Senior Software Engineer, Computer Vision

Katalyst Description:

At Katalyst, we see human expansion into space not as a distant future, but as a present reality. As this growth accelerates, the need for advanced, reliable spacecraft has never been more critical.  We are standing at this forefront specializing in rendezvous and proximity operations creating spacecraft that can reconfigure, refuel, inspect and protect satellites on orbit rapidly, routinely, and regularly. In order to accomplish our mission, we also process data from a network of space-based sensors, both existing and deployable upgrades, using state of the art machine learning and advanced orbital dynamic filtering algorithms to increase space domain awareness, becoming the eyes and ears on orbit.

You might be a great fit for our team if you want to:

• Accelerate your growth—skip the corporate ladder and forge your own path.
• Embrace challenges and ambiguity; both failure and success are steps to solutions.
• Tackle the toughest problems in the space industry and reshape its future, working side by side on a team that’s bought into the mission.

Role Description:

Our technology vision relies on spacecraft that don’t just fly—they adapt, collaborate, and evolve. Central to realizing this vision is the software that enables intelligent, responsive, and autonomous systems in orbit.

As a Computer Vision Software Engineer, you will lead the development of scalable perception systems that allow our robotic platforms to sense, interpret, and act in dynamic space environments. You’ll design and deploy algorithms to enable our spacecraft to use relative navigation sensor inputs to perform their missions.

At Katalyst, our spacecraft are built to find, approach, and dock with other vehicles on orbit. That mission depends on vision systems that can see, align, and adapt in real time.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design and develop algorithms for visual inspection, object detection, pose estimation, and relative navigation
• Define and validate sensor performance requirements in coordination with GNC, FSW, and robotics teams
• Implement sensor fusion across visual, and depth modalities to support tracking and pose estimation
• Design and deploy calibration algorithms for novel vision and depth sensors
• Validate system performance using HIL and SIL to ensure real-time reliability and functional accuracy
• Lead verification and validation of pose estimation solutions for flight missions, and support on-orbit operations

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years experience with a combination of classical computer vision and ML algorithm development
• Proficient in C/C++ and Python-based vision stacks
• Demonstrated work in sensor fusion mapping and multi-modal data alignment
• Proven ability to build and deploy models in production environments
• Experience with visual inspection or robotics-related CV pipelines
• Strong debugging, optimization, and performance analysis skills

Additional Requirements:

Must be willing to work extended hours and weekends as needed.

Compensation and Benefits:  

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at Katalyst. You will also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of the Employee Stock Option and Equity Plan, as well as a relocation bonus and other discretionary bonuses. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, and unlimited Paid Time Off. The anticipated salary range for this role is $125,000 - $175,000 annually

At Katalyst our work on projects involving the U.S. Department of Defense requires adherence to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 C.F.R. Parts 120-130, which requires compliance with U.S. export laws before allowing employees to perform certain positions. Currently, our available roles necessitate access to ITAR-controlled information, and as a result, Katalyst would have to ensure any non-US person is authorized access to ITAR information before the commencement of employment. We are committed to equal employment opportunities and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.