Sr. Principal Software Engineer

Company Overview: Dedrone is the world’s most trusted smart airspace security company. Hundreds of commercial, government and military customers around the world rely on Dedrone’s comprehensive, command and control (C2) solution to protect against the persistent and escalating threat from drones while enabling “good” drones to fly. By leveraging AI/ML, Dedrone is the only solution that provides continuous, autonomous interrogation and verification of drones that enables both multi-sensor and multi-mitigation options onto a single fused "pane-of-glass". Whether on-premise / air-gapped or in the cloud, Dedrone customers can easily detect, track, identify, analyze, and mitigate drone threats.

Your Impact

We are looking for a Senior Principal to lead our AI/ML team, driving cutting-edge advancements in sensor fusion, synthetic data, and real-time AI model optimization. This individual will be responsible for designing and scaling next-generation machine learning models, optimizing performance, and pioneering new capabilities for real-time sensing, long-range detection, and multi-agent AI collaboration.

As a technical leader, you will be hands-on in designing and implementing AI-driven solutions while mentoring teams and shaping the company’s AI/ML roadmap. This role requires expertise in deep learning, reinforcement learning, simulation, and high-performance AI systems.

What You'll Do

Data & Sensor Fusion

· Lead sensor fusion initiatives integrating radar, cameras, and additional sensors.

· Develop synthetic data pipelines to enhance model generalization and training robustness.

· Optimize data collection strategies to ensure high-quality training and validation datasets.

· Improve data processing pipelines to enhance efficiency, scalability, and accuracy.

AI/ML Model Optimization

· Drive accuracy improvements across multiple AI models.

· Optimize latency, cost, and performance for real-time AI inference.

· Investigate and implement reinforcement learning (RL) techniques where applicable.

· Architect scalable AI pipelines for deployment in real-time edge and cloud environments.

New Capabilities & AI-Powered Sensing

· Develop scalable AI for multi-agent swarms, enabling collaborative intelligence.

· Lead R&D for target pairing mitigation through novel ML techniques.

· Innovate in long-range radar AI processing.

· Explore and integrate new camera and sensor technologies for AI-driven perception.

Simulation & Testing

· Design high-fidelity simulation environments for testing AI models in realistic conditions.

· Develop closed-loop AI training using synthetic environments.

· Validate new AI architectures through large-scale simulations before real-world deployment.

What You Bring

· Ph.D. or M.S. in Computer Science, AI/ML, Electrical Engineering, or related field.

· 15+ years in AI/ML research and development, with a proven track record of leading AI teams.

· Deep expertise in sensor fusion, deep learning, reinforcement learning, and computer vision.

· Experience with high-performance AI/ML models in real-time, cost-sensitive applications.

· Strong knowledge of synthetic data generation, simulation, and adversarial training techniques.

· Experience working with radar, LiDAR, and multi-modal sensing.

· Proven ability to lead R&D efforts, mentor engineers, and drive AI innovation at scale.

Preferred Skills

· Experience with distributed ML training (e.g., multi-GPU, multi-node systems).

· Familiarity with edge AI inference and optimization (e.g., TensorRT, ONNX Runtime).

· Strong background in robotics, autonomous systems, or real-time AI applications.

· Experience deploying AI models on embedded, cloud, or edge computing platforms.

Benefits that Benefit You

· Competitive salary and 401k with employer match

· Discretionary paid time off

· Paid parental leave for all

· Medical, Dental, Vision plans

· Fitness Programs

· Emotional & Mental Wellness support

· Learning & Development programs

· And yes, we have snacks in our offices

Benefits listed herein may vary depending on the nature of your employment and the location where you work

Don’t meet every single requirement? That's ok. At Dedrone, we Aim Far. We think big with a long-term view because we want to reinvent the world to be a safer, better place. We are also committed to building diverse teams that reflect the communities we serve.

Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they check every box in the job description. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification listed here, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

The above job description is not intended as, nor should it be construed as, exhaustive of all duties, responsibilities, skills, efforts, or working conditions associated with this job. The job description may change or be supplemented at any time in accordance with business needs and conditions.

Some roles may also require legal eligibility to work in a firearms environment.

Dedrone is committed to the well-being and safety of its employees as well as Dedrone’s impact on the environment. All Dedrone employees must be aware of and committed to the appropriate environmental, health, and safety regulations, policies, and procedures. Dedrone employees are empowered to report safety concerns as they arise and activities potentially impacting the environment.

We are an equal opportunity employer that promotes justice, advances equity, values diversity and fosters inclusion. We’re committed to hiring the best talent — regardless of race, creed, color, ancestry, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, marital status, disability, gender identity, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances — and empowering all of our employees so they can do their best work. If you have a disability or special need that requires assistance or accommodation during the application or the recruiting process, please email recruitingops@axon.com.