---
title: 'Perception Engineer, Missile Defense at True Anomaly'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/perception-engineer-missile-defense-true-anomaly-denver-c668dx9mz08f'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-28'
---

# Perception Engineer, Missile Defense at True Anomaly

- **Company:** True Anomaly
- **Location:** Denver, CO / Long Beach, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-10-26
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-28
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/trueanomalyinc/jobs/5275633007

## Job description

Space is a warfighting domain. True Anomaly seeks those with the talent and ambition to build the technology that secures it.

## OUR MISSION

True Anomaly delivers decisive capabilities for space superiority. We build autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors — enabling the U.S. and its Allies to secure the space environment and counter threats from the ultimate high ground.

## OUR VALUES

- Be the offset. We create asymmetric advantages with creativity and ingenuity.
- What would it take? We challenge assumptions to deliver ambitious results.
- It’s the people. Our team is our competitive advantage and we are better together.

## BENEFITS & PERKS*

- Best-in-class healthcare: 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents, with HSA/HRA options
- Generous time off: Flexible Time Off (FTO) for exempt employees, accrued PTO of up to 25 days for non-exempt employees, plus 12 paid holidays; Parental Leave; Sick Leave
- Fuel for your day: Daily catered lunch and unlimited snacks for in-office employees
- And more: 401(k) retirement plan, fitness reimbursement, and Dog Fridays
- Equity participation: Equity is included as part of our total compensation package, giving you an opportunity to share in the company’s success.

*Do not apply to fixed term and temporary roles

## YOUR MISSION

You will architect and deploy the perception systems that let space-based missile defense see, track and tell apart objects in space. Your algorithms will turn multi-band infrared and visible imagery into a physical understanding of each object. They will do it in sunlight and shadow, with Earth in the background. The tracking filters you design will hold custody of many closely spaced objects through occlusion and maneuvers. The physics you put into these algorithms, from radiometry and thermal behavior to optics and detector effects, is what makes the answer trustworthy. You will own the perception stack end to end: from phenomenology and algorithm design, through software- and hardware-in-the-loop validation, to flight software that runs on space-qualified processors under strict power and timing budgets. This is perception engineering where mistakes have consequences, where your code operates in vacuum, and where the systems you build defend the United States and its Allies.

## RESPONSIBILITIES

- Drive the architecture for the image processing, multi-object tracking and discrimination pipelines for space-based missile defense
- Design and implement multi-band EO/IR image processing in C++: non-uniformity correction, radiometric calibration, band registration, frame stacking, adaptive detection and PSF photometry
- Develop physics-based features from first principles, from the thermal and optical signatures of each object
- Model the phenomenology that drives the signatures: solar and Earth illumination, thermal response through sunlight and eclipse, viewing geometry, glints, and optics and detector effects
- Design robust tracking for many closely spaced objects
- Perform statistical analysis to characterize and verify algorithm performance, including Monte Carlo campaigns and error budgets
- Test and verify your algorithms in software- and hardware-in-the-loop simulation with high-fidelity scene generation
- Work with the software team to integrate your algorithms into flight software

## QUALIFICATIONS

- Bachelor's degree in physics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, or a similar discipline
- Experienced with C/C++ and Python
- 2+ years of experience implementing image processing, detection and tracking algorithms deployed in real-world systems
- Working knowledge of radiometry and infrared phenomenology
- Demonstrated ability to work in a multidisciplinary team and solve complex problems with first principles approaches
- Passion for spaceflight and advancing capabilities related to missile defense and space security
- U.S. Citizen and eligible for DoD Secret or TS/SCI clearance

## PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

- Master's or PhD in physics, electrical engineering, aerospace engineering, or a similar discipline
- Experience with missile defense or EO/IR sensor programs
- Deep technical expertise in one or more of the following: EO/IR phenomenology and signature modeling, radiometric calibration, thermal modeling, focal-plane array characterization (NUC, noise, bad pixels), nonlinear filtering and multi-object tracking (JPDA, MHT, IMM)
- Experience with IR scene generation and sensor simulation, and validating algorithms against measured data
- 2+ years of professional experience writing high-reliability, production C/C++ code

## COMPENSATION

- Base Salary: $125,000 - $270,000
- Equity + Benefits including Health, Dental, Vision, HRA/HSA options, PTO and paid holidays, 401K, Parental Leave

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, location, and experience.

## ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

- Work Location— This is an onsite role, we are seeking only candidates based near Denver, CO or Long Beach, CA.
- Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside, or other factors that will affect the person's working conditions while performing the job.
- Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting and driving.

This position will be open until it is successfully filled. To submit your application, please follow the directions below. #LI-Onsite To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

True Anomaly is committed to equal employment opportunity on any basis protected by applicable state and federal laws. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please do not hesitate to let us know.

To protect candidates and our company from application fraud and impersonation, we use third-party tools to verify applicant identity and detect fraudulent applications. Learn more in our [Privacy Notice](https://www.trueanomaly.space/legal/privacy-policy).

## About True Anomaly

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: True Anomaly is a defense technology company exclusively focused on designing and building spacecraft, software, and payloads for space superiority in contested orbital environments.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series D – $650M fundraise announced in Q2 2026)
- **Headquarters**: Centennial, Colorado, USA (with offices in Long Beach, CA; Colorado Springs, CO; and Washington, D.C.)
- **Founded**: 2022
- **Founders**: Even Rogers (CEO and Co-Founder) and an undisclosed co-founder (Chief Engineer)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Defense & Space (space defense / space superiority)
- **Target customers**: U.S. Department of Defense, allies, and partners (B2G / government)
- **Mission statement**: “Enable a secure, stable, and sustainable space environment for the US, its Allies, and partners.”

## Products & Services
- **Jackal**: A multirole space superiority platform described as a “tactical fighter-interceptor for contested space environments.” Modular hardware architecture with high-thrust, high-delta‑V performance; designed for high-rate manufacturability and maximum operational flexibility.
- **Mosaic**: A full-stack software platform for autonomous mission command and control. Translates commander intent into autonomous actions, enabling real‑time maneuver, sensor tasking, and multi‑domain coordination. Supports “train like you fight” by using the same interface for simulation and live operations.
- **Payloads**: Proprietary sensors and effectors hosted on Jackal’s mission hardpoints, tailored for precision sensing and effects in space.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding raised – **$1.027B** (Series A $17M, Series B $100M, Series C $260M, Series D $650M)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not publicly available from provided sources
- **Growth Signals**:
  - Headcount target of 1,000+ employees by 2028
  - Multiple successful orbital missions (Mission X‑1, X‑2, X‑3; VICTUS HAZE)
  - Opened new Denver HQ (May 2025) and expanded GravityWorks facilities in Centennial, CO and Long Beach, CA
  - Rapid development timeline – first two Jackal spacecraft fielded within a year of founding

## Competitive Advantages
- **Exclusive focus on space defense**: True Anomaly is the only defense tech company dedicated solely to space superiority, giving it a clear mission and undiluted R&D resources.
- **Effect‑driven autonomy**: Mosaic’s ability to turn high‑level operator objectives into precise autonomous actions reduces decision‑latency in contested environments.
- **Operational pedigree**: Founded by ex‑U.S. Space Force operators who wrote foundational doctrine for military space operations, ensuring the product is built for real tactical needs.
- **Modular, high‑rate architecture**: Jackal’s scalable design allows cost‑effective production and rapid iteration, crucial for maintaining a strategic edge.

## Strategic Focus
- **Scaling production and headcount**: Building out facilities and hiring across engineering, operations, and mission roles to reach 1,000+ employees by 2028.
- **Continued mission demonstrations**: Upcoming and recent flight tests (MX‑3 completed June 2026, VICTUS HAZE underway) to validate end‑to‑end kill chain and rendezvous/proximity operations.
- **Deepening government partnerships**: Offices in Colorado Springs and Washington, D.C. to support close collaboration with U.S. Space Force and allied space commands.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission‑driven culture**: Employees are motivated by the direct impact on national security and freedom of operations in space. The company asks “What would it take?” to solve the hardest problems.
- **Hybrid work model**: Offices in Denver (HQ), Long Beach, Colorado Springs, and Washington, D.C. – employees work a mix of in‑office and remote.
- **Comprehensive benefits**: 100% employer‑sponsored healthcare (medical/dental/vision), generous time off, equity ownership, 401k/Roth options, and learning & development opportunities.
- **Rigorous but supportive hiring process**: Stages include a talent screen, hiring manager interview, technical panel (collaborative assessment), focused 1:1s, a founder interview, and a standard background check.
- **Engineering culture**: Emphasis on intellectual curiosity, ownership, resiliency, and a non‑standard approach to complex technical problems. Employees from any technical background are welcome.

## Sources
1. [trueanomaly.space – Company website](https://www.trueanomaly.space/)
2. [trueanomaly.space – Careers page](https://www.trueanomaly.space/careers)
3. [Greenhouse – Job board](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/trueanomalyinc)
4. [LinkedIn – Company profile](https://www.linkedin.com/company/true-anomaly)
5. [Built In Colorado – Company overview](https://www.builtincolorado.com/company/true-anomaly)

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