---
title: 'Perception Simulation Engineer II/III at Zone 5 Technologies'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/perception-simulation-engineer-ii-iii-zone-5-technologies-united-states-tt7dg6j1f9f6'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-08'
---

# Perception Simulation Engineer II/III at Zone 5 Technologies

- **Company:** Zone 5 Technologies
- **Location:** United States
- **Compensation:** $145k–$175k
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-08-04
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-08
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/zone5technologies/jobs/5380095008

## Job description

At Zone 5 Technologies, we're redefining what's possible in unmanned aircraft systems. Our team of engineers and innovators is developing cutting-edge autonomous solutions that push the boundaries of UAS technology - solving complex challenges that matter.

We're building the future of UAS capabilities, and we're looking for exceptional talent to join us. If you're driven by hard problems, energized by rapid innovation, and ready to make an impact on next-generation flight systems, you belong here.

We are looking for a Perception Simulation Engineer to build the sensor-simulation and synthetic-data backbone of our Unreal Engine simulation environment. Where a general mission-simulation engineer builds worlds and vehicle dynamics, this role is focused specifically on making simulated perception good enough to develop and validate real perception and target-tracking software before flight — high-fidelity RGB and thermal (IR) camera models, sensor feeds streamed onto ROS 2 topics, and synthetic data pipelines that feed our detection, tracking, and Target State Estimation (TSE) stacks.

You will work at the seam between the Unreal Engine and perception pipelines, turning "we can render a scene" into "we can trust the perception numbers coming out of the sim." This is a foundational effort.

We welcome both generalists and specialists—you do not need every skill listed below.

Responsibilities:

Synthetic Sensor Modeling (core of the role)

- Build high-fidelity RGB and long-wave IR (thermal) camera models in Unreal Engine, and render both views from platform-mounted cameras.
- Tune simulated camera output to match (or closely approximate) real-world camera performance — FOV, resolution, framerate, thermal response — driven by the specs of the sensors we actually fly (e.g. FLIR Boson / Boson+ LWIR).
- Implement realistic sensor noise, artifacts, motion blur, and failure modes so perception software is tested against hard cases, not clean renders.
- Support camera articulation independent of vehicle orientation (gimbal/boresight), so control-envelope requirements can be derived directly from camera specs.

ROS 2 Integration

- Publish simulated camera imagery and sensor data onto ROS 2 topics using the shared strive_msgs / strive_interfaces contracts, so the same interface serves sim and hardware.
- Implement and test developer contracts and fulfill deterministic simulation requirements.
- Feed the perception pipeline and downstream Target State Estimation (TSE) with simulated sensor streams and ground-truth labels for evaluation.

Synthetic Data & Target Simulation

- Build synthetic-data generation and export pipelines (imagery + bounding boxes / segmentation / range + pose ground truth) suitable for training and evaluating detection, tracking, and TSE models.
- Implement target injection: spawn and drive targets (vehicles, people, infrastructure) with configurable motion, including dynamic add/remove during a running mission to simulate delayed deployments and dynamic scenarios.
- Support target-hint / track integration based on ground based sensor tracking and ground-truth generation for scoring TSE accuracy (position/velocity/acceleration error).

Asset & Scenario Pipeline

- Own the process to import external target CAD (e.g. TurboSquid) and Zone 5 platform CAD into the sim as usable, correctly-scaled models.
- Manage the 3D asset pipeline (models, materials, thermal material properties for the IR view).
- Enforce scenario-driven rules that need perception ground truth — e.g. inter-platform/target proximity and fratricide detection (position of each entity per timestep, squared-distance comparison against a scenario parameter for performance).

Performance & Scale

- Optimize rendering for real-time and accelerated modes; build headless simulation modes for large-scale parallel scenario execution.
- Collaborate with the platform team to run perception sim in CI/CD for continuous evaluation of perception/TSE software.

Qualifications:

- Bachelor's in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Robotics, Game Development, or related field — equivalent industry experience welcome.
- 3–6+ years developing in Unreal Engine with C++, including custom plugins/modules.
- Working knowledge of ROS 2 and integrating it with a simulation environment.
- Solid grounding in 3D graphics, real-time rendering, and camera/sensor models — projection, FOV, framerate, noise, and how they affect a downstream vision algorithm.
- Practical understanding of camera-based perception (detection/tracking) and what makes synthetic imagery useful (or useless) for developing it.
- Comfortable with software architecture, design patterns, and collaborative version-control workflows.

Preferred:

- Experience building sensor simulation for robotics/autonomous vehicles, especially thermal/IR or multi-modal (EO/IR/lidar/radar) sensing.
- Familiarity with synthetic data generation for ML perception (labels, sim-to-real gap, domain randomization).
- Knowledge of state estimation / multi-target tracking (Kalman/EKF, track-to-track association) enough to build meaningful TSE test scenarios.
- Experience with edge perception deployment (NVIDIA Jetson, TensorRT) and matching sim interfaces to on-target interfaces.
- Familiarity with UAV flight dynamics (JSBSim/PX4 SITL), gimbal/boresight modeling, and camera-on-platform geometry.
- GPU programming / compute shaders; procedural terrain or environment generation.
- Python for tooling and data-pipeline automation; Blueprint for rapid prototyping.
- 3D asset workflows (Blender/Maya) or photogrammetry; distributed/networked simulation.
- CI/CD for game-engine projects; deterministic / real-time simulation experience.

Pay range for this role $145,000—$175,000 USD

What's in it for you:

Benefits:

- Competitive total compensation package
- Comprehensive benefit package options include medical, dental, vision, life, and more.
- 401k with company-match
- 3 weeks of paid time off each year
- 40 hours of sick time
- 12 annual company holidays

Why Join Zone 5 Technologies?

- Innovative Environment: Work on cutting-edge technology that is shaping the future of defense and aerospace.
- Collaborative Culture: Join a team of passionate professionals dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
- Career Growth: Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.

If you are passionate about unmanned aircraft technology and want to be a part of a dynamic and growing company, we would love to hear from you. Apply today and join the Zone 5 Technologies team!

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Zone 5 Technologies is a federal contractor and participates in E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility. As required by law, we will verify the identity and employment authorization of all new employees using the E-Verify system. Learn more about your rights and responsibilities under E-Verify: https://www.e-verify.gov.

## About Zone 5 Technologies

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Zone 5 Technologies develops advanced unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and next-generation munitions for U.S. Department of Defense customers, with a focus on modular, open-architecture designs and rapid prototyping.
- **Entity Type**: Private (acquired by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace; prior to acquisition was privately held)
- **Headquarters**: San Luis Obispo, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2011
- **Founders**: Not publicly available

## Core Business
- **Primary Industry**: Aviation and Aerospace Component Manufacturing; Defense Technology
- **Target Customers**: U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), and allied military forces (B2G)
- **Mission Statement**: "Create the future" – focused on enabling modularity, collaboration, and rapid deployment of unmanned systems and munitions.

## Products & Services
- **Paladin UAS**: A multi-mission, TAK-integrated unmanned aircraft system that serves as an autonomous wingman. Capabilities include counter-UAS interception, precision munitions drop, and rifle takedowns. Listed on the DIU Blue UAS Refresh list, ensuring NDAA compliance and cybersecurity. (Hardware + Software)
- **White Spike Interceptor**: A modular, open-C2 missile and launcher system available in surface‑ and air‑launched configurations. Designed for counter-UAS and precision strike missions. (Hardware + Software)
- **Air Launched Effects (ALE)**: Low‑cost, digitally engineered effects for affordable mass and precision strike from mobility, bomber, and tactical aircraft. (Hardware + Software)
- **Next‑Gen Munitions**: Low‑cost containerized missile systems, including the Extended Range Attack Munition. (Hardware)
- **Engineering Services / R&D**: End‑to‑end system development including CONOPS, vehicle design, avionics, embedded hardware/software, ground control stations, and mission planning software.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (acquired by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace)
- **Key Metric**: Total headcount of 183 (LinkedIn, 2026‑07), representing +241.1% year‑over‑year growth
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (acquirer); DIU (multiple contract awards); U.S. Air Force
- **Growth Signals**:
  - 241% headcount growth in the last year
  - Selected for multiple DoD/DIU programs: Blue UAS Refresh, Low‑Cost Containerized Missiles, Counter UAS Next, Extended Range Attack Munition, Enterprise Test Vehicle
  - 108 active job postings (260% year‑over‑year increase)
  - 13,284 LinkedIn followers (+62% yearly)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Vertical Integration**: Concept‑to‑production capability – design, manufacturing, testing, and sustainment in‑house.
- **Open Systems / Modularity**: MOSA/WOSA architectures enable rapid adaptation of vehicles, sensors, and weapons.
- **Blue UAS Listing**: Provides an Authority to Operate (ATO) for all DoD operators, a key differentiator for government contracts.
- **Flight‑Proven Hardware**: Paladin and White Spike have undergone extensive flight testing (SIL, HIL, flight tests).
- **Agile Prototyping**: Low‑cost, digitally engineered designs allow for fast iteration and unit‑cost discipline.

## Strategic Focus
- **Expanding DoD & Allied Contracts**: Leveraging recent DIU and Air Force wins to secure production orders for Paladin, White Spike, and missile systems.
- **Scaling Workforce & Capabilities**: Rapid hiring across engineering (GNC, embedded, avionics, flight test) to support increasing program loads.
- **International Expansion**: Acquisition by Kongsberg may open access to NATO and allied markets.
- **Next‑Gen Munitions**: Emphasis on affordable mass – developing low‑cost missiles for high‑volume procurement.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture & Ratings**: Employer rating 4.2/5 on LinkedIn (based on 8 reviews); Work‑Life 4.0, Compensation 3.6, Culture 3.4, Career 3.8.
- **Growth Opportunity**: 108 open positions across software, hardware, flight test, and manufacturing – strong upward mobility in a rapidly expanding company.
- **Technical Environment**: Tech stack includes Python, MATLAB, C++, CUDA, PyTorch, Docker, Kubernetes, PostgreSQL, React, GitLab, Jenkins, and more – modern engineering tools.
- **Mission‑Driven Work**: Directly contribute to defense technology that is fielded today (Blue UAS, interceptor programs).
- **Location**: San Luis Obispo, CA – a vibrant college town near the Central Coast with outdoor lifestyle.
- **Hybrid/Remote**: Not specifically stated; most roles appear on‑site at one of three U.S. offices (San Luis Obispo, Fort Walton Beach FL, Fort Worth TX).

## Sources
1. [LinkedIn – Zone 5 Technologies](https://www.linkedin.com/company/zone-5-technologies)
2. [Company Website – zone5tech.com](https://www.zone5tech.com/)
3. [Greenhouse Careers Page](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/zone5technologies)
4. [robotics.press – Company Profile](https://robotics.press/news/zone-5-technologies-company-profile/)
5. [YouTube – Zone 5 Technologies](https://www.youtube.com/@Zone5Technologies)

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