---
title: 'Senior Perception Engineer | Sensors, Firmware & Drivers at Persona AI Inc'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-perception-engineer-sensors-firmware-drivers-persona-ai-inc-houston-jtd0wmtcdacr'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-18'
---

# Senior Perception Engineer | Sensors, Firmware & Drivers at Persona AI Inc

- **Company:** Persona AI Inc
- **Location:** Houston, TX
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Posted:** 2026-09-24
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-18
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/persona.ai/3c16cbee-24a3-457b-b0bd-6bbfbd08252f

## Job description

Job Title: Senior Perception Engineer | Sensors, Firmware & Drivers Department: Software Employment Type: Full-Time Location: Houston, TX Travel: 10%

## Who We Are

Persona AI is building humanoid robots for the most demanding environments in heavy industry — shipyards, steel mills, fabrication facilities, and offshore platforms — performing welding, grinding, maintenance, inspection, and material-handling work that is dangerous, physically demanding, and increasingly difficult to staff. We are backed by leading strategic and financial investors and engaged with global industrial leaders across Korea, Japan, the United States, and Singapore. Korea is the center of gravity for our early commercial strategy, anchored by relationships with the world’s leading shipbuilders and steelmakers. Our work spans both the robot platform itself and the systems, partners, and playbooks required to deploy it at scale.

Why Join Persona AI?

- We offer competitive compensation, a performance-based bonus, 99% employer covered medical benefits, early-stage equity, competitive PTO, and a company-wide paid winter break between December 24th and January 2nd.
- You’ll shape technology that’s redefining the possibilities of robotics and human interaction.
- Work alongside passionate teammates who value creativity, and continuous learning.

## About the Role

As a Senior Perception Engineer focused on Sensors, Firmware & Drivers, you'll own everything between a photon hitting a sensor and the algorithm that acts on it. You'll bring up new imaging and depth sensors from first register read to first light, and write the V4L2 drivers and zero-copy pipelines that move their data on NVIDIA Jetson. You'll also build the time synchronization that keeps cameras, lidar, IMU, and joint state aligned. This is a hands-on role. You'll review sensor boards and harnesses with EE, work through errata with silicon vendors, and debug with a scope in hand. You'll qualify hardware for the real world: welding arcs, heat, vibration, and heavy EMI from industrial equipment. You'll also build the calibration and validation infrastructure that proves it all works. If you enjoy first light on new hardware, care about microseconds, and want to be the team's go-to authority on what the sensor stack can deliver, this role is for you.

## What You Will Be Doing

- Bring up new imaging and depth sensors end to end: I2C/SPI enumeration, register maps, GMSL2/GMSL3 and FPD-Link serializer/deserializer configuration, CSI-2 lane mapping, and first light on target hardware.
- Write and maintain V4L2 / MIPI CSI-2 camera drivers and device tree overlays for NVIDIA Jetson platforms (Orin, Thor), including kernel work against the Jetson Linux BSP.
- Build low-latency, zero-copy sensor ingest and pre-processing pipelines in NVIDIA Holoscan, GStreamer, and CUDA | ISP tuning, debayer, rectification, format conversion with a hard budget on glass-to-algorithm latency.
- Own multi-sensor time synchronization: PTP/gPTP, hardware trigger distribution, exposure-to-timestamp accounting, and drift characterization across cameras, lidar, IMU, and robot joint state.
- Partner with EE on schematic and layout review for sensor boards, GMSL coax/harness design, power sequencing, and connector selection; debug with a scope, logic analyzer, and thermal camera in hand.
- Characterize and qualify sensors for the real environment: welding-arc dynamic range, IR interference, vibration, ingress, temperature soak, and EMI from high-current equipment.
- Build the calibration and validation infrastructure | intrinsics/extrinsics, HDR and exposure behavior, automated bench tests, CI on real hardware.
- Work directly with vendors and silicon partners on errata, firmware revisions, and early access to new parts.
- Support the perception and autonomy teams as the authority on what the sensor stack can and cannot deliver.

What We Are Looking For:

- 5+ years building embedded sensor, firmware, or driver systems in robotics, autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or comparable hardware-heavy domains.
- Strong C/C++ and Python; comfortable in the Linux kernel.
- Bonus: Hands-on experience with NVIDIA Jetson platforms, Jetson Linux BSP, device tree, kernel module development, flashing and board support work.
- Demonstrated camera bring-up experience: MIPI CSI-2, V4L2, GMSL2/GMSL3 (Maxim/ADI) or FPD-Link, I2C/SPI sensor configuration.
- Experience shipping software that runs on hardware in the field, with the instincts about failure modes that comes from having done it.

Bonus Skills:

- NVIDIA Holoscan SDK, DeepStream, or CUDA/GPU-accelerated streaming pipelines.
- Time synchronization across heterogeneous sensors (PTP, hardware trigger design).
- ISP tuning, HDR imaging, or low-level camera sensor characterization.
- Lidar, radar, ToF, or event-camera integration.
- Experience with industrial or safety-relevant hardware environments.

Persona AI is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

## About Persona AI Inc

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Persona AI develops industrial humanoid robots designed for skilled physical work in complex environments like shipyards, construction sites, and energy infrastructure.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Pre-Seed stage)
- **Headquarters**: Houston, Texas, United States
- **Founded**: 2024
- **Founders**: Nicolaus Radford (CEO), Jide Akinyode (COO), Dr. Jerry Pratt (CTO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Industrial Robotics, Humanoid Robotics, AI, Manufacturing, Construction, Energy, Shipbuilding
- **Target customers**: B2B / Enterprise — heavy industrial sectors including shipbuilding, construction, energy (oil & gas, utilities), manufacturing, and defense.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To build industrial humanoid robots that perform skilled physical work in complex environments, addressing labor shortages, improving safety, and increasing operational efficiency across heavy industry. The company focuses on the "4D jobs" — dull, dirty, dangerous, and declining — so that humans don't have to perform them.

## Products & Services
- **Persona AI Humanoid Platform**: A modular industrial humanoid robot designed for real-world applications in shipyards, construction sites, energy infrastructure, and manufacturing facilities. The system is engineered for skilled physical work in complex environments and supports tasks such as welding, grinding, inspection, material handling, fabrication, and equipment maintenance. The modular design allows integration with standard industrial tools and adaptation to different workflows.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total Funding — $30M (oversubscribed Pre-Seed round, closed June 2025)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Tides Ventures, Unity Growth Fund, POSCO DX, GOOSE Capital, SGH Capital, Embedded Ventures, and 19 other investors. Partners include Under Armour (performance materials), ABS (shipyard safety), and the State of Louisiana (pilot program at SSE Steel Fabrication).
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount of ~65 employees (as of mid-2025) with a monthly growth rate of +3.9%. Active job postings have grown +13.3% monthly and +54.5% quarterly. The company has announced key hires including Brian Davis (Head of Global Manufacturing) and Michael Perry (Head of Commercial Strategy). It has secured a pilot program with the State of Louisiana and a partnership with ABS for shipyard applications.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Deep domain expertise**: The leadership team has contributed to 15+ humanoid projects and published impactful robotics research, giving them a strong technical foundation.
- **Modular, task-focused design**: The robot platform is built to integrate with standard industrial tools and adapt to different workflows, making it practical for real-world deployment rather than being a general-purpose humanoid.
- **Early mover in a critical niche**: Persona AI is specifically targeting the skilled industrial labor gap in sectors like shipbuilding, construction, and energy, which face acute labor shortages and high demand for automation.
- **Strong government and industry partnerships**: Early pilot programs with the State of Louisiana and a partnership with ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) demonstrate real-world traction and validation.

## Strategic Focus
- **Productization and deployment**: Moving from R&D to deploying humanoid robots in real industrial environments, with a focus on welding, fabrication, and maintenance tasks.
- **Scaling the team**: Aggressively hiring across robotics engineering, machine learning, mechanical design, and commercial strategy roles to build out the organization.
- **Building commercial partnerships**: Establishing relationships with major industrial players (e.g., POSCO, HD Hyundai affiliates, Under Armour) and government entities to secure pilot programs and long-term contracts.
- **Expanding use cases**: Targeting shipbuilding, construction, energy infrastructure, and defense as primary verticals.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven work**: The company is tackling a tangible, high-impact problem — the skilled labor shortage in heavy industry — by building robots that perform dangerous, dirty, and physically demanding tasks.
- **Strong technical team**: The leadership includes veterans from NASA, the robotics research community, and major defense/industrial companies. The CTO, Dr. Jerry Pratt, is a well-known figure in humanoid robotics.
- **Early-stage growth**: As a 2024 startup with $30M in funding and a headcount of ~65, new hires can have significant impact on the product and company direction.
- **Diverse, hands-on roles**: Open positions range from Welding Engineer and Robotics Technician to Machine Learning Engineer and XR Rendering Engineer, offering a variety of technical challenges.
- **Houston-based**: Headquarters in Houston, Texas, with a growing international presence. The company appears to be on-site or hybrid given the nature of hardware development.
- **Notable perks/culture**: The company emphasizes a "build" culture, with a focus on putting "tough humanoids to work." The team includes veterans from Anduril, Nauticus Robotics, and NASA, suggesting a high-caliber, mission-driven engineering environment.

## Sources
1. [persona.ai](https://persona.ai/)
2. [LinkedIn - Persona AI](https://www.linkedin.com/company/persona-humanoids-at-work)
3. [CB Insights - Persona AI](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/persona-ai)
4. [Ashby Careers - Persona AI](https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/persona.ai)
5. [Persona AI - The Team](https://persona.ai/the-team/)

## Other roles at Persona AI Inc

- [Animator](https://feeny.ai/job/animator-persona-ai-inc-pensacola-fl-or-houston-h1nqdvrjhb79) — Pensacola FL OR Houston, TX
- [Shipping and Receiving Clerk](https://feeny.ai/job/shipping-and-receiving-clerk-persona-ai-inc-houston-syr4zdmwygmj) — Houston, TX
- [Senior Manager, Supply Chain Management](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-supply-chain-management-persona-ai-inc-houston-zvnnntdj2p36) — Houston, TX
- [Senior Assembly Technician](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-assembly-technician-persona-ai-inc-houston-n7kt2xazhmpk) — Houston, TX
- [Robotics Software Internship, Manipulation](https://feeny.ai/job/robotics-software-internship-manipulation-persona-ai-inc-houston-3ymz9b7b5tm8) — Houston, TX
- [Senior Technical Recruiter – Advanced Manufacturing](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-technical-recruiter-advanced-manufacturing-persona-ai-inc-houston-7xhsd3k6ym9r) — Houston, TX
- [Senior Technical Recruiter - Humanoid Robotics Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-technical-recruiter-humanoid-robotics-engineering-persona-ai-inc-houston-ze8sb651qkw5) — Houston, TX
- [Controls Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/controls-systems-engineer-persona-ai-inc-houston-dwx4kw5d6sp5) — Houston, TX
- [Senior Robotics Software Engineer - Autonomy](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-robotics-software-engineer-autonomy-persona-ai-inc-houston-2qspy6cwd7jy) — Houston, TX
- [Precision Assembler](https://feeny.ai/job/precision-assembler-persona-ai-inc-houston-b7h62z0a3b93) — Houston, TX