---
title: 'Sr. Artificial Intelligence & Computer Vision Engineer, C-UAS at Sphere Defense'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/sr-artificial-intelligence-computer-vision-engineer-c-uas-sphere-defense-86wntymdn29j'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-13'
---

# Sr. Artificial Intelligence & Computer Vision Engineer, C-UAS at Sphere Defense

- **Company:** Sphere Defense
- **Location:** Brussels, Belgium
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-03-20
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-13
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/sphere-defense/62cf723b-191b-4da7-91fd-31964cde42e1

## Job description

## Who we are

Sphere Defense is a fully funded technology startup with the mission of providing allied countries with sovereign, effective and seamless autonomous countermeasures to neutralize todays’ and tomorrow’s aerial threats. Sphere Defense was founded by industry veterans with previous successful exits, and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the heart of Europe.

## About you

You are an experienced and highly-motivated Senior Artificial Intelligence & Computer Vision Engineer that has worked with mission-critical autonomous systems, ideally flying robots and precision-guided munitions.

## What you’ll do

- Be one of the first members of a high-performing team, designing and developing autonomous countermeasures to protect allied countries from aerial threats
- Own, design, develop, document and test state of the art perception pipelines for situational awareness and detection, identification and tracking of targets
- Architect and train computer vision models for object recognition, environmental awareness and collision avoidance
- Use both classical CV methods and AI-based techniques to process real-time video streams (thermal and visible light)
- Collaborate with Embedded Software, Control, Hardware and Test teams for system architecture definition, sensor selection, calibration and characterization
- Be hands-on, working close to the hardware when needed during development and tests
- Draft and review documentation and design documents
- Be a team player and a mentor, being available to support and grow the team when needed

Location: Onsite in Brussels, Belgium. Our office is close to Central Station. Reports to: Chief Technology Officer

## Requirements

- Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Computer Vision, Robotics, or equivalent
- At least 8 years of experience in a relevant, industry or academic position
- Proficiency with one production language (C++) and one prototyping language (Python)
- Demonstrated ability to produce production-grade, highly optimized target code
- Experience in porting Machine Learning models to different platforms (e.g. ONNX), in quantization and adaptation to integer arithmetic and constrained NPUs
- Strong knowledge of computer vision and image processing
- Demonstrated ownership of complex, production-grade perception pipelines in commercial systems
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills in written and spoken English; French or Dutch is a plus
- You are a self-starter, able to work in a high-ambiguity environment and willing to take up new challenges

## Preferred Qualifications

- Experience with VIO/SLAM
- Understanding of control systems
- Experience with ROS2 and distributed systems
- Experience with drones (fixed wing, VTOL) or homing missiles
- Experience with IR/thermal imaging
- Previous experience in the defense industry

## What we offer

- Attractive compensation
- Year-end bonus
- Stock Options Plan
- Mobility Budget
- 32 days of holidays
- Meal vouchers
- Private Health insurance

We are building a core team of hard-working people. If you want to join a company with tremendous impact and you are autonomous, creative and driven, we want to hear from you! Sphere Defense offers attractive compensation, stock options, and a unique opportunity to change the global defense landscape. This role is only open to candidates with right to work in Belgium. We cannot provide visa sponsorship at this time.

## About Sphere Defense

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Sphere Defense is a Brussels-based deeptech defense startup developing sovereign European counter-drone interceptors with AI-driven autonomous guidance, designed for kinetic interception of strike drones and point defense of critical infrastructure.
- **Entity Type**: Private (fully funded startup; funding rounds not disclosed)
- **Headquarters**: Brussels, Belgium
- **Founded**: 2025 (incorporated 3 December 2025)
- **Founders**: Not publicly named – described as drone industry veterans with international experience and previous successful exits.

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Defense / Aerospace & Defense / Counter-UAS (Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems)
- **Target customers**: Allied governments, military forces, and operators of sensitive infrastructure (power plants, ports, airports, government/military sites)
- **Mission**: *“To keep allied countries safe with sovereign, effective and seamless countermeasures and protect them from aerial threats.”*

## Products & Services
- **Scalable Effector**: Kinetic intercept capability for strike drones. Point defense layer cued by third-party detection and C2, embedded into larger layered C-UAS architectures. Rapid setup, BVLOS interception.  
- **Jet-Powered Platform**: Multi-role interceptor with minimal footprint, maintenance-free operation, EW-hardened radio datalink, and AI-driven autonomous guidance.  
- **Embedded AI**: Multi-sensor fusion, autonomous last-mile target lock trained on millions of visual signatures, predictive targeting and guidance, human-AI teaming with flexible rules of engagement.  
- **Man-Portable Launch Base**: Autonomous deployment of interceptors with seamless logistics. SAPIENT-native, C2-agnostic, interoperable with existing defense infrastructure.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: Not disclosed (very early-stage, pre-revenue)
- **Key Metric**: Total funding not publicly disclosed – described as “fully funded” in recent job postings.
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not publicly named. Publicly debuted at BEDEX 2026 (Belgian defense industry exhibition). European procurement context includes Belgium engaging Origin Robotics, Anduril, COBBS, and Nokia for related programs.
- **Growth Signals**: Very recent incorporation (Dec 2025); already exhibiting at BEDEX 2026; active recruitment for core engineering team (Senior Robotics Software Engineer). Poised to benefit from surging EU demand for sovereign C-UAS capabilities.

## Competitive Advantages
- **EU-sovereign by design**: Engineered in Belgium, manufactured in Europe, EU-centric conflict-resilient supply chain. Money spent on defense stays in Europe.
- **Cost efficiency**: Claimed to be 200× cheaper per interceptor than the drones they target, making layered C-UAS economically sustainable.
- **AI-driven autonomy**: Embedded AI trained on millions of visual signatures, predictive guidance, and flexible human-AI teaming.
- **Architecture agnostic**: Acts as an effector layer cued by third-party detection and C2, easily integrated into existing layered C-UAS systems.

## Strategic Focus
- **Current priorities**: Build core engineering team; scale manufacturing in Europe; win initial contracts with allied defense ministries; establish supply chain sovereignty.
- **Direction**: Become the standard European kinetic counter-drone interceptor, expanding to additional platforms and AI capabilities.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven impact**: Directly protect allies from the #1 cause of military casualties in Ukraine (drones cause >70% of casualties). Opportunity to shape the future of autonomous defense.
- **Early-stage ownership**: Be one of the first members of a high-performing team; shape software, perception architecture, and product direction.
- **Tech stack**: C++ for production, Python for prototypes, ROS2, simulation environments (Gazebo, Foxglove), PX4 flight controllers, Rust preferred. Work on autonomous flying vehicles, sensor fusion, VIO/SLAM, ML, reinforcement learning.
- **Compensation**: Attractive base pay plus stock options (depending on geography/position).
- **Location**: Onsite in Brussels, Belgium. Office at Rue d’Enghien 18, 1080 Brussels.
- **Culture**: High-ambiguity, self-starter environment; team of hard-working, autonomous, creative people. French or Dutch is a plus but English is primary.
- **Team size**: Very small (early-stage). Founder team includes industry veterans with previous successful exits.

## Sources
1. [Sphere Defense Official Website](https://www.sphere-df.com/)
2. [TechWiki Belgium Profile](https://techwiki.be/be/wiki/companies/sphere-defense)
3. [BEDEX 2026 Exhibitor Page](https://www.bedex.brussels/en/bedexexhibitors/details/sphere-defense~50f9e73a-2dea-f4ff-779e-3a1f1c9a0b08)
4. [Senior Robotics Software Engineer Job Posting (CareersInRobotics)](https://careersinrobotics.com/jobs/senior-robotics-software-engineer-defense-drones-iil)
5. [Sphere Defense Contact Page](https://www.sphere-df.com/contact)

## Other roles at Sphere Defense

- [Drone Lab Technician, C-UAS](https://feeny.ai/job/drone-lab-technician-c-uas-sphere-defense-brussels-p8r2e01jq9hn) — Brussels, Belgium
- [Drone Test Pilot & Tech, C-UAS](https://feeny.ai/job/drone-test-pilot-tech-c-uas-sphere-defense-brussels-enbdj9dgmsyq) — Brussels, Belgium
- [Senior Program Manager, Defense](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-program-manager-defense-sphere-defense-brussels-vrxe72jjwa8b) — Brussels, Belgium
- [Electronics Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/electronics-engineer-sphere-defense-brussels-3vxk41b2z146) — Brussels, Belgium
- [Senior Firmware Engineer, Autonomous Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-firmware-engineer-autonomous-systems-sphere-defense-brussels-z2hew9brs06a) — Brussels, Belgium
- [Firmware Engineer, Autonomous Systems](https://feeny.ai/job/firmware-engineer-autonomous-systems-sphere-defense-brussels-6xxrwtf9wjyg) — Brussels, Belgium
- [Embedded Software Engineer, Robotics](https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-software-engineer-robotics-sphere-defense-brussels-db0zr18xjh3c) — Brussels, Belgium
- [Principal Perception Engineer, CV/ML](https://feeny.ai/job/principal-perception-engineer-cv-ml-sphere-defense-brussels-d07y2apkqv4s) — Brussels, Belgium
- [Embedded Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-software-engineer-sphere-defense-brussels-7x1z622xmcn1) — Brussels, Belgium
- [Senior Robotics Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-robotics-software-engineer-sphere-defense-brussels-93k7p9ba8hsp) — Brussels, Belgium