About Forterra

Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. Amongst some of the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, Forterra is focused on building systems that protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base. Forterra is the go-to provider of ground autonomy solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, which harnesses the technology for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions.

About Forterra 
 
Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. Amongst some of the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, Forterra is focused on building systems that protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base. Forterra is the go-to provider of ground autonomy solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense, which harnesses the technology for asymmetric warfare in critical conditions. 

About The Role 

Forterra is seeking an experienced Perception Data Engineer to join our team in supporting the development of state-of-the-art deep learning algorithms for on-road and off-road applications. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in managing large quantities of visual data from a variety of sensor types, supporting the tools for developing deep learning algorithms for online real-time perception and offline data generation in multiple sensor domains, and running on hardware operating in varied environments under real-time constraints. 

What You'll Do 

• Manage and maintain the Perception Data Processing database 

• Design, deploy, and operate Metaflow pipelines 

• Enhance and support the Deep Learning Training Pipeline dashboard 

• Own the Perception Data Processing unit test architecture and test asset management 

• Develop and validate data upload/download tools for third party data annotation 

• Support AWS infrastructure and platform reliability- Build, optimize, and distribute production model debians 

What We're Looking For: 

Mission-Focused Technical Stewardship 

We’re looking for someone who understands the criticality of reliable data infrastructure, reproducible pipelines, and high-integrity tooling within autonomy and perception systems. You recognize that our models, datasets, and platforms must be trustworthy, maintainable, and consistently improving to support downstream mission needs. 

Deep Ownership of Complex Systems 

You have a demonstrated ability to take full responsibility for multifaceted environments, from AWS resources to Kubernetes clusters, Metaflow pipelines, dashboards, and CI/CD systems. You proactively identify problems, trace them across layers of the stack, and implement durable fixes rather than temporary workarounds. 

Architect’s Mindset for Data and ML Workflows 

You think holistically about data ingestion, annotation, anonymization, model optimization, and deployment pipelines. You understand that data quality, reproducibility, and model lineage are foundational, and design processes that uphold these principles across environments. 

Collaborative Partner & Cross-Functional Influencer 

You work effectively with engineering, infrastructure, MLOps, IT, and security partners, navigating govcloud constraints, modifying setups, coordinating dashboard access, or working with upstream owners of tooling. You can guide others through intricate workflows, mentor teammates, and build trust across organizations. 

Minimum Qualifications: 

• BS in machine learning, computer vision, or robotics, or with equivalent industrial experience. 

• 4+ years of similar academic and/or professional working experience. 

• Excellent understanding of standard deep learning algorithms for perception. 

• Solid understanding of machine learning training/deployment pipelines and their implementation. 

• Experience with PyTorch or Tensorflow, ROS, Docker, Python 

• Excellent core software engineering skills: software design, containerization, unit testing, and debugging. 

• Experience with delivering production-quality software in a continuously integrated environment using test-driven development patterns. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience with deploying deep learning algorithms into latency-constrained on-road and off-road environments, ideally on Nvidia Jetson devices 

• Excellent programming skills in C++ 

• Experience with cloud infrastructure and AWS in particular 

US Salary Range
 $150,000—$175,000
 

The salary range for this role is an estimate and is based on a wide variety of compensation factors. The salary offered to candidates will vary based on a variety of factors including (but not limited to) relevant work experience, education, specialized training, critical expertise, training, and more. Equity in Forterra is included in most of our full-time, high-demand roles and is therefore considered part of Forterra’s overall compensation package. In addition to base salary and equity, Forterra offers competitive benefits for full-time employees including:

• Premium Healthcare Benefits: Three plan options, including an HSA-eligible plan, with Forterra covering 80% of the plan premium for you and your dependents.  
• Basic Life/AD&D, short and long-term disability insurance plans 100% covered by Forterra, plus the option to purchase additional life insurance for you and your dependents.
• Extremely generous company holiday calendar including a winter break in December.
• Competitive paid time off (PTO) offering 20 days accrued per year.
• A minimum of 7 weeks fully paid parental leave for birth/adoption. 
• A $9k annual tuition reimbursement or professional development stipend.
• Fully stocked beverage refrigerators with all the Celsius your little heart desires. 
• 401(k) retirement savings plan, including traditional, Roth 401(k), and after-tax deferral with company match up to 4%.

Your recruiter will be able to share more information about our salary and benefits offering during the hiring process.  

Forterra is an equal-opportunity employer, providing and promoting equal employment opportunity in accordance with local, state, and federal laws. Forterrans are unique, talented individuals who are united through a shared passion to deliver autonomous systems that enable national resilience and a robust supply chain. All qualified applications will receive equal consideration for employment.