Junior EO/IR Algorithm Developer

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop, prototype, and refine algorithms for object detection, recognition and tracking in EO/IR imagery.
• Implement algorithms in Python for rapid prototyping and transition mature designs into production-level C++ applications.
• Apply conventional computer vision and image processing methods, as well as deep learning-based approaches (CNNs, transformer models, etc.).
• Evaluate algorithm effectiveness using quantitative metrics and qualitative analysis; characterize algorithm limitations and performance sensitivities.
• Work closely with program leadership, test teams, and modeling & simulation groups to communicate data needs, test conditions, and performance expectations.
• Prepare technical documentation, present algorithm results, and support integration into ATA/ATR software stacks.
• Contribute to dataset creation, labeling strategies, and data management workflows as needed.
• Collaborate with senior algorithm developers on system architecture and design improvements.

Basic Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with 0+ years of relevant experience.
• Experience with Python for scientific computing and algorithm prototyping (NumPy, SciPy, scikit-Image, OpenCV, scikit-learn, PyTorch, or TensorFlow).
• Familiarity with C++ development and willingness to grow toward production-quality implementation.
• Foundational knowledge of image processing and computer vision techniques (e.g. filtering, segmentation, feature extraction, optical flow).
• Basic understanding of deep learning methods for detection/recognition/tracking.
• Ability to analyze algorithm performance, identify limitation, and clearly communicate findings.
• Strong communication skills and ability to work with multi-disciplinary teams.
• Familiarity with version control (Git), JIRA, Agile workflows, and software engineering fundamentals.
• Candidate must be a resident of the North Alabama area or willing to relocate to the Huntsville - North Alabama, AL area.
• Candidate must be a U.S. Citizen and possess (and be able to maintain) a Final Secret Clearance or meet the eligibility to obtain (and maintain) a Final Secret Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications

• Active SECRET clearance or above.
• Familiarity with EO/IR imaging system concepts (pixels, noise, dynamic range, contrast, spectral bands).
• Exposure to embedded systems, GPU acceleration (CUDA), or real-time processing pipelines.
• Experience working with large datasets and automated evaluation frameworks.
• Knowledge of ATA/ATR concepts, evaluation metrics, and operational considerations.