Skip to main content

Staff Perception Scientist

Job ID 2026-19266 Date posted Sep. 09, 2026 Location Seattle, Washington Category Software Engineering Apply

We seek a Staff Perception Scientist to advance how Physical AI systems understand the world on Arm. You will research and develop perception methods that transform camera, depth, radar, lidar, audio, and other sensor data into reliable representations for robotic and autonomous decision-making.

You will provide scientific and technical leadership from problem formulation and experimentation through optimized on-device deployment. This is a high-impact role at the intersection of computer vision, machine learning, multimodal sensing, robotics, and edge computing.

Responsibilities:

Perception research and algorithm development

  • Develop innovative methods for detection, segmentation, tracking, localization, scene understanding, and multimodal sensor fusion.
  • Formulate research questions, design controlled experiments, and translate promising ideas into robust production algorithms.
  • Advance model architectures and representations that remain accurate under motion, occlusion, domain shift, and sensor degradation.

Data, evaluation, and scientific rigor

  • Define datasets, labeling strategies, metrics, benchmarks, and evaluation protocols that reflect real-world product requirements.
  • Build reproducible training and analysis pipelines, investigate failure modes, and communicate findings with quantitative evidence.
  • Develop methods for efficient data selection, synthetic data, weak or self-supervision, and continuous model improvement.

Edge deployment and performance

  • Optimize models and algorithms for latency, power, memory, and accuracy across Arm CPUs and heterogeneous AI accelerators.
  • Partner with systems engineers to integrate perception pipelines with sensor I/O, runtimes, robotics middleware, and downstream consumers.
  • Create reference implementations and diagnostics that make perception behavior observable, testable, and maintainable on-device.

Scientific leadership and collaboration

  • Partner with robotics, controls, hardware, product, and customer teams to define perception requirements and system tradeoffs.
  • Lead research reviews, mentor scientists and engineers, and guide the technical roadmap for on-device perception.
  • Publish, patent, or contribute open work when appropriate, and represent Arm in relevant research and developer communities.

Required Skills and Experience :

  • 6+ years of experience in applied perception, computer vision, machine learning, or a related field.
  • Proficiency in Python and C++ with PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow, or similar frameworks.
  • Strong understanding of:
  • Deep learning for visual or multimodal perception, training, evaluation, and failure analysis
  • Probability, optimization, 3D geometry, coordinate transforms, calibration, and sensor fusion
  • Efficient inference, numerical precision, model compression, and edge deployment constraints
  • 3+ years of experience moving perception research into real-time or production systems.
  • A record of impact through deployed systems, publications, patents, or widely used research artifacts.
  • Ability to design rigorous experiments and explain results to research, engineering, and product audiences.
  • Excellent scientific judgment, problem-solving, communication, collaboration, and mentoring skills.

“Nice To Have” Skills and Experience :

  • PhD or equivalent experience in computer vision, machine learning, robotics, computer science, or a related field.
  • Experience with 3D perception, SLAM, visual-inertial estimation, tracking, occupancy, or world models.
  • Experience with multimodal models, self-supervised learning, domain adaptation, or continual learning.
  • Familiarity with synthetic data, simulation, active learning, and dataset curation.
  • Experience with quantization, pruning, distillation, compilers, or heterogeneous accelerators.
  • Background in robotics, autonomous systems, industrial vision, or other safety- or reliability-sensitive applications.
  • Contributions to open-source perception systems, benchmarks, datasets, or research communities.

Why this role matters:

Physical AI depends on perception that is accurate, efficient, and resilient outside controlled cloud environments. Models must interpret changing scenes and imperfect sensors while meeting strict limits on latency, power, memory, privacy, and connectivity.

In this role, you will shape perception technology for Arm-powered devices used in robotics, industrial systems, and consumer products. Your work will help intelligent machines understand and respond to the physical world in real time.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

In Return:

You will have the opportunity to work on important technical challenges in AI and platform engineering as part of a growing team in Seattle. This position offers a chance to contribute to core platform capabilities. You’ll work alongside skilled colleagues from various subject areas and help invent the way new AI services are built and scaled at Arm.

In addition to meaningful technical work, Arm offers an environment that values thoughtful engineering, collaboration, and continuous learning. This opportunity suits someone who enjoys solving complex systems problems, working across teams, and contributing to technology important to the future of AI at Arm.

Additional Information

Please note that a relocation package (including visa sponsorship assistance) is offered for this role, for candidates who need it.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Apply for this opportunity

Share on your newsfeed

Didn't find what you were looking for?

Join our talent community. Click here to get started.

Salary Range:

$209,100-$282,900 per year

We value people as individuals and our dedication is to reward people competitively and equitably for the work they do and the skills and experience they bring to Arm. Salary is only one component of Arm's offering. The total reward package will be shared with candidates during the recruitment and selection process.

Our 10x Mindset

At Arm, we believe progress happens when people are empowered to think bigger and push beyond what seems possible. Our 10x mindset is about curiosity, ambition and creating impact that will be used by millions. We learn fast, prioritise collaboration and turn bold ideas into real technology. We look for people who are inspired by this way of working and want to grow in an environment where bold ideas are welcomed. Discover how the 10x mindset shapes life at Arm: https://careers.arm.com/10x-mindset

Use of AI in Your Application

At Arm, we embrace the benefits AI can bring, including in recruitment. You may use AI to support your preparation, such as improving the clarity of written responses, practicing interview questions, or learning more about our industry. However, your application and interview responses must reflect your own thinking, experience, and abilities. We want to understand your authentic perspective, creativity, and approach to problem solving. As such, you may not use AI to complete assigned tasks as part of any assessments. If you plan to use AI-supported or assistive technologies as part of a reasonable adjustment, please contact accommodations@arm.com so we can support you.

Recruitment Adjustments and Accommodations

At Arm, we want to build extraordinary teams. If you need an adjustment or an accommodation during the recruitment process, please email accommodations@arm.com. To note, by sending us the requested information, you consent to its use by Arm to arrange for appropriate accommodations. All accommodation or adjustment requests will be treated with confidentiality, and information concerning these requests will only be disclosed as necessary to provide the accommodation. Although this is not an exhaustive list, examples of support include breaks between interviews, having documents read aloud, or office accessibility. Please email us about anything we can do to accommodate you during the recruitment process.

Hybrid Working

Arm’s approach to hybrid working is designed to create a working environment that supports both high performance and personal wellbeing. We believe in bringing people together face to face to enable us to work at pace, whilst recognizing the value of flexibility. Within that framework, we empower groups/teams to determine their own hybrid working patterns, depending on the work and the team’s needs. Details of what this means for each role will be shared upon application. In some cases, the flexibility we can offer is limited by local legal, regulatory, tax, or other considerations, and where this is the case, we will collaborate with you to find the best solution. Please talk to us to find out more about what this could look like for you.

Equal Opportunities

Arm is an equal opportunity employer, committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal opportunities are available to all applicants and colleagues. We are a diverse organization of dedicated and innovative individuals, and don’t discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Power the Future on Arm

Working in software engineering at Arm is about shaping a future of technology for which we don't yet have words. Our engineers lead innovation in physical IP, AI and machine learning, cloud architecture, automotive tech, and every aspect of computing that matters.

Spanning software's full spectrum, from compilers to AI-powered IoT and beyond, your code can enable virtually anything to be produced on silicon. Whether you're developing award-winning VR gaming or life-enhancing medical equipment, you can improve the lives of millions by being your brilliant self at Arm.

Drive change on Arm

At Arm, you'll influence 100% of the world's connected devices and all their applications. From healthcare and infrastructure to virtual reality, you'll affect nearly all industries worldwide, racing toward new milestones and achievements together.

Revolutionary Benefits

Health and Wellness

We create a safe space for you to nurture both your physical and mental wellbeing.

Work and Life Success

We empower people to experience life beyond the boundaries of standard work patterns.

Financial Rewards

We provide benefits beyond a competitive salary to reward our people for their dedication and contributions.

Development and Support

We foster professional and personal development, building a supportive community where everyone can thrive.

Life at Arm

Life in the office doesn’t get any better, especially when those offices are as sleek as ours and the people in them are innovative and supportive. Combine that with our focus on delivering as One Arm, and you’ll experience the kind of collaboration and togetherness that’s rare to find elsewhere. We share so much in common, not least a passion for progress, but we also celebrate each other's diversity.

Discover Life at Arm

Get Job Alerts

Can’t find the job you’re seeking? Register to be notified as soon as new jobs become available. Enter your email, select your preferred job category and/or location, then click Add to set your preferences and Subscribe to create your job alert.

Interested InSelect a job category and/or location from the lists of options. Then click “Add” to create your job alert.

  • Software Engineering, Seattle, Washington, United StatesRemove

By submitting your information, you acknowledge that you have read our privacy policy, and consent to receive email communication from Arm.

Join our Talent Community, Unlock Opportunities

Subscribe to receive Arm communications directly to your inbox. Stay connected to be the first to hear about updates from our community and exciting roles that align with your skills.

Join Now