Principal Data Scientist

The Principal Data Scientist (Computer Vision and Robotics) will develop machine learning, deep learning, perception, and autonomous-system solutions that address customer needs such as topside and subsea inspection, navigation, and intervention. The role is responsible for machine vision, sensor-fusion, localization, path-planning, decision-making, and data-analytics algorithms for Oceaneering’s next-generation robotic and autonomous systems.Lead and guide engineers on product and prototype design and development assignments across software, computer vision, robotics, machine learning, deep learning, and autonomous systemsArchitect perception and autonomy solutions through appropriate selection of cameras, sonar, LiDAR, inertial sensors, compute platforms, middleware, and algorithmsLead advanced research and development in computer vision, robotic perception, multi-sensor fusion, visual/sonar SLAM, localization, mapping, and autonomous navigationWork with third parties to utilize off the shelf industrial solutionsIteratively develop proof-of-concept implementations, prototypes and demos to fine-tune technologies to practical, state of the art systemsInnovate and develop algorithms for object detection, tracking and classification, pose estimation, obstacle avoidance, trajectory prediction, motion planning, and closed-loop robotic decision-makingDevelop and evaluate path-planning, task-planning, behavior-planning, and control approaches for robots operating in dynamic, uncertain, and GPS-denied environmentsApply reinforcement learning (RL), imitation learning, offline RL, and human-feedback approaches, including RLHF where appropriate, to improve autonomous decision-making while maintaining safety, explainability, and operational constraintsBuild simulation, synthetic-data, hardware-in-the-loop, and field-validation workflows; define autonomy metrics and verify robustness, fail-safe behavior, and sim-to-real performanceAlgorithm development on key research areas based on client’s technical problem. This requires constant paper reading, and staying ahead of the game by knowing what is and will be state of the art in this field.Ability to work hands-on in cross-functional teams with a strong sense of self-directionDevelop an awareness of programming and design alternativesCultivate and disseminate knowledge of application development best practicesGather statistics and prepare and write reports on the status of the programming process for discussion with management and/or team membersDirect research on emerging application development software products, languages, and standards in support of procurement and development effortsTrain, manage and provide guidance to junior staffPerform all other duties as requested, directed or assignedREQUIREDBachelor’s degree in computer science, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field, with eight or more years of experience delivering computer vision, deep learning, robotics, or autonomous-system projectsORMaster’s degree in computer science, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field, with six or more years of experience delivering computer vision, deep learning, robotics, or autonomous-system projectsDESIREDKnowledge of inner working of any vision software (such as OpenCV, PCL, CNN, Visual Transformers)Experience with robotics frameworks and simulators such as ROS/ROS 2, Gazebo, Isaac Sim, MATLAB/Simulink, or equivalent platformsStrong understanding of autonomous navigation, kinematics and dynamics, state estimation, sensor calibration and fusion, SLAM, path and trajectory planning, motion control, and safety-aware autonomyHands-on experience with reinforcement learning libraries and techniques, including policy optimization, reward design, imitation learning, offline RL, human-in-the-loop learning, and RLHF conceptsExperience deploying real-time perception and autonomy workloads on edge accelerators, with working knowledge of deterministic performance, latency optimization, telemetry, MLOps, and field diagnosticsTechnically fluent in programming languages, including Python, C, C++, Java, C# and other object-oriented paradigms Competent and proficient understanding of platforms such as UNIX (Solaris and Linux) and WindowsHands-on software troubleshooting experienceMust be able to learn, understand, and apply new technologiesStrong coding skills. Edge based and/or cloud-based AI/ML Code deployment experience (DevOps)Experience with Azure Cloud based ML services Experience in computer vision, image processing and other related applied engineering fields. Strong background in mathematics and/or statistics is highly desirable. Knowledge of git and version controlFamiliarity with NVIDIA's Jetson Board & Deep Stream Framework on Linux/Ubuntu machinesKnowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Other CharacteristicsAbility to analyze situations accurately, utilizing a variety of analytical techniques in order to make well informed decisionsAbility to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environmentSkill to gather, analyze and interpret dataAbility to determine and meet customer needsEnsures that others involved in a project or effort are kept informed about developments and plansKnowledge of communication styles and techniquesAbility to establish and maintain cooperative working relationshipsSkill to prioritize workflow in a changing work environmentKnowledge of applicable data privacy practices and lawsStrong analytical and problem-solving skills.