Senior AI Research Engineer in Underwater Perception

Leuven, Belgium

The demand for advanced sensing technologies in underwater systems is rapidly rising, drawing significant attention from both industry and academia. Yet, several unique obstacles are hindering progress in this domain. Are you interested in tackling these challenges with cutting-edge AI sensing techniques?

At the AISensing team we focus on AI-powered sensing technology, spanning large-scale AI models, simulation of next-generation sensors, and energy-efficient sensory systems. One of our missions is to deliver cutting-edge solutions for more robust sensor-driven applications compatible with resource-constrained scenarios, such as the underwater environment. If our goal resonates with your ambitions and expertise, this opportunity might be for you.

Our dynamic team works at the forefront of AI innovation. As Senior Research Engineer in Underwater Perception, you play a pivotal role in shaping the future of energy-efficient AI algorithms for underwater perception.

What you will do

• Identify research and technology gaps, contribute to cutting-edge research in the field of emerging sensing technology, and research publications.
• Develop, test and evaluate novel AI algorithms to advance multi-modal sensing in resource constrained edge applications.
• Work in close collaboration with HW teams to assess new technologies and build research prototypes.

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth.

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits.

Who you are

• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning or related field or 5+ years of relevant industrial experience.
• Strong track record of developing and implementing computer vision and perception pipelines for challenging real-world, multimodal sensor environments, supported by strong expertise in ML, DL and AI algorithms.
• Proficient in training, testing and deploying AI perception models.
• Experienced with generative AI models for image synthesis.
• Strong programming skills in Python and ML/DL libraries.
• You are a team player with the ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
• You are a responsible, communicative and flexible person.
• Your English is fluent, both spoken and written.

Bonus points:

• Expertise with sensor fusion approaches and edge-computing applications.
• Experienced with simulation frameworks/engines (e.g., ROS, Gazebo, Unity) and physics-informed AI.

Job details

Title
Senior AI Research Engineer in Underwater Perception

Employer
imec

Location
Kapeldreef 75 Leuven, Belgium

Published
2026-03-04

Application deadline
Unspecified

Job type
Engineer

Field
Signal Processing, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Algorithms,
Programming Languages,
Industrial Engineering

Apply now