Director / VP | Perception & World Modelling | Physical AI

Director / VP | Perception & World Modelling | Physical AI

We're working on a confidential, retained basis with a well-funded Physical AI company scaling its perception and world-modelling capability out of Munich - building the sensing, mapping, and environmental-understanding stack behind next-generation autonomous and embodied systems.

This is a senior leadership mandate. You'll own the technical vision for perception, sensor fusion, SLAM, and world modelling, build and scale the team behind it, and work closely with the executive team on product and platform strategy.

What you'll own:
Technical strategy and roadmap for perception, sensor fusion, SLAM, and world/environment modelling
Building and scaling a high-performing engineering and research organisation
Bridging state-of-the-art research (3D reconstruction, neural scene representation, multi-modal sensor fusion) into production-grade, real-time systems
Partnering with Autonomy, Simulation, and Embodied Systems leadership on downstream integration
Representing the perception function to the executive team, board, and key partners

What we're looking for:
10+ years in perception, computer vision, or robotics engineering, with genuine Director/VP or senior Staff/Principal-level leadership experience
Track record shipping perception systems into real-world, safety-relevant environments (AVs, robotics, drones, or industrial automation)
Deep fluency in sensor fusion, SLAM, 3D reconstruction, and/or neural world-modelling approaches
Experience scaling a team through a growth phase
Fluent English required; German is a strong plus, not essential

If this isn't an exact fit but you're a senior leader in Physical AI/robotics, we're happy to have a confidential conversation about adjacent opportunities across DACH.

To apply or discuss confidentially, contact Will Childs, VP of Physical AI & Robotics at AI Futures - [email protected]