Computer Vision Engineer

About the Role

As a Computer Vision Engineer at Gallagher, you will be instrumental in advancing Vision Weigh, a cutting-edge animal measurement system integrated within the eShepherd Farm Operating System™. This system employs cameras installed in paddocks to autonomously measure animals, eliminating the need for manual yarding and weighing. You will lead the development and deployment of the vision model, data pipeline, edge computing, calibration, ground truth data creation, and continuous retraining to ensure model accuracy on commercial farms worldwide.

Gallagher’s eShepherd operates in over twenty countries, combining startup agility with the depth and stability of a company with nearly nine decades in farm fencing. You will work closely with a multidisciplinary team across data, software, firmware, hardware, and product design in an office-first environment designed to foster collaboration and innovative problem-solving.

Key Responsibilities

• Transform the Vision Weigh prototype into a fully operational product deployed reliably on farms.
• Develop and maintain the computer vision components across design, testing, deployment, and iteration cycles.
• Collaborate with specialists in various domains to deliver dependable hardware and software solutions in challenging outdoor environments.

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate thrives on converting experimental ideas into functional products, emphasizing rapid iteration and real-world testing over perfection. You are comfortable handling uncertainty, exercising subject matter expertise in computer vision, and proactively addressing challenges. A strong interest in outdoor environments and animal behavior is essential for managing real-world conditions such as varied animal poses, environmental interference like mud or lighting, and breed variability.

Required Skills and Experience

• Proven experience integrating computer vision capabilities into actual products beyond laboratory prototypes.
• Expertise in Python programming and PyTorch, along with fundamentals of classical computer vision techniques including segmentation, keypoints detection, pose estimation, and point cloud processing.
• Hands-on experience deploying machine learning models on edge devices such as Jetson boards, camera modules with NPUs, or single-board computers with accelerators, with awareness of constraints like latency, memory, and thermal management.
• Proficiency with depth sensing technologies including stereo vision, time-of-flight, or structured light, coupled with calibration skills to manage noisy depth data.
• Pragmatic understanding of data management, valuing high-quality ground truth datasets, employing experiment tracking, and dataset versioning to monitor model training histories.
• Strong software engineering practices including version control, containerization, continuous integration, and comprehensive testing to facilitate code maintainability.
• Advanced familiarity with generative AI tools to accelerate development and enhance vision models, particularly in reducing annotation requirements and employing foundation models for detection and depth estimation.

Additional beneficial experience includes working with depth sensing SDKs like Luxonis DepthAI, Stereolabs ZED, Intel RealSense, cloud platforms such as AWS, data orchestration with Databricks or MLflow, C++ development for latency-critical components, and agricultural or livestock industry exposure.

Why Join Gallagher’s eShepherd Team?

Our technology significantly improves farmers' lives by enabling less stressful, more efficient livestock management and better animal welfare. You’d be contributing to impactful innovations used by producers around the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, helping them manage cattle more effectively with reduced labor and increased animal comfort.

The team culture values resourcefulness, open communication, and a bias towards action. You will enjoy the balance of startup excitement with the stability of a well-established company.

Benefits

• Competitive salary with performance incentives.
• Opportunities for career advancement as the product scales globally.
• Modern tools and technologies to support your work.
• A collaborative and practical team environment.
• KiwiSaver retirement contributions.
• Membership to Boost App and staff discounts throughout New Zealand.
• Life and Disability Insurance benefits.
• Convenient onsite parking, subsidised café, and a variety of local dining options at the Hamilton site.
• Employee Assistance Program and wellbeing-focused initiatives.

Additional Information

Applications are reviewed on receipt and may close early upon appointment.