Motion Planning Engineer, TeleGuidance

Zoox; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 214,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

A pioneering autonomous vehicle company in San Diego is seeking a Motion Planning Software Engineer to join their Planning and Control team. The role involves writing C++ code to integrate human guidance into autonomous systems, collaborating on complex urban navigation challenges, and enhancing motion planning algorithms. Ideal candidates will have a Master's degree in Computer Science, experience in real-time planning, and strong programming skills. The position offers a competitive salary range and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

Paid time off

Health insurance

Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights

Amazon RSUs

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science or related field required.
• Experience writing performance-critical production code in C++.
• Experience creating real-time motion planning algorithms.
• Understanding of configuration spaces and planning techniques (A*, D*, RRTs, etc.).
• Strong mathematical and geometrical skills.
• Experience leading small projects or teams.

Responsibilities

• Write on-vehicle C++ code integrating guidance into the planner stack.
• Collaborate with Planner engineers and represent TeleGuidance.
• Design tools for remote operators in dense urban environments.
• Contribute to the code base based on skills and interests.
• Collaborate with developers across the AI software organization.

Skills

Performance-critical production code in C++

Real-time motion planning algorithms

Configuration spaces and planning techniques

Programming and algorithm design

Mathematical and geometrical skills

Leading small projects or teams

Education

Master's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

C++

CUDA

Protobuf

TypeScript

Job description

Overview

The TeleGuidance Planning team at Zoox enables our autonomous vehicles to incorporate human contextual guidance into the planning algorithms, allowing our vehicles to reason about and navigate complex scenarios by leveraging real-time remote human guidance. TeleGuidance fuses the “human sensor” data in real-time to plan solutions that complete the mission as part of the self-driving stack.

Zoox is looking for a motion planning software engineer to join our Planning and Control team. You will help develop planner behavior and trajectories in collaboration with remote guidance and write on-vehicle C++ components that integrate human guidance into the execution of our robot. You’ll solve complex edge cases for autonomous systems that are crucial to enabling Zoox’s mission.

Take a look at this video we made for a more thorough explanation: https://youtu.be/NKQHuutVx78

Responsibilities

• Write on-vehicle C++ code that integrates guidance provided by remote operators into the autonomous planner stack.
• Collaborate with Planner engineers from vertical teams (agent handling, junctions, etc.) and represent TeleGuidance on horizontal teams (construction zones, emergency vehicles, etc.).
• Design and implement tools and features that remote operators will use to help our fleet navigate complex dense urban driving environments. Develop a test plan with QA for new features.
• Contribute to a broad portion of the code base based on skills and interests (motion planning, trajectory optimization, GPU code, offline tooling/simulation, cost tuning, and more).
• Collaborate with developers across the AI software organization (Prediction, Perception, Core/Infra, and more).

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Computer Science or related field
• Experience writing performance-critical production code in C++
• Demonstrated ability to create real-time motion planning algorithms
• Understanding of configuration spaces and planning techniques (A*, D*, RRTs, etc.)
• Extensive experience with programming and algorithm design
• Strong mathematical and geometrical skills
• Experience leading small projects or teams

Bonus Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science or related field
• Experience with autonomous robots, telerobotics
• Experience with CUDA, Protobuf, or TypeScript

Base Salary Range

$214,000 - $270,000 a year. The compensation package includes base salary, Amazon Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), and Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights. A sign-on bonus may be offered. The listed range applies to base salary and may vary by location and level. Leveling and positioning within a level are determined by factors including experience, domain knowledge, and interview performance. The salary range reflects the levels Zoox is considering for this position.

Zoox offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid time off (sick leave, vacation, bereavement), unpaid time off, Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights, Amazon RSUs, health insurance, long-term care insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance, and life insurance.

About Zoox

Zoox is developing the first ground-up, fully autonomous vehicle fleet and the supporting ecosystem required to bring this technology to market. We sit at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and design, aiming to provide the next generation of mobility-as-a-service in urban environments. We seek top talent that shares our passion and wants to be part of a fast-moving, highly execution-oriented team.

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Accommodations

If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please reach out to [e-mail] or your assigned recruiter.

A Final Note

You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Zoox, we value diverse perspectives and are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.