Principal ML Engineer, Motion Planning and Prediction

Motional; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 240,000 - 330,000; Full time

Job summary

Motional is seeking a technical expert for its Planning team to define motion planning and control systems for secure, effective, and comfortable fleet operation in complex environments. This role requires cutting-edge research, advanced algorithm development, and production-grade software to generate safe, intuitive routes for autonomous vehicles.

The ideal candidate brings a PhD or equivalent with 10+ years of research in ML/robotics, 3+ years of C++ development, and a proven track record

Qualifications

• PhD preferred in Machine Learning/Robotics or related field, or MS with extensive production ML experience.
• Experience leading complex features from research to deployment in production environments.
• Strong C++ development experience and high-performance software design.

Responsibilities

• Lead ML engineering and R&D of motion planning and prediction algorithms for autonomous driving.
• Define interfaces across cross-functional teams to enable new functionality.
• Monitor system performance and drive technical improvements.
• Architect and integrate motion planning with perception and control subsystems for end-to-end performance.
• Build scalable, high-performance codebase for rapid exploration and evaluation of new approaches.
• Mentor junior and senior engineers and foster product-focused engineering culture.

Skills

Machine learning

Robotics

C++

Production systems

Research leadership

Problem solving

Education

PhD

MS + 7+ years

Tools

Bazel

Job description

Motional is seeking a technical expert for its Planning team to define motion planning and control systems for secure, effective, and comfortable fleet operation in complex environments. This role requires expertise in cutting-edge research, advanced algorithm development, and robust software building to generate safe, comfortable, and intuitive routes and motions. We are looking for a robotics and software development enthusiast eager to contribute to production-ready autonomous vehicles. If you possess a passion for autonomous driving, thrive on solving real-world challenges, and aspire to make a significant impact in a rapidly evolving field, we encourage your application.

Role responsibilities:

• Lead the ML engineering and research and development of novel algorithms and sub-systems for motion planning and prediction in autonomous driving, thereby expanding the Operational Design Domain. This includes, but is not limited to, advanced search-based and sophisticated geometry-based methods, as well as decision‑making under uncertainty with a strong emphasis on probabilistic approaches


• Lead cross-functional projects to define new or upgrade existing interfaces to solve problems


• Monitor overall system performance to identify areas for improvement and develop technical strategies to address deficiencies


• Guide cross-functional project teams to provide comprehensive solutions and demonstrate the ability to think beyond the confines of the planning system.


• Architect and integrate complex combinations of motion planning and prediction algorithms, driving their evaluation and refinement for real-world deployment.


• Design and build a robust, scalable, and high-performance codebase that facilitates rapid exploration, prototyping, and rigorous evaluation of innovative motion planning approaches and algorithms.


• Drive technical collaboration and interface seamlessly with perception and prediction components upstream and trajectory optimization, tracking and control components downstream, ensuring end-to-end system performance.


• Leverage your deep software development and research expertise to teach others better software practices and principles, fostering a culture of technical excellence.


• Guide and mentor junior and senior team members, cultivating a culture of product‑focused engineering, rigorous research, and advanced development.

What we're looking for:

• PhD preferred in Machine Learning, Robotics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field; or a Master's degree with 7+ years of experience in the production machine learning systems, robotics (preferably AV industry).


• 10+ years of research experience in production machine learning models and systems, robotics / motion planning, with a proven track record of contributing to state‑of‑the‑art solutions and leading significant projects.


• 3+ years of C++ software development, with an emphasis on developing high-performance and reliable systems.


• Past experience owning and leading technical development on complex features from problem formulation through research, implementation, and deployment in a production environment, demonstrating significant impact.


• Thirst for knowledge, continuous innovation, and a drive to push the boundaries of autonomous driving technology, acting as a technical thought leader.

Skills appreciated

• Experience with autoregressive models (e.g., LLMs, MLLM, VLA).


• Experience with Reinforcement learning (RLHF, RLVR) and reward modeling.


• Experience with the Bazel build framework

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors including but not limited to specific skills, experience and expertise, role location, certifications, licenses, and business needs. The estimated compensation range listed in this job posting reflects base salary only. This role may include additional forms of compensation such as a bonus or company equity. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process. Candidates for certain positions are eligible to participate in Motional's benefits program. Motional's benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, vision, 401k with a company match, health saving accounts, life insurance, pet insurance, and more.

Salary Range: $240,000 USD - $330,000 USD

Motional is a driverless technology company making autonomous vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. We're driven by something more.

Our journey is always people first.

We aren't just developing driverless cars; we're creating safer roadways, more equitable transportation options, and making our communities better places to live, work, and connect. Our team is made up of engineers, researchers, innovators, dreamers and doers, who are creating a technology with the potential to transform the way we move.

Higher purpose, greater impact.

We're creating first‑of‑its‑kind technology that will transform transportation. To do so successfully, we must design for everyone in our cities and on our roads. We believe in building a great place to work through a progressive, global culture that is diverse, inclusive, and ensures people feel valued at every level of the organization. Diversity helps us to see the world differently; it's not only good for our business, it's the right thing to do.

Scale up, not starting up.

Our team is behind some of the industry's largest leaps forward, including the first fully‑autonomous cross‑country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and operation of the world's longest‑standing public robotaxi fleet. We're driven to scale; we're moving towards commercialization of our technology, and we need team members who are ready to embrace change and challenges.

Formed as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, Motional is fundamentally changing how people move through their lives. Headquartered in Boston, Motional has operations in the U.S and Asia. For more information, visit www.Motional.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Motional AD Inc. is an EOE. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To comply with Federal Law, we participate in E-Verify. All newly-hired employees are queried through this electronic system established by the DHS and the SSA to verify their identity and employment eligibility.