Senior Motion Planning Engineer

Motional; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 172,000 - 229,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid schedule in Boston/Pittsburgh/​

Fully remote option

Benefits package

Job summary

Motional in Boston is seeking a seasoned researcher and software engineer to advance motion planning for production-ready autonomous vehicles. You will lead development of novel algorithms, architect high-performance code, and collaborate across perception, prediction, and control teams.

PhD preferred; 3+ years C++; 5+ years robotics research; hybrid in-office options in Boston/Pittsburgh/Las Vegas or remote. Competitive USD salary and comprehensive benefits available.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in robotics/CS/CE/ME or related field.
• 5+ years of research in robotics/motion planning with state-of-the-art contributions.
• 3+ years of C++ software development focused on high-performance, reliable systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead research and development of novel motion-planning algorithms for autonomous driving.
• Architect and integrate motion planning and prediction components for real-world deployment.
• Design a scalable, high-performance codebase for rapid exploration and evaluation of ideas.
• Collaborate with perception, prediction, trajectory optimization, tracking, and control teams for end-to-end system performance.
• Share software best practices and mentor junior engineers to foster technical excellence.
• Drive technical leadership across complex features from problem formulation to deployment.

Skills

C++ development

Research experience

Production-grade software

Continuous learning

Education

PhD in Robotics/CS/CE/ME

Masters + 2+ years robotics experience

Tools

Bazel

Job description

Mission Summary:

On our Motion Planning team, you'll apply your passion in robotics and software development for production-ready autonomous vehicles. In this role you'll perform cutting-edge research, develop advanced algorithms, and build robust software to generate safe, comfortable, and intuitive routes and motions.

Role responsibilities:

• Lead the research and development of novel algorithms for motion planning in autonomous driving, including but not limited to advanced search-based methods, sophisticated geometry-based methods, and decision making under uncertainty with a strong emphasis on probabilistic approaches.
• 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 team members, cultivating a culture of product-focused engineering, rigorous research, and advanced development.

What we're looking for:

• PhD preferred in Robotics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field; or a Master's degree with 2+ years of experience in the robotics (preferably AV industry)
• 5+ years of research experience in robotics / motion planning, with a proven track record of contributing to state-of-the‑art solutions
• 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.
• Thirst for knowledge, continuous innovation, and a drive to push the boundaries of autonomous driving technology.

Bonus points(not required):

• Experience with probabilistic models, including but not limited to Gaussian mixture models, Hidden Markov Models, and Particle Filters.
• Experience with Bayesian modeling and inference techniques for decision making under uncertainty.
• Experience with the Bazel build framework

We encourage a hybrid schedule with in-office time at one of our locations in Boston, Pittsburgh, or Las Vegas to support collaboration, or this role can be fully remote.

Salary Range

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.

$172,000 — $229,000 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.