Senior Motion Planning Engineer

motional; United States; Hybrid; USD 172,000 - 229,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Health savings accounts

Life insurance

Pet insurance

Bonus/equity participation

Job summary

Motional, a leader in autonomous vehicle technology, seeks a senior researcher- engineer for its motion planning team. This role combines cutting-edge algorithm research with production-grade, high-performance code to deliver safe, comfortable, and intuitive vehicle motions.

The position offers hybrid or fully remote work based in Boston, Pittsburgh, or Las Vegas. You'll lead research on novel motion planning algorithms, integrate planning and prediction components, and ship scalable software

Qualifications

• PhD preferred in Robotics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
• 5+ years of research experience in robotics or motion planning with a track record of contributing to state-of-the-art solutions
• 3+ years of C++ development focused on high-performance, reliable systems
• Experience owning and leading complex features from problem formulation through research, implementation, and production deployment
• Continuous learning mindset and drive to push the boundaries of autonomous driving technology

Responsibilities

• Lead research and development of novel motion planning algorithms, including advanced search-based methods, geometry-based methods, and probabilistic decision making under uncertainty
• Architect and integrate combinations of motion planning and prediction algorithms and drive their evaluation and refinement for real-world deployment
• Design and build a scalable, high-performance codebase that supports rapid exploration, prototyping, and rigorous evaluation of new approaches
• Collaborate closely with upstream perception and prediction components and downstream trajectory optimization, tracking, and control to ensure end-to-end performance
• Teach and promote strong software practices and principles across the team
• Guide and mentor junior engineers and cultivate a culture of product-focused engineering and rigorous research

Skills

C++ development

Robotics research

Motion planning

High-performance computing

Leadership

Education

PhD preferred in Robotics, CS, CE, ME

MS with 2+ years robotics experience

Tools

Bazel

Job description

Role overview

This is a senior research and engineering role on a motion planning team building production-ready planning software for autonomous vehicles. The position involves cutting-edge algorithm research combined with shipping robust, high-performance code that generates safe, comfortable, and intuitive routes and motions. It is a hybrid or fully remote opportunity based in Boston, Pittsburgh, or Las Vegas.

Responsibilities

• Lead research and development of novel motion planning algorithms, including advanced search-based methods, geometry-based methods, and probabilistic decision making under uncertainty


• Architect and integrate combinations of motion planning and prediction algorithms and drive their evaluation and refinement for real-world deployment


• Design and build a scalable, high-performance codebase that supports rapid exploration, prototyping, and rigorous evaluation of new approaches


• Collaborate closely with upstream perception and prediction components and downstream trajectory optimization, tracking, and control to ensure end-to-end performance


• Teach and promote strong software practices and principles across the team


• Guide and mentor junior engineers and cultivate a culture of product-focused engineering and rigorous research

Requirements

• PhD preferred in Robotics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, or a Master's degree with 2+ years of robotics experience, preferably in the autonomous vehicle industry


• 5+ years of research experience in robotics or motion planning with a track record of contributing to state-of-the-art solutions


• 3+ years of C++ development focused on high-performance, reliable systems


• Experience owning and leading complex features from problem formulation through research, implementation, and production deployment


• Continuous learning mindset and drive to push the boundaries of autonomous driving technology

Nice to have

• Experience with probabilistic models such as 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

Benefits and work setup

• Base salary range of $172,000 to $229,000 USD, with potential bonus or equity participation


• Hybrid schedule with in-office time in Boston, Pittsburgh, or Las Vegas, or fully remote


• Benefits program includes medical, dental, vision, 401k with company match, health savings accounts, life insurance, and pet insurance