Senior Motion Planning Engineer - Trajectory Optimization

Torc Robotics; Virginia (MN); Hybrid; USD 161,000 - 193,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Bonus component

100% medical/dental/vision premiums

401K with 6% match

Flexible schedule & vacation

AD+D & Life Insurance

Job summary

Torc Robotics is seeking a Senior Software Engineer focused on motion planning, trajectory generation, and optimization for autonomous tractor-trailer systems. You will design and implement planning algorithms, collaborate with safety, controls, and validation teams, and help scale autonomy software in production environments.

Join a team working at the intersection of robotics, ML, optimization, and safety to deliver reliable autonomous driving capabilities with production-grade software and

Qualifications

• Bachelor's in CS/Robotics/EE/Mechanical Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years industry experience; or 3+ with Master's; or 1+ with PhD.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and optimize motion planning algorithms for autonomous trucks.
• Develop planning solutions using graph search, sampling, optimization, spline trajectories, and Frenet frameworks.
• Incorporate vehicle dynamics into planning for safe, feasible behavior.
• Develop production-ready C++ software in Linux with quality and safety practices.
• Collaborate across autonomy, controls, simulation, safety, and validation teams.
• Execute validation across SiL/HiL/ViL environments.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to system designs.

Skills

Modern C++ (Linux)

Robotics/AV software

Motion planning/trajectory generation

Linear algebra/optimization/geometry

Software engineering fundamentals

Full software lifecycle

Debugging complex systems

Communication & collaboration

Independent work in a team

Education

Bachelors: CS/Robotics/EE/ME

Masters (relevant field)

PhD (relevant field)

Tools

ROS/ROS2

Autoware/Apollo or similar

CUDA/TensorRT

Python (production)

Job description

About the Company

At Torc, we have always believed that autonomous vehicle technology will transform how we travel, move freight, and do business.

A leader in autonomous driving since 2007, Torc has spent over a decade commercializing our solutions with experienced partners. Now a part of the Daimler family, we are focused solely on developing software for automated trucks to transform how the world moves freight.

Join us and catapult your career with the company that helped pioneer autonomous technology, and the first AV software company with the vision to partner directly with a truck manufacturer.

Meet the Team

Join Torc's Behaviors Team, where we develop the planning, prediction, and decision-making systems that determine how our autonomous trucks navigate the world safely, efficiently, and predictably. Our team operates at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, optimization, simulation, and safety, building the core autonomy capabilities that translate perception into action.

We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer who is passionate about solving challenging autonomy problems and building production-quality software for real-world autonomous systems. This role is focused on motion planning, trajectory generation, and trajectory optimization for autonomous tractor-trailer vehicles. You will contribute directly to the design, development, validation, and deployment of planning capabilities that enable safe and reliable autonomous driving. You will work closely with engineers across autonomy, controls, simulation, safety, and validation to help deliver robust autonomy behaviors at scale.

What You'll Do

• Design, develop, and optimize motion planning algorithms including trajectory generation, trajectory selection, behavior planning, and optimization-based planning approaches for autonomous trucks.
• Develop planning solutions leveraging techniques such as graph search, sampling-based planning, optimization-based planning, spline/B-spline trajectories, convex optimization, and Frenet-frame approaches.
• Incorporate vehicle kinematic and dynamic constraints into planning systems to ensure safe, feasible, and comfortable vehicle behavior.
• Develop production-quality software using modern C++ within a Linux environment while adhering to quality, safety, testing, and deployment best practices.
• Participate in software architecture discussions and contribute to technical designs that support scalable and maintainable autonomy systems.
• Develop and execute validation strategies across Software-in-the-Loop (SiL), Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL), and Vehicle-in-the-Loop (ViL) environments.
• Collaborate closely with Safety, Controls, Perception, Validation, and Simulation teams to develop safe and reliable autonomous driving behaviors.
• Investigate and debug vehicle behavior by reproducing issues in simulation, analyzing system performance, and implementing software improvements.
• Support vehicle integration, deployment activities, and post-deployment investigations to ensure reliable autonomy performance.
• Participate in technical design reviews, code reviews, and continuous improvement initiatives across the Behaviors organization.
• Mentor junior engineers through collaboration, technical guidance, and knowledge sharing.

What You'll Need to Succeed

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field with 5+ years of industry experience; OR Master's degree with 3+ years of experience; OR PhD with 1+ years of experience.
• Strong proficiency in modern C++ development within Linux-based environments.
• Experience developing robotics, autonomous vehicle, ADAS, or other complex real-time software systems.
• Strong experience developing motion planning, trajectory generation, trajectory optimization, behavior planning, or decision-making systems for robotics or autonomous systems.
• Solid understanding of vehicle dynamics, vehicle kinematics, trajectory feasibility, and planning system architecture.
• Strong foundation in linear algebra, numerical optimization, geometry, and robotics algorithms.
• Strong understanding of software engineering fundamentals, system design principles, and scalable development practices.
• Experience working across the full software development lifecycle, from design and implementation through validation, deployment, and operational support.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to debug complex system-level issues.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills within cross-functional engineering teams.
• Ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a highly collaborative environment.

Bonus Points!

• Experience with motion planning, trajectory optimization, behavior prediction, or decision-making systems for autonomous vehicles.
• Experience with Model Predictive Control (MPC), convex optimization, quadratic programming (QP), nonlinear optimization, or other optimization-based planning techniques.
• Experience applying machine learning techniques such as imitation learning, reinforcement learning, or hybrid planning architectures.
• Understanding of vehicle dynamics, controls, state estimation, and trajectory tracking.
• Experience developing software in both C++ and Python environments.
• Experience integrating machine learning models into real-time or production systems.
• Experience working with simulation platforms and large-scale autonomy validation environments.
• Experience with robotics frameworks such as ROS/ROS2, Autoware, Apollo, or similar autonomy platforms.
• Exposure to CUDA, GPU acceleration, TensorRT, or high-performance compute environments.
• Experience supporting on-vehicle testing, debugging, and deployment activities.
• Passion for autonomous vehicles, robotics, and solving complex real-world engineering challenges.

Work Location:For this position, we are open to hiring in Ann Arbor, MI, Blacksburg, VA, Fort Worth, TX office work locations in a hybrid capacity. We are also open to hiring Remote in the United States & Canada

Perks of Being a Full-time Torc’r

Torc cares about our teammembersand we strive to provide benefits and resources to support their health, work/life balance, and future. Our culture is collaborative, energetic, and team focused. Torc offers:

• A competitive compensation package that includes a bonuscomponentand stock options
• 100% paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for full-time employees
• 401K plan with a 6% employer matchFlexibility in schedule and generous paid vacation (available immediately after start date)Company-wide holiday office closures
• AD+D and Life Insurance

At Torc,we’recommitted to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We celebrate the uniqueness of ourTorc’rsand do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, veteran status, or disabilities.

Even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications listed for this opportunity, we encourage you to apply.

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several geographic markets.Pay is based on a number of factors and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.Torc's total compensation package will also include our corporate bonus and stock option plan.Dependenton the position offered, sign-on payments, relocation, and other forms of compensation may be provided as part of a total compensation package, in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits.

Job ID: 102795

Hiring Range for Job Opening

US Pay Range

$160,800 — $193,000 USD