(Senior) Software Engineer - Behavior

???? pony.ai; Fremont (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Care Plan

Retirement Plan

Life Insurance

Paid Time Off

Family Leave

Disability

Free Food

Job summary

Pony.ai in Fremont, California is seeking a Software Engineer to design and develop autonomous driving software components. You will contribute to architecture, algorithms, and data systems essential for real-time vehicle decision-making and testing with large-scale data.

Requirements include a BS in CS or related field and 2+ years of general software engineering experience, with proficiency in C/C++, Python, or Java. On-site role with competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science, ML, Robotics, similar technical field of study, or equivalent practical experience.
• 2+ years hands-on general software engineering experience, proficient in at least one mainstream programming language (C/C++, Python, or Java).
• Ability to lead ambiguous technical work from problem framing through reliable delivery.

Responsibilities

• Architecture & Systems: designing and developing high-performance planning architectures and systems.
• Computational Algorithms: developing high-precision, high-performance geometry and numerical algorithms.
• Driving Intelligence: improving autonomous vehicle decision-making using ML and advanced algorithms.
• Big Data Infrastructure: building scalable data processing for large-scale road-test data.
• Simulation & Evaluation: analyzing real-world data and simulating driving performance.
• Internal Tools & Productivity: creating tools to optimize engineering workflows.
• Cross Team Collaboration: work with safety, road rules compliance, and ride quality teams.

Skills

Software engineering

C/C++

Python

Java

Data structures & algorithms

Education

BS in Computer Science or related field

Job description

Founded in 2016 in Silicon Valley, Pony.ai has quickly become a global leader in autonomous mobility and is a pioneer in extending autonomous mobility technologies and services at a rapidly expanding footprint of sites around the world. Operating Robotaxi, Robotruck and Personally Owned Vehicles (POV) business units, Pony.ai is an industry leader in the commercialization of autonomous driving and is committed to developing the safest autonomous driving capabilities on a global scale. Pony.ai’s leading position has been recognized, with CNBC ranking Pony.ai #10 on its CNBC Disruptor list of the 50 most innovative and disruptive tech companies of 2022. In June 2023, Pony.ai was recognized on the XPRIZE and Bessemer Venture Partners inaugural “XB100” 2023 list of the world’s top 100 private deep tech companies, ranking #12 globally. As of August 2023, Pony.ai has accumulated nearly 21 million miles of autonomous driving globally. Pony.ai went public at NASDAQ in November 2024.

Responsibility

The team is responsible for determining and controlling how autonomous vehicles navigate based on real-time traffic conditions—including road infrastructure, surrounding environments, other vehicles, and pedestrians—making it one of the core teams in autonomous driving.

Software or Algorithm Engineers on the team are responsible for one or more of the following:

1. Architecture & Systems: Designing and developing high-performance, highly reliable Planning architectures and systems.
2. Computational Algorithms: Developing and optimizing high-precision, high-performance computational geometry and numerical computing algorithms.
3. Driving Intelligence: Enhancing autonomous vehicle decision‑making and driving capabilities using machine learning and advanced algorithms.
4. Big Data Infrastructure: Designing and building scalable data processing infrastructure and systems for large‑scale road‑test data.
5. Simulation & Evaluation: Analyze large amounts of data of the real world and simulate driving, understanding, characterizing and clustering the performance of virtual drivers.
6. Internal Tools & Productivity: Developing internal tools to optimize engineering workflows and improve R&D efficiency.
7. Cross Team Collaboration: Work cross‑functionally on safety, road rules compliance, and ride quality

• BS in Computer Science, ML, Robotics, similar technical field of study, or equivalent practical experience
• 2+ years hands‑on general software engineering experience, proficient in at least one mainstream programming language (such as C, C++, Python, or Java) and familiar with common data structures and algorithms.
• Ability to lead ambiguous technical work from problem framing through reliable delivery.

Preferred

• Background in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or complex simulation environments.
• General software engineering experience solving motion planning or related robotics problems

Compensation and Benefits

Base Salary Range: $140,000 - $220,000 Annually

Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on many factors, including the candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Compensation and this role may be eligible for bonuses/incentives and restricted stock units.

Also, we provide the following benefits to the eligible employees:

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Retirement Plan (Traditional and Roth 401k)
• Life Insurance (Basic, Voluntary & AD&D)
• Paid Time Off (Vacation & Public Holidays)
• Family Leave (Maternity, Paternity)
• Short Term & Long Term Disability
• Free Food & Snacks