Senior Software Engineer, Perception

Aurora Innovation; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 162,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Aurora Innovation seeks a Senior Software Engineer, Perception to join its autonomous driving team. You will design and deploy state‑of‑the‑art ML models for perception on a real‑time vehicle platform, collaborating with cross‑functional teams to tackle complex autonomy challenges.

Requirements include 6+ years in C++/Python, strong ML/vision background, and publication or industry experience. The role offers hybrid work with on-site requirements in Mountain View, CA.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Engineering, or a related field with a strong foundation in ML areas.
• 6+ years of research-based or professional experience with C++ and Python.
• Strong grasp of linear algebra, discrete/continuous optimization, supervised/unsupervised methods, and generative/discriminative models.
• Strong publication record or significant industry experience in robotics/computer vision/self-driving technology.
• Experience with PyTorch or TensorFlow (Desirable).
• Advanced production-level knowledge of C++ (Desirable).
• Experience applying computer vision and ML to complex robotics problems (Desirable).
• Experience deploying CV/ML models at scale across large fleets (Desirable).
• Proven ability to work effectively in cross-team environments (Desirable).
• Experience working with 3D data: 3D object detection, tracking, segmentation, LiDAR/Radar/multi-camera.

Responsibilities

• Develop and Optimize Core Perception Solutions: Research and develop models for perception under challenging scenarios.
• Tackle End-to-End Autonomy Challenges: Address object detection, tracking, action recognition, and semantic understanding of traffic scenes.
• Deploy Production‑Ready Software: Guide from prototype to production on a real-time AV platform with large datasets.
• Collaborate and Iterate: Diagnose, analyze, and resolve failure modes from on-road and simulated testing.
• Scale ML Engineering Pipelines: Build and scale ML pipelines for quick experiments and large-scale training/testing.

Skills

C++

Python

ML/Computer Vision

Publications/Industry Experience

Cross-functional Collaboration

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Engineering, or related field

Job description

Who we are

Aurora’s mission is to deliver the benefits of self‑driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly.

The Aurora Driver will create a new era in mobility and logistics, one that will bring a safer, more efficient, and more accessible future to everyone.

At Aurora, you will tackle massively complex problems alongside other passionate, intelligent individuals, growing as an expert while expanding your knowledge. For the latest news from Aurora, visit aurora.tech or follow us on LinkedIn. Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all.

We’re searching for a Senior Software Engineer, Perception to join our autonomous driving team. In this role, you will collaborate closely with cross‑functional engineering teams to design and deploy state‑of‑the‑art machine learning models directly onto our real‑time vehicle platform. This is an exciting opportunity to solve complex, high‑impact autonomy challenges and directly shape the future of the Aurora Driver.

In this role, you will

• Develop and Optimize Core Perception Solutions: Research and develop state‑of‑the‑art deep learning and machine learning models to improve perception under challenging scenarios, such as long‑range multi‑sensor detection and degraded sensor conditions.
• Tackle End‑to‑End Autonomy Challenges: Address object detection, tracking of traffic actors, action recognition, and semantic understanding of diverse traffic scenes.
• Deploy Production‑Ready Software: Guide software development from initial prototype to production deployment on a real‑time AV platform, leveraging large‑scale data sets for training and analysis.
• Collaborate and Iterate: Partner with team members to diagnose, analyze, and resolve failure modes encountered during on‑road and simulated testing to produce robust, well‑tested systems.
• Scale ML Engineering Pipelines: Build and scale robust ML pipelines to facilitate quick experimentation as well as large‑scale training and testing.

Required Qualifications

• BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Engineering, or a related field with a strong foundation in one or more focus areas of ML, including deep learning, computer vision, recursive state estimation, structured prediction, and optimization.
• 6+ years of research‑based or professional experience with C++ and Python.
• Comprehensive grasp of linear algebra, discrete/continuous optimization, supervised/unsupervised methods, and generative/discriminative models.
• Strong publication record at top‑tier robotics/computer vision conferences/journals, or significant industry experience in relevant fields (robotics, computer vision, self‑driving technology).

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience utilizing deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Advanced production‑level knowledge of C++ is highly preferred.
• Prior experience applying computer vision and machine learning directly to complex robotics problems.
• Experience deploying computer vision/ML models at scale across large physical fleets.
• Proven ability to work effectively in environments requiring close cross‑team collaboration.
• Experience working with 3D data, including 3D object detection, tracking, semantic segmentation, or processing point clouds from LiDAR, Radar, and multi‑camera system.

Compensation

The base salary range for this position is $162,000 - $260,000. Aurora’s pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job‑related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

Working at Aurora

At Aurora, we bring together extraordinarily talented and experienced people united by the strength of our values. We operate with integrity, set outrageous goals, and build a culture where we win together — all without any jerks.

We believe in‑person work increases collaboration, empathy and our ability to lead effectively. As a result, we operate in a hybrid work environment where Aurorans are in office at least 3 days per week.

Our Careers page provides insight into what it is like to work at Aurora, and you can find all the latest updates in our Newsroom.

Our commitment to safety

At the core of everything we do is our commitment to safety. Building best‑in‑class self‑driving technology will take time, and we believe that each employee at Aurora has a role in contributing to safety, every step of the way. Aurora expects commitment to our safety policies from every employee, and seeks candidates who take an active responsibility, can contribute to building an atmosphere of trust, and invest in the organization’s long‑term success by prioritizing working safely, no matter what.

Our commitment to inclusion

Aurora considers candidates without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy status, parent or caregiver status, ancestry, political affiliation, veteran and/or military status, physical or mental disability, or any other status protected by federal or state law. Aurora considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail].

For California applicants, information collected and processed as part of your application and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Aurora’s California Employment Privacy Policy.