Senior Software Engineering Manager - Multi-Object Tracking & State Estimation

Latitude AI; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 253,000 - 380,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

High-quality health insurance

Employer-matched 401(k)

Paid parental leave

Unlimited vacation

Daily lunches

Job summary

Latitude AI is seeking a senior leader to guide the State Estimation team, delivering advanced multi-object tracking and road property estimation for Ford autonomous systems. You will work with robotics and ML experts to design modular and end-to-end ML models and deploy them into production across vehicle platforms.

The role requires deep expertise in Python/C++, CV/ML, and state estimation, with a track record of shipping ML-based CV solutions.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher with 10+ years of relevant experience, or Master's with 8+ years, or PhD with 5+ years.
• Experience developing and shipping learned multi-object tracking systems.
• Experience with classical state estimation methods, such as Kalman filters.
• Significant experience with Python and/or C++.
• Significant experience in computer vision, perception, and machine learning.
• Proven track record of shipping ML-based solutions to computer vision problems using PyTorch or similar.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of experts to deliver critical functionality for the next generation of autonomy systems, including multi-object tracking and road property estimation over time.
• Stay current with literature, analyze system performance, and design state-of-the-art solutions with the team for the above goals.
• Collaborate with roboticists and ML engineers to deploy State Estimation solutions into production, and develop verification & validation.

Skills

Multi-object tracking

Python / C++

Computer vision

Machine learning

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering / CS / Electrical Engineering / Robotics

Master's degree in a related field

PhD in ML / CV preferred

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

OpenCV

Kalman filters

JAX

Job description

Latitude AI (lat.ai) develops automated driving technologies, including L3, for Ford vehicles at scale. We’re driven by the opportunity to reimagine what it’s like to drive and make travel safer, less stressful, and more enjoyable for everyone.

When you join the Latitude team, you’ll work alongside leading experts across machine learning and robotics, cloud platforms, mapping, sensors and compute systems, test operations, systems and safety engineering – all dedicated to making a real, positive impact on the driving experience for millions of people.

As a Ford Motor Company subsidiary, we operate independently to develop automated driving technology at the speed of a technology startup. Latitude is headquartered in Pittsburgh with engineering centers in Dearborn, Mich., and Palo Alto, Calif.

Meet The Team

The State Estimation team is responsible for multi-object tracking and scene estimation, in both a classical physics-informed and modern ML sense. Collaborating with other ML teams, systems engineering, and product management, State Estimation builds advanced models that blend the best of the research literature with the needs of industry to estimate long-duration characteristics (e.g. kinematics, shape, etc) of both actors and road features. State Estimation is the interface of the perception system to various downstream autonomy consumers including motion planning, prediction, and localization. The team takes these algorithms and models from the lab to the road, and directly powers production grade perception systems on our vehicles.

What You’ll Do

• Lead a team of experts to deliver critical functionality for the next generation of autonomy systems at Ford. This functionality includes (but is not limited to) multi-object tracking, estimation of the road properties (such as lane markings, road shape, topology, etc) over time, and pre-collision assist / automatic emergency braking
• Stay current with literature, analyze current system performance, and design state of the art solutions with the team for the above goals. Develop ML models in both a modular and E2E framework
• Collaborate with expert roboticists and ML engineers and scientists to integrate and deploy State Estimation solutions into production. Analyze failures and collaborate with systems engineering to develop verification and validation cases, and take ideas from concept into mass production
• Participate as a senior leader in next‑generation autonomy development towards the Ford Large Driving Model

What You’ll Need To Succeed

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics or a related field and 10+ years of relevant experience, Master's degree and 8+ years of relevant experience, or PhD and 5+ years of relevant experience
• Experience developing and shipping learned multi-object tracking systems
• Experience with classical state estimation methods, such as Kalman filters (and varieties thereof), particle filters, etc
• Significant experience with Python and/or C++
• Significant experience in computer vision, perception, and machine learning
• Proven track record of shipping machine learning-based solutions to computer vision problems using PyTorch or similar (TensorFlow, JAX, etc)

Nice To Have

• Ph.D. with focus on machine learning, or equivalent experience
• Track record of shipping end to end computer vision systems

What We Offer You

• Competitive compensation packages
• High-quality individual and family medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Health savings account with available employer match
• Employer-matched 401(k) retirement plan with immediate vesting
• Employer-paid group term life insurance and the option to elect voluntary life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Paid medical leave
• Unlimited vacation
• 15 paid holidays
• Daily lunches, snacks, and beverages available in all office locations
• Pre-tax spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Monthly wellness stipend
• Adoption/Surrogacy support program
• Backup child and elder care program
• Professional development reimbursement
• Employee assistance program
• Discounted programs that include legal services, identity theft protection, pet insurance, and more
• Company and team bonding outlets: employee resource groups, quarterly team activity stipend, and wellness initiatives

The expected base salary range for this full-time position in California is $253,120 - $379,680 USD. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Latitude employees are also eligible to participate in Latitude’s annual bonus programs, equity compensation, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.

Candidates for positions with Latitude AI must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is available for this position.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status.