Senior/Staff Software Engineer - Motion Planning

Zoox; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 229,000 - 331,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights

Amazon RSUs

Job summary

Zoox, located in Boston, is looking for a Motion Planner to enhance robot driving behaviors on public roads. This role requires developing algorithmic solutions, testing in diverse scenarios, and collaborating with teams across various disciplines. Candidates should have a Master’s degree in Computer Science or a related field and at least 8 years of experience. The salary ranges from $229,000 to $331,000 annually, with additional benefits including stock options and health insurance.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in related fields.
• Understanding of planning techniques like A*, RRTs, and PRMs.
• Demonstrated ability to create real-time motion planning algorithms.

Responsibilities

• Create principled algorithmic improvements to driving behavior.
• Test changes across various driving situations.
• Lead vehicle drive reviews to provide actionable feedback.

Skills

C++

Motion planning algorithms

Collaboration across teams

Algorithmic improvements

Education

Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

ROS

CUDA

Job description

On the Motion Planning team at Zoox, you’ll be dedicated to improving the driving behaviors of the robot on public roads. The Planner's job is to figure out where the robot is going and how to get there safely in situations as complex as those found in Downtown San Francisco or on the Las Vegas Strip.

This is a cutting‑edge problem, which requires teamwork and collaboration across a broad set of experts spanning Planner, Perception, Prediction, Operations, and more. Together, you will create the next generation of algorithmic improvements to expand our robot’s ability to drive in some of the most complex situations found on public roads.

Safety is foundational at Zoox, so you will take a measured approach – develop a principled modification to the Planner, test in simulation and on closed courses, and team up with our safety drivers for on‑road testing.

In this role, you will:

• Create principled algorithmic improvements to specific areas of driving behavior and implement those changes in our code base.
• Use our extensive backend tooling to test your changes across many different driving situations at the press of a button.
• Lead on‑vehicle drive reviews to generate actionable feedback on driving performance. Use this experience to help the team learn and make improvements.
• Attend conferences and survey literature to stay informed on the most recent developments in the fields of Robotics and Motion Planning.
• Write and file patents for novel technologies you develop.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science or related field and 8+ years of experience
• Fluency in C++
• Understanding of configuration spaces and a variety of planning techniques (A*, RRTs, PRMs, etc.)
• Demonstrated ability to create real‑time motion planning algorithms

Bonus Qualifications

• Significant contributions to geometric- and/or sampling‑based planning algorithms
• Experience with autonomous robots and machine learning or data‑driven development processes
• Experience with ROS, pose estimation, SLAM, probabilistic filtering, 3D data, or CUDA

$229,000 - $331,000 a year

Base Salary Range

There are three major components to compensation for this position: salary, Amazon Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), and Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights. A sign‑on bonus may be offered as part of the compensation package. The listed range applies only to the base salary. Compensation will vary based on geographic location and level. Leveling, as well as positioning within a level, is determined by a range of factors, including, but not limited to, a candidate’s relevant years of experience, domain knowledge, and interview performance. The salary range listed in this posting is representative of the range of levels Zoox is considering for this position.

Benefits

• Paid time off (e.g. sick leave, vacation, bereavement), unpaid time off
• Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights, Amazon RSUs
• Health insurance, long‑term care insurance, long‑term and short‑term disability insurance, and life insurance

Accommodations

If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please reach out to [e-mail] or your assigned recruiter.

A Final Note:

You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Zoox, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.