Software Engineer II, Planning

Gatik Al, Inc.; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Gatik Al, Inc. in Mountain View, CA is looking for a Senior/Staff Software Engineer in motion planning to enhance autonomous vehicle systems. This role involves designing and implementing planning systems to improve navigation in complex environments.

The ideal candidate has a Ph.D. with relevant experience or a Master’s with substantial exposure to robotics and C++. The position includes competitive compensation ranging from $180,000 to $260,000 and requires full-time onsite work.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. with 3+ years or Master’s with 5+ years of experience in robotics, motion planning, or autonomous systems.
• Deep expertise in lattice-based planning, trajectory optimization, or model predictive control.
• Strong proficiency in C++ for real-time systems.

Responsibilities

• Design and optimize motion planning stack for autonomous vehicles.
• Develop planners for collision-free trajectories.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with other teams.

Skills

Lattice-based planning

Trajectory optimization

Model predictive control

Strong proficiency in C++

Vehicle dynamics

Education

Ph.D. in robotics or related field with 3+ years experience

Master’s in robotics or related field with 5+ years experience

Tools

Simulation tools

Job description

Senior/ Staff Software Engineer, Motion Planning

Mountain View, CA

Who we are

Gatik, the leader in autonomous middle‑mile logistics, is revolutionizing the B2B supply chain with its autonomous transportation‑as‑a‑service (ATaaS) solution and prioritizes safe, consistent deliveries while streamlining freight movement by reducing congestion. The company focuses on short‑haul, B2B logistics for Fortune 500 retailers and in 2021 launched the world’s first fully driverless commercial transportation service with Walmart. Gatik’s Class 3‑7 autonomous trucks are commercially deployed across major markets, including Texas, Arkansas, and Ontario, Canada, driving innovation in freight transportation.

Gatik’s proprietary Level 4 autonomous technology, Gatik Carrier™, is custom‑built to transport freight safely and efficiently between pick‑up and drop‑off locations on the middle mile. With robust capabilities in both highway and urban environments, Gatik Carrier™ serves as an all‑encompassing solution that integrates advanced software and hardware powering the fleet, facilitating effortless integration into customers’ logistics operations.

About the role

We are seeking senior or staff software engineers to join our planning team to build motion planning and decision‑making systems and help mature new products all the way through to production. Our planning team calculates safe paths for the autonomous vehicle to follow using mapping data, localization data, waypoints, and predicted actors around the vehicle. Your contribution will improve planning for emergency situations and planning for complicated maneuvers such as loading dock access and variable lane changes.

This role is onsite 5 days a week at our Mountain View, CA office!

What you’ll do

• Design, implement, and optimize the motion planning stack for autonomous vehicles, enabling safe, comfortable, and efficient driving in diverse real‑world environments.
• Develop lattice‑based planners, sampling‑based planners, and optimization‑based methods for generating dynamically feasible, collision‑free trajectories.
• Integrate constraints from perception, prediction, and control to generate context‑aware motion plans under uncertainty.
• Collaborate cross‑functionally with behavior planning, control, and mapping teams to ensure robust and consistent planning behavior.
• Optimize and maintain C++‑based infrastructure for trajectory generation, evaluation, and deployment in real‑time onboard systems.
• Analyze closed‑loop simulation and on‑road performance; identify and resolve failure cases involving traffic interactions, occlusions, or dynamic obstacles.

What we’re looking for

• Ph.D. with 3+ years or Master’s with 5+ years of experience in robotics, motion planning, or autonomous systems.
• Deep expertise in at least two of the following: lattice‑based planning, trajectory optimization, model predictive control, or search‑based planning.
• Strong proficiency in C++, with experience in production‑quality code for real‑time or safety‑critical systems.
• Solid understanding of vehicle dynamics, control interfaces, and motion feasibility constraints.
• Experience with simulation tools and debugging motion planner behavior in realistic driving environments.
• Knowledge of diffusion models and/or Vision‑Language‑Action (VLA) models is a strong plus.
• Excellent analytical and system‑level debugging skills; strong communication and cross‑functional collaboration capabilities.

Salary Range – $180,000–$260,000

We are an equal‑opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other protected class.