Sr. Staff Engineer, Motion Planning and Controls, Autonomous Driving

Engg; Newark (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Lucid Motors in Newark, CA is seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer to advance the auto-parking and low-speed autonomy stack. You will focus on trajectory optimization, path smoothing, and local planning with production-grade software.

You will combine strong algorithmic foundations with scalable, real-time systems, collaborate across teams, and help drive next-generation planning initiatives. Ideal candidates have MS/PhD in robotics/control, 10+ years in autonomous driving, and leadership

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Robotics, Control, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years of software development experience in autonomous driving, ADAS, or robotics.
• Strong programming skills in C/C++ with solid understanding of software engineering design principles.
• Proven track record of delivering ADAS/AD features through the full production lifecycle.
• Hands-on experience with embedded platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Xavier/Orin, Infineon Aurix).
• Leadership experience

Responsibilities

• Support the auto-parking and low-speed autonomy stack.
• Develop trajectory optimization, path smoothing, and local planning algorithms.
• Refactor and scale the planning stack for maintainability and extensibility.
• Investigate and resolve real-world issues using simulations and vehicle logs.
• Collaborate across teams and contribute to next-gen planning initiatives.

Skills

C/C++

Robotics

Autonomous driving

Leadership

Education

MS/PhD in Robotics/Control/EE

Tools

NVIDIA Xavier/Orin

Infineon Aurix

Job description

About Lucid

At Lucid, we are creating exceptional mobility experiences through innovation to drive the world forward. Built on Lucid’s proprietary technology and software-defined vehicle architecture, our award-winning vehicles bring our “Compromise Nothing™” approach to the global automotive market. That means refusing to choose between performance and sustainability, design and engineering, ambition and integrity. In Lucid Air and Lucid Gravity, we have designed and built vehicles that have redefined their segments, combining exceptional range, performance, design, and expansive space in a single experience. We achieve this through deep vertical integration, with design, engineering, and production happening in-house across our global offices and manufacturing facilities. Our teams come from industries around the world, united by a shared commitment to excellence. By refusing to settle, you can help redefine what’s possible and shape the future of mobility.

Senior Staff Software Engineer, Motion Planning and Controls, Autonomous Driving

Leading the future in luxury electric and mobility At Lucid, we set out to introduce the most captivating, luxury electric vehicles that elevate the human experience and transcend the perceived limitations of space, performance, and intelligence. Vehicles that are intuitive, liberating, and designed for the future of mobility. We plan to lead in this new era of luxury electric by returning to the fundamentals of great design – where every decision we make is in service of the individual and environment. Because when you are no longer bound by convention, you are free to define your own experience. Come work alongside some of the most accomplished minds in the industry. We’re providing a community for innovators who want to make an immediate and significant impact. If you are driven to create a better, more sustainable future, then this is the right place for you.

Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer to support the auto-parking and low-speed autonomy stack. This role focuses on trajectory optimization, path smoothing, and local planning, with direct impact on parking features such as Auto Park, Summon, and Park-to-Park. The ideal candidate will combine strong algorithmic foundations with production-grade software execution, driving both system performance and scalability. This role is based in Newark, CA. and requires employees to be onsite five days a week.

Key Responsibilities

• Motion Planning & Trajectory Optimization
  • Develop and enhance trajectory optimization algorithms (e.g., iLQR / MPC-based approaches) for low-speed scenarios
  • Design and implement constraint-aware optimization, including Improve local planners to generate control-friendly trajectories
• System Architecture & Performance Optimization
  • Refactor and scale planning stack architecture for maintainability and extensibility
  • Optimize CPU usage and explore parallel/GPU acceleration opportunities
  • Improve system-level behaviors such as: Stability under dynamic constraints
  • Scalability across scenarios and vehicle platforms
• Debugging, Validation, and Production Integration
  • Investigate and resolve real-world issues such as: Curvature discontinuities, velocity/trajectory mismatches, and edge-case steering behavior
  • Validate solutions using: Simulation and vehicle logs
  • Multi-scenario testing and benchmarking
• Research, Prototyping, and Innovation
  • Evaluate and prototype new approaches (e.g., learned models, barrier functions, ML-based planning)
  • Benchmark and compare planning algorithms for production viability
  • Contribute to next-gen planning initiatives, including ML-driven planning
• Cross-Team Collaboration & Knowledge Transfer
  • Drive technical discussions and share algorithm insights across teams
  • Maintain high-quality documentation and support knowledge transfer
  • Track work via Jira with clear metrics and reproducible results

Required Qualifications

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Robotics, Control, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 10+ years of software development experience in autonomous driving, ADAS, or robotics, with a focus on large-scale data and real-time systems
• Strong programming skills in C/C++ with solid understanding of software engineering design principles and best practices
• Proven track record of delivering ADAS/AD features through the full production lifecycle: requirements analysis, architecture/design, implementation, unit testing, feature tuning, SIL/HIL validation, and in-vehicle deployment
• Hands-on experience with software integration on embedded platforms (e.g., NVIDIA Xavier/Orin, Infineon Aurix)
• Demonstrated ability to build reliable production-grade systems, including large-scale architectures, evaluation pipelines, and performance-optimized models
• Leadership experience

Preferred Qualifications

• ML-based planning approaches
• GPU or parallel computing for planning
• Track record of production deployment in real vehicles

At Lucid, we don’t just welcome diversity - we celebrate it! Lucid Motors is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, and any other characteristic protected under applicable State or Federal laws and regulations.

At Lucid, we don’t just welcome diversity - we celebrate it! Lucid Motors is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, and any other characteristic protected under applicable State or Federal laws and regulations.

Salary Range : The compensation range for this position is specific to the locations listed below and is the range Lucid reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for the position taking into account the wide variety