Staff Software Engineer, Autonomous Vehicle Performance Metrics

Motional; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 172,000 - 229,000; Full time

Job summary

Motional, headquartered in Boston, is building the next generation of driverless mobility. We seek a Software Engineer to develop metrics and tooling to evaluate AV performance, focusing on Python-based data analysis, pipeline creation, and cross-functional collaboration to accelerate safe deployment of our systems.

You will design and implement pipelines, work with teams across perception, prediction, planning, and validation, and contribute to the reliability and scalability of our AV software

Qualifications

• 5+ years of software engineering experience with a focus on performance evaluation and data analysis.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python and strong software development practices.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop metrics and software tools to measure AV performance using Python.
• Design performance analysis pipelines for on-road and simulated scenarios.
• Build and maintain data pipelines for large AV datasets.
• Collaborate across systems, software, AI, controls, simulation, and validation teams.
• Ensure data quality and reliability for performance evaluation.

Skills

Python

Git

CI/CD

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Git

Job description

Motional is a leading autonomous driving company on a mission to make driverless vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. Backed by Hyundai Motor Group, Motional is at the forefront of the physical AI revolution. Motional isn't just building first-of-its-kind technology; we are transforming transportation to create safer streets and more sustainable mobility options.

The Systems Readiness and Performance team is the crucial bridge between software development and real-world deployment. We are responsible for driving system design, for verifying and validating the autonomy stack, and for defining, measuring, and validating system performance targets. We work closely with stakeholders in autonomy, infrastructure, and operations to build the definitive safety case for the commercial launch of our fully driverless IONIQ 5 robotaxis in Las Vegas later this year.

Mission Summary

We are seeking a highly skilled Software Engineer to play a critical role in evaluating and improving the performance of our autonomous vehicle (AV) technology. This engineer will be responsible for developing and implementing metrics and software tools, primarily using Python, to effectively measure, analyze, and report on the performance of our AV systems. Their work will directly contribute to accelerating the development of safe and reliable autonomous technologies by transforming complex AV data into actionable insights for the organization.

What You'll Be Doing

• Drive Technical Strategy & Roadmap: Define a long-term, high-impact technical roadmap for the team, working closely with leadership and product managers to optimize Engineering traction and prioritize deliverables that de-risk the deployment of our AV systems.
• Design AV Performance Analysis Pipelines: Define, design, and implement key pipelines to extract on-road and simulated events and evaluate autonomous vehicle performance (e.g., lane change capability, oscillation/braking metrics, VRU emergence from occlusion).
• Develop Metrics Software and AI-Powered Tools: Leverage strong Python skills to develop frameworks, AI-powered tools, and systems for calculating, aggregating, and visualizing AV performance metrics from large datasets.
• Collaborate & Influence Cross-Functionally: Proactively partner across systems, software, AI, controls, simulation, and validation teams to break down silos, gain cross-functional alignment, and drive improvements in critical systems like Perception, Prediction, and Planning.
• Ensure Exceptional Data Quality & Reliability: Hold yourself and the team accountable to a high bar for quality and reliability. Identify major areas of the codebase that need attention, anticipate impacts to system reliability, and lead solutions to ensure the accuracy and integrity of data used for performance evaluation.
• Document and Share Knowledge: Create clear documentation for metrics and analysis tools, and share best practices with the engineering team.
• Advance Technical Expertise: Proactively evaluate and integrate new technologies and methodologies relevant to autonomous vehicles and software engineering.
• Provide Technical Thought Leadership & Mentorship: Act as a role model and mentor to Senior Engineers and team members. Create comprehensive documentation, lead design and architectural reviews, and share knowledge through internal tech talks to elevate Motional's engineering culture.

What We're Looking For

• 5+ years of software engineering experience and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field; a Master's degree is a plus.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python and a strong understanding of modern software development principles and best practices.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, particularly in the context of complex system performance evaluation and data analysis.
• Proficient with Git and standard version control workflows.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively communicate technical concepts and results to diverse audiences (engineers, product managers, leadership).
• Proven ability to work both independently and effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to data quality, accuracy, and rigorous testing.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, agile, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) environment.

Bonus Points (not required)

• Experience working in software development of autonomous vehicles, or robotics
• Experience in perception, prediction, planning, or controls
• Experience with Python data analysis & visualization tools (e.g., Pandas, matplotlib, seaborn Jupyter notebooks. )for early data analysis & validation
• Knowledge of statistical analysis and machine learning techniques relevant to performance evaluation.

Success Metrics

• Drive quarterly and multi-quarter success for team goals.
• Successful design and implementation of key autonomous vehicle performance metrics.
• Improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of AV performance evaluation processes.
• Timely and accurate delivery of data and insights to AV development teams.
• Contribution to the overall advancement and safety of our autonomous vehicle technology.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk, or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and at times for long periods; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and move up to 50 pounds.

Travel Requirements (greater than 20%)

Expected to travel for 1-2 weeks each quarter visiting all of our testing sites - mostly to LV, but also domestically as needed for the business.

Working Environment

The work environment characteristics described here represent those a team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The team member is regularly exposed to mechanical and computer parts. The team member is occasionally exposed to fumes and/or airborne particlesThe noise level in the environment is low to moderate.

Motional AD LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and we welcome all qualified applicants. All applicants will receive impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic data, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or other legally protected status. Motional AD LLC is a Drug-free workplace.

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors including but not limited to specific skills, experience and expertise, role location, certifications, licenses, and business needs. The estimated compensation range listed in this job posting reflects base salary only. This role may include additional forms of compensation such as a bonus or company equity. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process. Candidates for certain positions are eligible to participate in Motional's benefits program. Motional's benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, vision, 401k with a company match, health saving accounts, life insurance, pet insurance, and more.

Salary Range: $172,000 USD - $229,000 USD

Motional is a driverless technology company making autonomous vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. We’re driven by something more.

Our journey is always people first.

We aren't just developing driverless cars; we're creating safer roadways, more equitable transportation options, and making our communities better places to live, work, and connect. Our team is made up of engineers, researchers, innovators, dreamers and doers, who are creating a technology with the potential to transform the way we move.

Higher purpose, greater impact.

We’re creating first-of-its-kind technology that will transform transportation. To do so successfully, we must design for everyone in our cities and on our roads. We believe in building a great place to work through a progressive, global culture that is diverse, inclusive, and ensures people feel valued at every level of the organization. Diversity helps us to see the world differently; it’s not only good for our business, it’s the right thing to do.

Scale up, not starting up.

Our team is behind some of the industry's largest leaps forward, including the first fully-autonomous cross-country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and operation of the world's longest-standing public robotaxi fleet. We’re driven to scale; we’re moving towards commercialization of our technology, and we need team members who are ready to embrace change and challenges.

Formed as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, Motional is fundamentally changing how people move through their lives. Headquartered in Boston, Motional has operations in the U.S and Asia. For more information, visit www.Motional.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Motional AD Inc. is an EOE. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To comply with Federal Law, we participate in E-Verify. All newly-hired employees are queried through this electronic system established by the DHS and the SSA to verify their identity and employment eligibility.