Staff Software Engineer, Autonomy Actions

Motional AD Inc.; Las Vegas (NV); Hybrid; USD 172,000 - 229,000; Full time

Job summary

Motional AD Inc. is seeking a Staff Software Engineer, Autonomy to advance the reliability of decision making, motion planning, and controls in autonomous vehicles.

You will collaborate with subsystem owners to implement high-value quality improvements and documentation, including ICDs, error checking, and validation capabilities. The role emphasizes cross-team collaboration, architecture and tool development, and pursuing advanced AI-assisted design and validation principles, with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field. A Master’s or Ph.D. is preferred.
• Expert in C++ software optimization and defensive programming for embedded systems (MISRA), including functional safety rated systems.
• Comfortable navigating and contributing to large, complex codebases where modularity and documentation are key.
• Experience in designing and developing architecture and tools to verify complex subsystems of autonomous vehicles.
• Experience in Interface Contract Documentation and contract enforcement.
• Experience in compiler integration and optimization of complex code bases.
• Capable of working across teams to identify, prioritize, and execute software quality and performance improvements.

Responsibilities

• Your expertise will help the team deliver the critical quality initiatives before commercial driverless launch.
• You’ll work closely with subsystem owners and experts to implement the identified initiatives.
• Direct results will include enhanced software quality assessments before software reaches the vehicle, improved unrecoverable MRM rates, and root cause analysis of complex issues within the Planning and Controls stack reported by the triage team.
• You’ll have the opportunity to learn and advance your skills through the application of advanced AI agents, including agentic agents, to help streamline and enhance the development process.
• Present your work to the team to demonstrate how to maintain the highest level of software quality.

Skills

C++ optimization

Defensive programming

Embedded systems

MISRA

Functional safety

Large codebases

Architecture & tooling

Contract documentation

Compiler integration

Cross-team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's in CS/Robotics

Master's/PhD preferred

Job description

Overview

Our teams are made up of engineers, researchers, innovators, dreamers, and doers. Together, we can change the world.

All Motional open positions and applications will be posted here on the official website.

Role

Staff Software Engineer, Autonomy

Locations: Boston, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Remote U.S. Only

Mission Summary

We are looking for a staff engineer to improve the quality, reliability, and robustness of our subsystems for decision making, motion planning, and controls. You will collaborate with the team to implement the highest value and highest priority quality improvements, including documenting and iterating ICDs, enhancing error checking, diagnostics and status reporting, improving compiler support and static analysis integration, eliminating memory allocation at runtime and building subsystem validation capabilities. Developing and deploying agentic AI agents to help with implementing and enforcing these new design and validation principals will be a key deliverable in this role.

What you\'ll be doing

• Your expertise will help the team deliver the critical quality initiatives before commercial driverless launch
• You’ll work closely with subsystem owners and experts to implement the identified initiatives
• Direct results will include enhanced software quality assessments before software reaches the vehicle, improved unrecoverable MRM rates, and root cause analysis of complex issues within the Planning and Controls stack reported by the triage team.
• You’ll have the opportunity to learn and advance your skills through the application of advanced AI agents, including agentic agents, to help streamline and enhance the development process
• Present your work to the team to demonstrate how to maintain the highest level of software quality.

Qualifications

• Bachelor\'s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field. A Master\’s or Ph.D. is preferred
• You\’re an expert in C++ software optimization and defensive programming for embedded systems (ie. MISRA), including functional safety rated systems
• Comfortable navigating and contributing to large, complex codebases where modularity and documentation are key.
• You\’ve designed and developed architecture and tools to verify complex subsystems of autonomous vehicles
• Experience in Interface Contract Documentation and contract enforcement
• Experience in compiler integration and optimization of complex code bases
• Capable of working across teams to identify, prioritize, and execute software quality and performance improvements

Bonus Points

• Experience with autonomous vehicles or vehicle automation systems
• Functional safety processes and implementation

We encourage a hybrid schedule with in-office time at one of our locations in Boston, Pittsburgh, or Las Vegas to support collaboration, or this role can be fully remote.

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 — $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.

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 .

To comply with Federal Law, Motional AD Inc. is an EOE and participates 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.

Motional is powered by a uniquely talented, highly experienced team with a diverse set of skills across engineering, robotics, machine-learning, and artificial intelligence.