Senior Motion Planning Engineer

About the role

On our Motion Planning team, you'll apply your passion in robotics and software development for production-ready autonomous vehicles. In this role you'll perform cutting-edge research, develop advanced algorithms, and build robust software to generate safe, comfortable, and intuitive routes and motions.

Responsibilities

• Lead the research and development of novel algorithms for motion planning in autonomous driving, including but not limited to advanced search-based methods, sophisticated geometry-based methods, and decision making under uncertainty with a strong emphasis on probabilistic approaches.
• Architect and integrate complex combinations of motion planning and prediction algorithms, driving their evaluation and refinement for real-world deployment.
• Design and build a robust, scalable, and high-performance codebase that facilitates rapid exploration, prototyping, and rigorous evaluation of innovative motion planning approaches and algorithms.
• Drive technical collaboration and interface seamlessly with perception and prediction components upstream and trajectory optimization, tracking and control components downstream, ensuring end-to-end system performance.
• Leverage your deep software development and research expertise to teach others better software practices and principles, fostering a culture of technical excellence.
• Guide and mentor junior team members, cultivating a culture of product-focused engineering, rigorous research, and advanced development.

Requirements

• PhD preferred in Robotics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field; or a Master's degree with 2+ years of experience in robotics (preferably AV industry)
• 5+ years of research experience in robotics / motion planning, with a proven track record of contributing to state-of-the-art solutions
• 3+ years of C++ software development, with an emphasis on developing high-performance and reliable systems
• Past experience owning and leading technical development on complex features from problem formulation through research, implementation, and deployment in a production environment
• Thirst for knowledge, continuous innovation, and a drive to push the boundaries of autonomous driving technology

Qualifications

• Experience with probabilistic models, including but not limited to Gaussian mixture models, Hidden Markov Models, and Particle Filters
• Experience with Bayesian modeling and inference techniques for decision making under uncertainty
• Experience with the Bazel build framework

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision
• 401k with a company match
• Health saving accounts
• Life insurance
• Pet insurance
• Additional benefits as part of Motional’s benefits program

Pay

Salary Range: $172,000 USD - $229,000 USD (base salary only; role may include bonus or company equity)

Schedule

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.