Staff Software Engineer - Motion Planning

About the Role

Join our Motion Planning team to merge your passion for robotics and advanced software engineering in designing production-ready autonomous vehicle solutions. You will engage in innovative research, comprehensive design, and implementation of performance-sensitive algorithms that deliver safe, smooth, and user-friendly autonomous driving experiences for our fleet of robotaxis.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop cutting-edge motion planning algorithms ensuring vehicles navigate safely and smoothly without human control.
• Create robust, scalable software frameworks to facilitate rapid exploration and assessment of diverse motion planning techniques.
• Collaborate effectively with teams handling decision-making, behavior planning, prediction, and motion tracking components.
• Utilize modern development tools to support fast iteration including automated testing, simulation environments, and continuous integration pipelines.
• Define and manage multi-quarter technical roadmaps and objectives that impact multiple subsystems and partner teams.
• Lead technical discussions and establish team standards for system-wide architecture, design reviews, and implementation of advanced features.
• Oversee architectural integrity of core products, manage incident response, and conduct severity assessments to enhance on-road safety and system reliability.
• Mentor peers at all levels fostering a culture of product-centered engineering excellence, thorough documentation, and ongoing technical development.

Candidate Profile

• Possess 5 to 7+ years of professional experience in software development, preferably with proficiency in C++.
• Hold a Bachelor's degree as a minimum; a Master’s or PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or relevant disciplines is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated expertise in algorithmic development for motion planning, robotic navigation, or critical safety-related systems.
• Track record of leading technical projects from conceptual formulation through algorithm design, implementation, and impactful deployment.

About the Company

Motional is a pioneering company at the forefront of autonomous vehicle technology, aimed at making driverless cars safe, dependable, and widely accessible. We emphasize a people-first philosophy by fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace and developing technology that creates safer roads and equitable transportation solutions. Motivated by transformative innovation, we operate globally with a commitment to advancing autonomous mobility and commercializing scalable, reliable robotic platforms.

Additional Information

Motional is an Equal Opportunity Employer dedicated to diversity and inclusion. We participate in E-Verify to validate employment eligibility as mandated by federal law.