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Planning - Technical Lead

Leads development of motion planning algorithms for autonomous vehicles, mentors engineers, architects planning modules integrating perception and maps, ensures deployment readiness, and collaborates with customers. Requires 5+ years in AV planning, C++ fluency, and BS in CS/Robotics.

About the job

Responsibilities

  • Lead and mentor a team of software engineers focused on onroad behavior software and motion planning for autonomous navigation
  • Develop state-of-the-art onroad behavior software and leverage ML components to achieve highway and city driving
  • Leverage lightweight map data (SD maps) and the outputs of a perception system to determine driving costs to use for planning
  • Architect and oversee the implementation of planning modules that integrate perception outputs, predictions, and lightweight map data for dynamic path planning
  • Ensure deployment readiness by establishing testing protocols and validation on production hardware and real-world road conditions, partnering with evaluation and vehicle teams
  • Collaborate directly with customer engineering teams, managing technical relationships to align deliverables with their autonomy goals
  • Drive continuous improvement in software practices, performance optimization, and innovation within the planning domain
  • Contribute technical leadership to internal project planning, prioritization, and roadmap development

Requirements

  • BS in Computer Science, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, or related engineering field with focus on planning
  • 5+ years of experience building and leading production software teams, specifically in planning algorithms for autonomous vehicles
  • Proven ability to lead technical projects end-to-end and mentor junior engineers
  • Fluency in modern C++ and experience with performance-critical software
  • Strong problem-solving skills and ability to deliver practical, scalable solutions in fast-paced environments
  • Excellent communication skills for both technical leadership and customer-facing interactions

Nice to Have

  • Advanced degree (MSc or PhD) in Computer Science, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, or related engineering field with focus on planning
  • Experience with safety-critical software development and automotive industry standards
  • Hands-on experience testing planning systems on autonomous vehicles
  • Familiarity with machine learning applications in motion planning, combining traditional approaches with the state of the art

Compensation

Base salary range: $231,295 - $300,500 USD annually, plus equity and benefits.

Skills

C++, Motion Planning, Autonomous Vehicles, Machine Learning, Perception Systems, Sd Maps, Planning Algorithms, Software Architecture, Safety-Critical Software, Automotive Standards

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