# Path Planning Engineer

**Company:** [Forterra](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/forterra)
**Location:** Clarksburg, MD
**Role:** Embedded Engineering
**Salary:** $150k – $180k/yr
**Skills:** C++, Linux, ROS, ros2, CUDA, PyTorch, TensorFlow, TensorRT, path planning, motion planning
**Posted:** 2026-04-09

> Develops real-time path and motion planning algorithms in C++ for autonomous vehicles, integrates with on-vehicle systems like perception and controls, and validates through simulation, HIL, and field testing. Requires strong C++ skills, robotics background, and hands-on deployment experience.

## Job Description

## What you'll do
- Develop real-time (deterministic, randomized, and optimization-based) path and motion planning algorithms for various vehicle types (Ackermann, skid-steered, wheeled, tracked) using C++ in a Linux environment
- Integrate planning algorithms with on-vehicle systems, including perception, localization, controls, and platform interfaces
- Deploy, test, and debug autonomy software directly on vehicles, addressing real-time constraints, system latency, and hardware limitations
- Design and implement messaging for synchronization, logging and debugging across distributed systems
- Own end-to-end validation: simulation → HIL → on-vehicle testing, ensuring consistency and performance across environments
- Diagnose and resolve issues observed in field testing, including edge cases arising from sensing, actuation, and environment variability
- Work closely with cross-functional teams (Perception, Controls, Platform, Systems Engineering) to ensure robust and reliable vehicle behavior
- Travel up to 20% to support on-site vehicle integration and testing

## Qualifications
- BS, MS, or PhD in Robotics, Applied Mathematics, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
- Strong background in path planning, motion planning, or related autonomy domains
- Strong programming skills in **C++**
- Solid software engineering fundamentals: system design, unit/integration testing, debugging
- Experience deploying or integrating software on physical robotic or automotive platforms
- Ability to deliver production-quality software in a continuously integrated environment
- Demonstrates clean, maintainable code and documentation practices
- Strong problem-solving skills with a proactive, hands-on approach

## Preferred Qualifications
- Prior experience with unmanned ground vehicles operating in outdoor environments
- Experience with on-vehicle debugging, telemetry analysis, and real-time system profiling
- Familiarity with robotics middleware (e.g., **ROS/ROS2** or similar frameworks)
- Experience working across perception–planning–controls interfaces
- Expertise with GPU or ML toolkits such as **CUDA**, **PyTorch**, **TensorFlow**, and/or **TensorRT**

## Compensation
**US Salary Range**: $150,000—$180,000
Equity included. Competitive benefits: premium healthcare (80% covered), life/disability insurance, PTO (20 days), parental leave (7 weeks), tuition reimbursement ($9k), 401(k) with 4% match.

## Similar roles

- [Facilities Production Engineer, Controls](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/f23392d9-bfe1-4249-be6b-2a07994d96df) - Fluidstack - San Francisco, CA - $150k – $204k/yr
- [Autonomy Software Engineer – Path Planning](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/1d0efe33-d09a-484c-9950-247a8e18f605) - Applied Intuition - Ann Arbor, MI - $150k – $200k/yr
- [Embedded Security Engineer](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/5d4f3f24-75c5-4893-b5f3-75bce42d76c2) - Applied Intuition - Sunnyvale, CA - $150k – $242k/yr
- [Embedded AI Engineer – Android Automotive (On-Device Intelligence)](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/ac1d94e5-2bca-422b-b8fa-90982f37a4b1) - Applied Intuition - Sunnyvale, CA - $150k – $250k/yr
- [Software Engineer - Motion Planning (Fallback Stack)](https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/1f3a5bda-18f9-466b-b34a-014a77390992) - Applied Intuition - Sunnyvale, CA - $151k – $240k/yr

**Apply:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/9703e062-0aa9-4538-befc-c4016bb86fd2
**Canonical:** https://hotfix.jobs/jobs/9703e062-0aa9-4538-befc-c4016bb86fd2