Motional is seeking a technical expert for its Planning team to define motion planning and control systems for secure, effective, and comfortable fleet operation in complex environments. This role requires expertise in cutting-edge research, advanced algorithm development, and robust software building to generate safe, comfortable, and intuitive routes and motions. We are looking for a robotics and software development enthusiast eager to contribute to production-ready autonomous vehicles. If you possess a passion for autonomous driving, thrive on solving real-world challenges, and aspire to make a significant impact in a rapidly evolving field, we encourage your application.
Role responsibilities:
- Lead the research and development of novel algorithms and sub-systems for motion planning in autonomous driving, thereby expanding the Operational Design Domain. This includes, but is not limited to, advanced search-based and sophisticated geometry-based methods, as well as decision-making under uncertainty with a strong emphasis on probabilistic approaches
- Lead cross-functional projects to define new or upgrade existing interfaces to solve problems
- Monitor overall system performance to identify areas for improvement and develop technical strategies to address deficiencies
- Guide cross-functional project teams to provide comprehensive solutions and demonstrate the ability to think beyond the confines of the planning system.
- 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 and senior team members, cultivating a culture of product-focused engineering, rigorous research, and advanced development.
What we're looking for:
- PhD preferred in Robotics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field; or a Master's degree with 7+ years of experience in the robotics (preferably AV industry).
- 10+ years of research experience in robotics / motion planning, with a proven track record of contributing to state-of-the-art solutions and leading significant projects.
- 5+ years of C++ software development, with an emphasis on developing high-performance and reliable systems.
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