Mission Summary:
The Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Test Engineering team at Motional is responsible for validating the safety, functionality, and performance of our self-driving technology through rigorous, system-level testing. As an AV Test Engineer, you will take a lead role in the strategy, planning, and execution of comprehensive test campaigns that span perception, planning, and control systems across virtual, closed-course, and public road environments.
Motional is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Senior/Mid-Level AV Test Engineer to join our AV Test Engineering team . You will play a lead role in validating the safety, functionality, and performance of our self-driving technology through rigorous, system-level testing across virtual, closed-course, and public road environments, with a direct focus on commercial readiness of our robotaxi service.
This role requires a proven technical leader who can guide test development, drive continuous improvements to our infrastructure, and ensure high standards for release readiness and safety assurance as we move towards mass deployment .
What you'll work on:
- Own the planning, design, and execution of comprehensive validation campaigns across Perception, Planning, and Control systems using simulation, SIL, HIL, and on-vehicle environments, specifically targeting scenarios critical for robotaxi service reliability and rider experience .
- Drive test execution and documentation to meet the highest standards, ensuring system compliance with safety-critical standards ( ISO26262, ISO21448 (SOTIF) ), with an emphasis on Operational Design Domain (ODD) limits and safe fallback behavior .
- Develop, maintain, and enhance robust, scalable test infrastructure and automation frameworks using Python, Shell , and relevant platforms to support high-volume, fleet-wide software rollouts .
- Serve as a technical lead for scenario-based testing (using tools like Applied Intuition) and AV capability campaigns, focusing on testing for end-to-end mission performance and service uptime .
- Design and execute testing for non-driving features critical to the commercial service, including rider interactions, remote assistance handoffs, fleet operations protocols, and over-the-air (OTA) update verification .
- Define and track Service Quality Indicators (SQI) and KPIs related to rider experience and operational efficiency during validation.
- Conduct detailed log analysis, support root-cause investigations across AV software and hardware, and utilize CAN-based tools for subsystem verification, particularly diagnosing issues impacting fleet efficiency and customer satisfaction .
- Lead QA review cycles, define release readiness gates for commercial software , represent Test Engineering in cross-functional forums, and mentor junior engineers .
What we're looking for:
- 5+ years in software QA or system testing, specifically with