Staff Software Engineer (Motion Planning)

TL;DR

Staff Software Engineer (Motion Planning): Leading technical development for planning, prediction, and decision-making systems in autonomous trucks with an accent on trajectory generation and optimization. Focus on architectural strategy, cross-team technical leadership, and building robust autonomy capabilities for real-world deployment.

Location: Must be a U.S. citizen. Hybrid in Blacksburg, VA or Remote in the U.S. (with semi-monthly travel to Blacksburg).

Salary: $186,200–$223,400 USD

Company

A pioneer in autonomous driving technology and part of the Daimler family, focused on developing software for automated freight trucks.

What you will do

• Define and maintain architectural vision for planning, prediction, and decision-making systems.
• Lead high-impact technical initiatives and provide architectural guidance across multiple engineering teams.
• Design and optimize motion planning algorithms including trajectory generation and behavior planning.
• Collaborate with safety, controls, perception, and simulation teams to ensure reliable autonomy performance.
• Mentor senior and mid-level engineers while fostering a culture of engineering excellence.
• Conduct architecture reviews and technical deep dives to guide engineering decisions.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship required due to restricted information access.
• Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of experience, Master's with 7+, or PhD with 5+ years.
• Deep expertise in modern C++ development within Linux-based environments.
• Proven experience as a Staff or Principal technical leader in complex engineering organizations.
• Strong foundation in motion planning, trajectory optimization, vehicle dynamics, and robotics algorithms.
• Excellent communication skills for cross-functional collaboration and leadership reporting.

Nice to have

• Experience with optimization techniques like MPC, QP, or nonlinear optimization.
• Experience integrating machine learning models into real-time systems.
• Familiarity with robotics frameworks such as ROS/ROS2 or Apollo.
• Exposure to GPU acceleration (CUDA, TensorRT).

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive compensation including bonus and stock options.
• 100% paid medical, dental, and vision premiums.
• 401K plan with 6% employer match.
• Generous paid vacation and flexible scheduling.
• Collaborative, energetic, and team-focused environment.