Senior Motion Planning Engineer (Autonomous Vehicles)

TL;DR

Senior Motion Planning Engineer (Autonomous Vehicles): Developing planning, prediction, and decision-making systems for autonomous trucks with an accent on trajectory generation and optimization. Focus on incorporating vehicle kinematic constraints, designing optimization-based planning approaches, and deploying production-quality C++ software.

Location: Remote in the United States or Canada, or Hybrid in Ann Arbor, MI; Fort Worth, TX; or Blacksburg, VA

Salary: $160,800 - $193,000 USD

Company

A leader in autonomous driving since 2007 and part of the Daimler family, Torc focuses on developing software for automated trucks to transform freight movement.

What you will do

• Design and optimize motion planning algorithms, including trajectory generation, selection, and behavior planning for autonomous trucks.
• Develop planning solutions leveraging graph search, sampling, convex optimization, and Frenet-frame approaches.
• Implement production-quality software using modern C++ in a Linux environment following safety and testing best practices.
• Develop and execute validation strategies across SiL, HiL, and ViL environments.
• Collaborate with Safety, Controls, Perception, and Simulation teams to ensure reliable autonomy behaviors.
• Mentor junior engineers through technical guidance, collaboration, and code reviews.

Requirements

• Degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
• Industry experience: 5+ years with BS, 3+ years with MS, or 1+ years with PhD.
• Strong proficiency in modern C++ development within Linux-based environments.
• Deep experience in motion planning, trajectory optimization, or decision-making systems for robotics/autonomous vehicles.
• Strong foundation in linear algebra, numerical optimization, and geometry.
• Must be based in the United States or Canada.

Nice to have

• Experience with MPC, convex optimization, quadratic programming (QP), or nonlinear optimization.
• Knowledge of imitation learning, reinforcement learning, or hybrid planning architectures.
• Proficiency in Python in addition to C++.
• Experience with ROS/ROS2, Autoware, Apollo, or similar autonomy platforms.
• Exposure to CUDA, GPU acceleration, or TensorRT.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive compensation package including bonus components and stock options.
• 100% paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for full-time employees.
• 401K plan with a 6% employer match.
• Flexible scheduling and generous paid vacation available immediately.
• Company-wide holiday office closures.