Principal Engineer - Trajectory Team Lead

About the role:

As a Technical Lead Manager at Motional, you'll lead a team responsible for the development and delivery of core trajectory generation algorithms via numerical optimization for autonomous vehicles. In this role, you will be at the forefront of shaping the motion planning and control systems that enable our fleet to navigate complex environments safely, efficiently, and comfortably. As a key leader, you will drive the development of cutting-edge trajectory generation algorithms, collaborate with cross-functional teams (Planning, Perception, Prediction, Localization, ML Products, and Systems Engineering), and mentor a talented group of engineers to deliver state-of-the-art solutions. If you are passionate about autonomous driving, thrive on solving challenging real-world problems, and are eager to make a significant impact in a rapidly evolving field, we want to hear from you.

What you will work on: 

• Lead and grow a team within our motion planning control organization, being responsible for trajectory optimization.
• Coordinate with other leads to provide technical leadership, making consequential decisions on architectural direction, strategic investments, tactical execution, and technical debt reduction.
• Deliver next-generation autonomous driving trajectory generation system with a focus on safety, from design, prototyping, testing, and deployment, to production.
• Embrace a metrics-driven approach in the development and improvement of technical components.
• Push boundaries of existing proven trajectory generation methods to enable data-driven approaches.
• Celebrate diversity and inclusion in products and people.
• Mentor and provide feedback (technical, professional) to team members, fostering an inclusive and collaborative environment.
• Be self-motivated to generate new ideas, provide a vision for the team, and consider our robotaxi system as a whole.
• Implement/review algorithms and code, applying practical and rigorous engineering methods.
• Work with project managers to roadmap and execute plans on schedule.

Minimum requirement on Education and experience

• Masters or PhD in Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.

Skills required:

• 2+ years of experience managing a development team with evidence of providing effective career growth and mentorship to team members and improving productivity
• Proven track record of delivering production-quality algorithms for autonomous trajectory generation/control in a leading role.
• Expertise in optimal control and numerical optimization.
• C++ software development, Linux, Python, (SQL bonus)
• Theoretical knowledge and engineering experience in motion planning under uncertainty, and interaction with dynamic agents and environment.
• Familiarity with robotics algorithms in localization, perception, motion planning, and controls for autonomous systems.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and management skills.

Bonus points:

• Experience in Autonomous Vehicles or other robotics industries
• Experience using simulation tools