Staff, Software Engineer - Motion Planning
Torc Robotics3 months ago
Base Salary
$186k - $223k/yr
Responsibilities
- Define architectural vision and technical direction for motion-planning systems across teams, platforms, and services.
- Lead development and optimization of trajectory generation, trajectory selection, behavior planning, and optimization-based planning for autonomous trucks.
- Apply graph search, sampling-based planning, spline and B-spline trajectories, convex optimization, Frenet-frame approaches, and vehicle kinematic and dynamic constraints.
- Develop production-quality modern C++ software in Linux while maintaining quality, safety, testing, deployment, monitoring, security, and operational standards.
- Provide technical leadership through architecture reviews, design sessions, technical assessments, deep dives, and resolution of complex cross-domain engineering challenges.
- Mentor senior and mid-level engineers and help develop future Staff and Principal engineers.
- Create validation strategies across Software-in-the-Loop, Hardware-in-the-Loop, and Vehicle-in-the-Loop environments.
- Investigate and debug vehicle behavior through simulation reproduction, performance analysis, real-time diagnostics, and log analysis.
- Collaborate with Safety, Controls, Perception, Validation, and Simulation teams on safe and reliable autonomy behaviors.
- Lead initiatives involving platform modernization, observability, performance, scalability, reliability, vehicle integration, deployment, and post-deployment investigation.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related technical field with 10+ years of industry experience; alternatively, a master’s degree with 7+ years or a PhD with 5+ years.
- Experience operating as a Staff, Principal, or multi-team technical leader and leading large cross-functional initiatives across multiple engineering teams.
- Deep experience developing robotics, autonomous vehicle, ADAS, or other complex real-time software systems.
- Deep expertise in modern C++ development in Linux-based environments and experience with Git, build systems, and package management.
- Experience developing motion planning, trajectory generation or optimization, behavior planning, or decision-making systems for robotics or autonomous systems.
- Strong understanding of vehicle dynamics, vehicle kinematics, trajectory feasibility, planning system architecture, linear algebra, numerical optimization, geometry, and robotics algorithms.
- Experience analyzing metrics to optimize performance in resource-constrained environments and troubleshooting through real-time diagnostics and log analysis.
- Mastery of software engineering fundamentals, system design, scalable development practices, unit testing, and test automation frameworks such as pytest, Robot Framework, and gtest.
- Preferred experience with MPPI, MPC, convex optimization, quadratic programming, nonlinear optimization, machine learning for planning, simulation platforms, ROS/ROS2, Autoware, Apollo, CUDA, GPU acceleration, TensorRT, on-vehicle testing, or open-source robotics and deployment projects.
- U.S. citizenship is required because the role involves information and systems restricted under U.S. law.
Benefits
- Hybrid work in Blacksburg, Virginia, or remote in the United States and Canada with semi-monthly travel to Blacksburg; some travel to Europe may be required.
- 100% paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for full-time employees.
- 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match.
- Flexible schedule and generous paid vacation available immediately after the start date.
- Company-wide holiday office closures.
- AD&D and life insurance.
- Bonus component and stock options are included in the compensation package.
About Torc Robotics
Torc Robotics develops autonomous driving software for heavy-duty trucks, offering a full self-driving stack, mapping, and perception for freight carriers and OEMs. Founded in 2005 and headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, it was acquired by Daimler Truck in 2019. As a subsidiary, Torc focuses on commercializing Level 4 trucking with its parent’s vehicle platforms and industry partnerships in North American freight transport.