Staff, Software Engineer - Motion Planning
Torc Robotics2 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, headquartered in Blacksburg, Virginia, offers a complete autonomous software solution for the trucking/freight industry. Torc was acquired by Daimler – the largest heavy-duty truck manufacturer in North America – in August 2019. We are working together to develop highly automated trucks to improve the safety and efficiency of transporting goods. We are experts in providing autonomous vehicle solutions and we partner with other industry leaders to bring this new technology to work in the real world. Our mission is to drive the future of freight through safer roads and the efficient transport of critical goods. #TorcDriven #TorcRobotics