[Hiring] Senior Robotics Engineer @Motional

Role Description

Motional is seeking a highly skilled and autonomous Senior Robotics Engineer to play a critical role in investigating and diagnosing complex autonomous vehicle (AV) behaviors across on-road, resimulation, and synthetic simulation environments. This engineer will be responsible for taking end-to-end ownership of ambiguous problem spaces, utilizing Python, custom Spaceship tooling, and data visualization platforms to effectively perform root-cause analysis on emergent behaviors across our autonomy stack.

• System Diagnosis & Root Cause Analysis:
  • Perform deep technical investigations of undesirable AV behaviors across simulation, HIL, and on-road operations.
  • Take end-to-end ownership of complex investigations, driving solutions autonomously from initial triage to final resolution with little to no oversight.
• Cross-Subsystem Debugging:
  • Debug behaviors across perception, prediction, localization, planning, controls, and vehicle systems.
  • Reason across subsystem boundaries to diagnose emergent behaviors resulting from component interactions.
• Data Analysis & Tooling:
  • Analyze large datasets from system logs, telemetry, and software outputs using Python.
  • Develop automated diagnostic workflows and custom internal tooling using Python and Spaceship to increase the speed and scale of investigations.
• Performance Visualization:
  • Design and build interactive dashboards using Python frameworks and Business Intelligence tools (e.g., Looker) to effectively measure, analyze, and report on the performance of our AV systems.
• Hypothesis Generation:
  • Develop technical hypotheses from incomplete or ambiguous evidence.
  • Distinguish behavioral symptoms from underlying root causes and design analyses to systematically test potential causes.
• Problem Space Identification:
  • Autonomously identify recurring undesirable behaviors, regressions, and emerging system-level performance issues, categorizing them into meaningful failure modes.
• Technical Storytelling & Synthesis:
  • "Dive deep" into technical complexities to uncover root causes, then step back to synthesize findings.
  • Translate raw performance metrics into clear summaries that support executive-level reporting, unified release narratives, and cross-functional communication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Computer Science, Electrical, Systems, Robotics) or equivalent work experience, with a Master's degree considered a strong plus.
• 5+ years of professional software or systems engineering experience working on safety-critical, complex systems such as Autonomous Vehicles, Robotics, Medical Devices, or Aerospace.
• Thorough understanding of robotics systems including sensors, actuators, and software autonomy stacks.
• Strong proficiency in Python for data analysis and scripting, backed by a strong understanding of modern software development principles.
• Experience building data visualizations using Python frameworks, with a willingness to learn Business Intelligence tools (e.g., Looker).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills for complex system performance evaluation.
• Proficient with Git and standard version control workflows.
• Proven ability to work both independently and effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to synthesize complex technical findings into clear summaries.

Requirements

• Experience using AV-specific software diagnostic and visualization tools (e.g., Planner Analyzer) to troubleshoot complex autonomy behaviors.
• Knowledge of statistical analysis and machine learning techniques relevant to performance evaluation.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• 401k with a company match.
• Health savings accounts.
• Life insurance.
• Pet insurance.
• Additional forms of compensation such as a bonus or company equity.

Salary Range

$149,000 — $198,500 USD