Principal Engineer Motion Planning

Company: Motional
Location: San Francisco
Posted on: February 13, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description On our Motion Planning team, you'll apply your passion in robotics and software development for production-ready autonomous vehicles. In this role you'll perform research, develop algorithms, and build software to generate safe, comfortable, and intuitive routes and motions. Role responsibilities: Develop a variety of algorithms on planning for autonomous driving, including but not limited to search-based methods, sampling-based methods, optimization-based methods, linear-temporal logic, and decision making under uncertainty. Integrate and evaluate combinations of motion planning and prediction algorithms Design and build robust and scalable codebase that enables rapid exploration and evaluation of different motion planning approaches and algorithms. Interface with perception and prediction components upstream and trajectory optimization and tracking & control components downstream Participate in code reviews and mentoring sessions with senior team members Develop a culture of product focused engineering, research, and development What we're looking for: Bachelor's required, Masters or PhD degree preferred in Robotics, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field Proven impact and expertise in the robotics / autonomous vehicle field. 2 years of research experience in robotics / motion planning 2 years of C++ software development Past experience taking projects from problem formulation through implementation and deployment Thirst for knowledge and continuous innovation _________________________________________________________________ (Colorado only*) Minimum salary of $172,020/year bonus equity benefits *Note: Disclosure as required by sb19-085(8-5-20) The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors including but not limited to specific skills, experience and expertise, role location, certifications, licenses, and business needs. The estimated compensation range listed in this job posting reflects base salary only. This role may include additional forms of compensation such as a bonus or company equity. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process. Candidates for certain positions are eligible to participate in Motional's benefits program. Motional's benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, vision, 401k with a company match, health saving accounts, life insurance, pet insurance, and more. Salary Range $240,000—$330,000 USD Motional is a driverless technology company making autonomous vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. We're driven by something more. Our journey is always people first. We aren't just developing driverless cars; we're creating safer roadways, more equitable transportation options, and making our communities better places to live, work, and connect. Our team is made up of engineers, researchers, innovators, dreamers and doers, who are creating a technology with the potential to transform the way we move. Higher purpose, greater impact. We're creating first-of-its-kind technology that will transform transportation. To do so successfully, we must design for everyone in our cities and on our roads. We believe in building a great place to work through a progressive, global culture that is diverse, inclusive, and ensures people feel valued at every level of the organization. Diversity helps us to see the world differently; it's not only good for our business, it's the right thing to do. Scale up, not starting up. Our team is behind some of the industry's largest leaps forward, including the first fully-autonomous cross-country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and operation of the world's longest-standing public robotaxi fleet. We're driven to scale; we're moving towards commercialization of our technology, and we need team members who are ready to embrace change and challenges. Formed as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, Motional is fundamentally changing how people move through their lives. Headquartered in Boston, Motional has operations in the U.S and Asia. For more information, visit www.Motional.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Motional AD Inc. is an EOE. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To comply with Federal Law, we participate in E-Verify. All newly-hired employees are queried through this electronic system established by the DHS and the SSA to verify their identity and employment eligibility.

Keywords: Motional, Palo Alto , Principal Engineer Motion Planning, Engineering , San Francisco, California