Software Engineer - Motion Planning (Fallback Stack)
As a Motion Planning Engineer on the Fallback Stack team at Applied Intuition, you will design and implement deterministic, safety-critical planning systems that ensure autonomous vehicles behave safely under degraded conditions or uncertainty. This role emphasizes classical motion planning techniques, predictable behavior, and large-scale evaluation, rather than deep learning-driven approaches. Applied Intuition is a leading provider of digital infrastructure for autonomous vehicle development, serving industries such as automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining, and agriculture.
In this position, your key responsibilities will include designing and implementing motion planners for fallback and minimal-risk maneuvers, building planners that operate reliably under degraded perception and system faults, and defining safe, deterministic vehicle motions such as controlled slow-downs and safe stops. You will also utilize large-scale simulation and real-world data to evaluate planner behavior, develop metrics and analysis tools to understand planner performance, and collaborate closely with teams specializing in behavior prediction, perception, controls, safety, and remote assistance. Additionally, you will contribute to a reusable fallback platform used across various autonomy programs.
The ideal candidate will have over 5 years of experience in motion planning for autonomous vehicles or robotics, a strong foundation in robotic motion planning algorithms and trajectory generation, and experience building deterministic, safety-critical planning systems. Proficiency in C++ and experience working in real-time systems are essential. A data-driven mindset for large-scale evaluation and strong systems thinking and cross-functional collaboration skills are also required.
Compensation for this full-time position includes a base salary ranging from $151,000 to $240,000 annually, along with equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units. Benefits encompass comprehensive health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance coverage, 401(k) retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Please note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on the jurisdiction of employment.
Applied Intuition fosters a dynamic and customer-focused team culture, emphasizing excellence in both products and business operations. The company values hands-on contributors who are eager to have a significant impact on making autonomous systems a reality. Employees are expected to work primarily from the Sunnyvale office five days a week, with some flexibility for occasional remote work to accommodate personal commitments.