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Senior Software Engineer, Autonomous Vehicle Performance Metrics

Motional, San Francisco, CA, United States


Overview
Motional is a leading autonomous driving company on a mission to make driverless vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. Backed by Hyundai Motor Group, Motional is at the forefront of the physical AI revolution. Motional isn’t just building first-of-its-kind technology; we are transforming transportation to create safer streets and more sustainable mobility options.

The Systems Readiness and Performance team is the crucial bridge between software development and real-world deployment. We are responsible for driving system design, for verifying and validating the autonomy stack, and for defining, measuring, and validating system performance targets. We work closely with stakeholders in autonomy, infrastructure, and operations to build the definitive safety case for the commercial launch of our fully driverless IONIQ 5 robotaxis in Las Vegas later this year.

What You'll Be Doing

Design AV Performance Analysis Pipelines:

Define, design, and implement key pipelines to extract on-road or simulated events and evaluate autonomous vehicle performance (e.g., lane change capability, oscillation/braking metrics, VRU emergence from occlusion).

Develop Metrics Software and AI-Powered Tools:

Leverage strong Python skills to develop frameworks, AI-powered tools, and systems for calculating, aggregating, and visualizing AV performance metrics from large datasets.

Collaborate Cross-Functionally:

Work with systems, software, AI, controls, simulation, and validation teams to understand needs and improve systems like Perception, Prediction, and Planning.

Ensure Data Quality and Validation:

Implement rigorous checks and validation processes to ensure the accuracy and integrity of data used for performance evaluation.

Document and Share Knowledge:

Create clear documentation for metrics and analysis tools, and share best practices with the engineering team.

Advance Technical Expertise:

Proactively evaluate and integrate new technologies and methodologies relevant to autonomous vehicles and software engineering.

What We're Looking For

5+ years of software engineering experience and a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field; a Master's degree is a plus.

Expert-level proficiency in Python and a strong understanding of modern software development principles and best practices.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, particularly in the context of complex system performance evaluation and data analysis.

Proficient with Git and standard version control workflows.

Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to effectively communicate technical concepts and results to diverse audiences (engineers, product managers, leadership).

Proven ability to work both independently and effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.

Strong attention to detail and a commitment to data quality, accuracy, and rigorous testing.

Comfortable working in a fast-paced, agile, continuous integration/continuous delivery (CI/CD) environment.

Bonus Points (not required)

Experience working with autonomous vehicle sensor data (e.g., LiDAR, camera, radar).

Familiarity with simulation environments and data generated from AV simulations.

Experience with data visualization tools (e.g., Looker) for presenting performance metrics.

Knowledge of statistical analysis and machine learning techniques relevant to performance evaluation.

Success Metrics

Successful design and implementation of key autonomous vehicle performance metrics.

Improvement in the efficiency and effectiveness of AV performance evaluation processes.

Timely and accurate delivery of data and insights to AV development teams.

Contribution to the overall advancement and safety of our autonomous vehicle technology.

This is a unique opportunity to make a meaningful impact at Motional by enhancing our data platform and accelerating development speed for our industry-leading autonomous vehicle metrics and capabilities ecosystem.

Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk, or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and at times for long periods; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and move up to 50 pounds.

Travel Requirements
Greater than 20% travel: Expected to travel for 1-2 weeks each quarter visiting all of our testing sites — mostly to LV, but also domestically as needed for the business.

Working Environment
The work environment characteristics described here represent those a team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The team member is regularly exposed to mechanical and computer parts. The team member is occasionally exposed to fumes and/or airborne particles. The noise level in the environment is low to moderate.

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: $125,000 USD - $167,000 USD

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. 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. Motional is formed as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, with headquarters in Boston and operations in the U.S. and Asia. For more information, visit www.Motional.com.

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.

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