On the Motion Planning team at Zoox, you’ll have the unique opportunity to tackle the cutting-edge problem of improving the robot's driving behaviors on public roads. Specifically, within the Mission Progress team, you will focus on one of the most open-ended problems: pickup and dropoff. Pickup/dropoff can range from simple maneuvers on quiet suburban streets to incredibly complex and ambiguous driving scenarios that even humans have difficulty navigating, like airports and unstructured hotel entrances.
Getting pickup/dropoff maneuvers to be safe and reliable is not only a technical challenge but also a way for robotaxi services to eventually distinguish themselves in their user experience. Pickup/dropoff is the first and last thing a rider experiences and has the potential to leave lasting impressions on the rider. This means you will work closely with UI/UX and product to engineer solutions that are not just safe but elegant in how they handle the different human considerations in the pickup/dropoff process.
In this role, you will:
- Design principled algorithmic improvements across different driving behavior categories and implement those changes in our code base.
- Use our extensive backend tooling to test your changes across many different driving scenarios at the press of a button.
- Lead on-vehicle drive reviews to generate actionable feedback on driving performance. Use this experience to help the team learn and make improvements.
- Attend conferences and survey literature to stay informed on the most recent developments in the fields of Robotics and Motion Planning.
- Write and file patents for novel technologies you develop.
Qualifications
- B.S or M.S. degree in Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or related field and 8+ years of experience
- Fluency in C++
- Understanding of configuration spaces and a variety of planning techniques (A*, RRTs, PRMs, etc.)
- Demonstrated ability to create real-time motion planning algorithms
Bonus Qualifications
- Experience working with planning problems related to pickup/dropoff or pullover maneuvers
- Experience with machine learning applications in motion planning
- Significant contributions to geometric- and/or sampling-based planning algorithms
Compensation
There are three major components to compensation for this position: salary, Amazon Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), and Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights. The salary will range from $221,000 to $319,000. A sign-on bonus may be part of a compensation package. Compensation will vary based on geographic location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.
Zoox also offers a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off (e.g. sick leave, vacation, bereavement), unpaid time off, Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights, Amazon RSUs, health insurance, long-term care insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance, and life insurance.
Top Skills
What We Do
Zoox is transforming mobility-as-a-service by developing a fully-autonomous, fully-electric, purpose-built robotaxi fleet designed for A.I. to drive and humans to enjoy. We aim to improve the safety, mobility, and sustainability outcomes of transportation in dense, urban environments.
Why Work With Us
At Zoox, we are working to solve one of the greatest technological challenges of our generation.
From the beginning, we have been focused on our goal of reimagining transportation from the ground up. We are a mission-driven community of innovators working together to create safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable mobility—for everyone.
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