Senior/Staff Software Engineer - Motion Planning

Sorry, this job was removed at 12:08 a.m. (CST) on Saturday, Dec 13, 2025
Be an Early Applicant
Foster City, CA
Hybrid
242K-349K Annually
Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Robotics • Software • Transportation • Design • Manufacturing
Zoox is an autonomous mobility company that’s created a purpose-built robotaxi to give the world a better way to ride.
The Role
On the Motion Planning team at Zoox, you’ll be dedicated to improving the driving behaviors of the robot on public roads. The Planner's job is to figure out where the robot is going and how to get there safely in situations as complex as those found in Downtown San Francisco or on the Las Vegas Strip.

This is a cutting-edge problem, which requires teamwork and collaboration across a broad set of experts spanning Planner, Perception, Prediction, Operations, and more. Together, you will create the next generation of algorithmic improvements to expand our robot’s ability to drive in some of the most complex situations found on public roads.

Safety is foundational at Zoox, so you will take a measured approach – develop a principled modification to the Planner, test in simulation and on closed courses, and team up with our safety drivers for on-road testing. 

In this role, you will:

  • Create principled algorithmic improvements to specific areas of driving behavior and implement those changes in our code base.
  • Use our extensive backend tooling to test your changes across many different driving situations 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

  • Master's degree in Computer Science 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

  • Significant contributions to geometric- and/or sampling-based planning algorithms
  • Experience with autonomous robots and machine learning or data-driven development processes
  • Experience with ROS, pose estimation, SLAM, probabilistic filtering, 3D data, or CUDA

About Zoox
Zoox is developing the first ground-up, fully autonomous vehicle fleet and the supporting ecosystem required to bring this technology to market. Sitting at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and design, Zoox aims to provide the next generation of mobility-as-a-service in urban environments. We’re looking for top talent that shares our passion and wants to be part of a fast-moving and highly execution-oriented team.

Follow us on LinkedIn

Accommodations
If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please reach out to [email protected] or your assigned recruiter.

A Final Note:
You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Zoox, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

Similar Jobs

Remote or Hybrid
5 Locations
200 Employees
158K-269K Annually

Snap Inc. Logo Snap Inc.

Software Engineer

Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • Machine Learning • Mobile • Software • Virtual Reality • App development
Remote or Hybrid
6 Locations
5000 Employees
133K-235K Annually

Snap Inc. Logo Snap Inc.

Staff Software Engineer

Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • Machine Learning • Mobile • Software • Virtual Reality • App development
Hybrid
5 Locations
5000 Employees
195K-343K Annually

Snap Inc. Logo Snap Inc.

Software Engineer

Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • Machine Learning • Mobile • Software • Virtual Reality • App development
Remote or Hybrid
6 Locations
5000 Employees
133K-235K Annually
Get Personalized Job Insights.
Our AI-powered fit analysis compares your resume with a job listing so you know if your skills & experience align.

The Company
HQ: Foster City, CA
2,900 Employees
Year Founded: 2014

What We Do

Zoox is an autonomous mobility company that was founded to provide a safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable future on the road. To achieve that goal, the company has spent the past 10 years creating a purpose-built robotaxi that gives the world a better way to ride.

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 a safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable future on the road.

Gallery

Gallery

Similar Companies Hiring

Idler Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence
San Francisco, California
6 Employees
Fairly Even Thumbnail
Software • Sales • Robotics • Other • Hospitality • Hardware
New York, NY
Bellagent Thumbnail
Artificial Intelligence • Machine Learning • Business Intelligence • Generative AI
Chicago, IL
20 Employees

Sign up now Access later

Create Free Account

Please log in or sign up to report this job.

Create Free Account