Cruise Automation is hiring a

Staff Applied Scientist, Motion Trajectory

San Francisco, United States

We're Cruise, a self-driving service designed for the cities we love.

We’re building the world’s most advanced self-driving vehicles to safely connect people to the places, things, and experiences they care about. We believe self-driving vehicles will help save lives, reshape cities, give back time in transit, and restore freedom of movement for many.

In our cars, you’re free to be yourself. It’s the same here at Cruise. We’re creating a culture that values the experiences and contributions of all of the unique individuals who collectively make up Cruise, so that every employee can do their best work. 

Cruise is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment, both in our workplace and in our products. If you are looking to play a part in making a positive impact in the world by advancing the revolutionary work of self-driving cars, come join us. Even if you might not meet every requirement, we strongly encourage you to apply. You might just be the right candidate for us.

The Motion Planning team works across different layers of the planning and controls stack to enable the AV to plan and implement smooth, accurate, and safe motion in all environments. We focus on generating optimal trajectories considering vehicle capabilities, uncertain environments and disturbances, and real time computational constraints. Our work is critical for the safety and comfort of our passengers, as well as for scaling our AV capabilities to handle complex urban environments around the world in all weather conditions.
 

As a Staff Applied Scientist on the Motion Planning team you will lead projects and implement features at the intersection of Motion Planning, Behavior Planning, and Controls. You will be a key contributor on a team that has significant impact to the AI-Robotics organization and is on the critical path of Cruise business goals.
 

You will analyze and diagnose problem areas, scope out solutions, collaborate on design and implementation, and lead execution, testing and validation efforts for features.   
 

What you'll be doing:

  • Build new autonomous capabilities that enable the AV to navigate complex scenes and expand Cruise’s operational domain as we scale our business.

  • Develop new features in Motion Planning and with partner teams.

  • Work with teams across Cruise to foster a collaborative culture of testing, safety, and documentation.

  • Embody Cruise behaviors: Integrity First, Come Together, Uncover Greatness, Amaze Customers, Safety Always.

What you must have:

  • Background in Motion planning, Vehicle controls, Optimization or Machine Learning; ideally with experience integrating machine learning approaches to planning problems.

  • 2+ years of experience as a SW engineer delivering new features and algorithms in a fast-paced engineering organization.

  • Demonstrated ability to lead projects independently and work effectively in a team environment. 

  • Experience with cross-team collaboration with engineering, testing, product, operations, and safety teams. 

  • Strong architectural approach, ability to balance long-term design directions with short-term priorities. 

  • Deep understanding of innovative Machine Learning approaches to planning problems.

  • Familiarity with model predictive control and trajectory optimization algorithms, dynamics fundamentals, and geometric algorithms.

  • Strong experience writing C++ in a production environment.

  • Modern software development (version control, code review, unit testing, CI, etc).

  • Ph.D., M.S. in controls, optimization, path planning, machine learning, or equivalent field. 

Bonus Points!

  • Track record of impact in the AV industry.

  • Experience with runtime performance of optimization algorithms in real world applications and on different compute platforms.

  • Experience in code optimization or high-performance computing.

  • Experience solving complex problems in simulation, metrics, and testing.

The salary range for this position is $183,600 - $270,000. Compensation will vary depending on location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. You may also be offered a bonus, restricted stock units, and benefits. These ranges are subject to change.

Why Cruise?

Our benefits are here to support the whole you:

  • Competitive salary and benefits 
  • Medical / dental / vision, Life and AD&D
  • Subsidized mental health benefits
  • Paid time off and holidays
  • Paid parental, medical, family care, and military leave of absence
  • 401(k) Cruise matching program 
  • Fertility benefits
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account
  • Flexible Spending Account & Health Saving Account
  • Perks Wallet program for benefits/perks
  • Pre-tax Commuter benefit plan for local employees
  • CruiseFlex, our location-flexible work policy. (Learn more about CruiseFlex).

We’re Integrated

  • Through our partnerships with General Motors and Honda, we are the only self-driving company with fully integrated manufacturing at scale.

We’re Funded

  • GM, Honda, Microsoft, T. Rowe Price, and Walmart have invested billions in Cruise. Their backing for our technology demonstrates their confidence in our progress, team, and vision and makes us one of the leading autonomous vehicle organizations in the industry. Our deep resources greatly accelerate our operating speed.

Cruise LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a supportive and inclusive workplace where contributions are valued and celebrated, and our employees thrive by being themselves and are inspired to do the best work of their lives. We seek applicants of all backgrounds and identities, across race, color, caste, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, age, citizenship, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or parental status, or disability. Applicants will not be discriminated against based on these or other protected categories or social identities. Cruise will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, in accordance with applicable laws.

Cruise is committed to the full inclusion of all applicants. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process please let our recruiting team know or email HR@getcruise.com.

We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. To help us track the effectiveness and inclusivity of our recruiting efforts, please consider answering the following demographic questions. Answering these questions is entirely voluntary. Your answers to these questions will not be shared with the hiring decision makers and will not impact the hiring decision in any way. Instead, Cruise will use this information not only to comply with any government reporting obligations but also to track our progress toward meeting our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging objectives. Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Candidates applying for roles that operate and remotely operate the AV: Licensed to drive a motor vehicle in the U.S. for the three years immediately preceding your application, currently holding an active in-state regular driver’s license or equivalent, and no more than one point on driving record. A successful completion of a background check, drug screen and DMV Motor Vehicle Record check is also required.

Note to Recruitment Agencies: Cruise does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Furthermore, Cruise does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by any agency other than its approved partners. 

No Application Deadline

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