Senior Software Engineer, Autonomy Core Frameworks

Torc Robotics • Ann Arbor, MI

2d

About The Position

The Senior Autonomy Core Frameworks Software Engineer architects and advances the foundational frameworks underpinning Torc’s autonomous driving stack. The role helps own technical direction for core autonomy software, raises code quality, and drives improvements across the autonomy platform. Working closely with the Behavior and Perception teams, the engineer designs robust, composable architectural patterns that support safe, performant, and reliable autonomous operation.

The position leads the design, implementation, and evolution of core frameworks, including state management, inter-component communication, abstraction layers, and shared utilities. It provides technical leadership for real-time C++ components and patterns supporting system-wide data flow, component coordination, error handling, and operational observability. The engineer also guides long-term platform decisions, leads reviews, mentors engineers, strengthens validation and testing practices, investigates complex platform issues, and evolves simulation and validation frameworks.

Torc develops software for automated trucks and describes its culture as collaborative, energetic, and team focused. The role offers a competitive compensation package with a bonus component and stock options. The stated hiring range is $160,800–$193,000 USD.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline and 8+ years of professional software engineering experience; alternatively, a master’s degree and 6+ years of professional experience.
• Demonstrated success designing and evolving complex production software platforms, including ownership of architectural decisions.
• Deep experience with C++17 and recent C++ standards.
• Comfort using Python for scripting and connecting systems.
• Experience in autonomous systems/robotics, distributed systems, or complex embedded environments using middleware with publish-subscribe communication patterns.
• Strong experience with testing, continuous integration, and build systems.
• Deep experience in systems-level software design, including managing technical debt, refactoring large codebases, and evolving platforms while maintaining stability and performance.
• Experience mentoring engineers through technical leadership, architecture reviews, code reviews, and establishing engineering standards that scale across organizations.
• Strong mastery of software engineering fundamentals, including modular/composable architecture, design patterns, concurrency, testing strategies, and long-term maintainability.

Nice To Haves

• Experience architecting, maintaining, and using robotics middleware such as ROS 2.
• Deep expertise in distributed systems design, including consensus algorithms, state synchronization, event-driven architectures, and deterministic replay.
• Familiarity with ISO 26262, SOTIF, ASPICE, or other safety-critical software development standards.
• Experience with GitHub Actions and Jenkins.
• Experience with Bazel and Bazel-based build systems.
• Experience designing or building observability, logging, and monitoring systems for complex distributed systems.
• Experience using simulations for regression testing.
• Experience managing versioning and conversion of data schemas at scale.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, implementation, and evolution of core frameworks for Torc’s autonomous driving stack, including state management, inter-component communication, abstraction layers, and common utilities.
• Drive technical direction for real-time C++ architectural components and patterns supporting system-wide data flow, component coordination, error handling, and operational observability.
• Establish scalable architectural patterns and abstractions, lead technical tradeoff discussions, and make long-term design decisions for the platform.
• Collaborate with Behavior and Perception teams to maintain clean integration boundaries and coherent shared abstractions.
• Lead architecture reviews, design discussions, and code reviews, and establish engineering standards that improve reliability, maintainability, testability, and scalability.
• Mentor software engineers through technical coaching, architectural guidance, and day-to-day collaboration.
• Advance architectural quality through systematic validation, comprehensive testing strategies, observability frameworks, and production-readiness practices.
• Contribute to root cause analysis of complex platform-level issues and drive improvements to reliability, performance, and operational resilience.
• Define and evolve simulation and validation frameworks for testing core architectural components across operational scenarios and edge cases.
• Evaluate emerging architectural patterns, systems research, and advanced techniques that could strengthen the platform and enable future capabilities.
• Communicate architectural concepts and technical vision across engineering, product, and leadership, and build consensus around platform direction and technical strategy.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package that includes a bonus component and stock options.
• 100% paid medical, dental, and vision premiums for full-time employees.
• 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match.
• Flexible schedule and generous paid vacation available immediately after the start date.
• AD&D and life insurance.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior