Software Engineer, Motion Planning

DiDi Labs•San Jose, CA

5d•$141,463 - $282,264

About The Position

DiDi Autonomous Driving is seeking a Software Engineer or Senior Software Engineer to develop core decision-making and motion-planning systems for autonomous vehicles. The role involves creating algorithms for smooth, safe, and intelligent navigation in complex environments, spanning high-level behavioral reasoning through low-level trajectory optimization. The engineer will design and implement behavioral planning and motion-planning algorithms, including systems for generating feasible paths and context-aware velocity profiles. The position also involves modeling driving scenarios and agent interactions, ranking trajectories against competing objectives, analyzing system performance, and collaborating with Prediction, Perception, and Control teams. The stated annual base salary range is $141,463–$235,182 for the Software Engineer position and $169,783–$282,264 for the Senior Software Engineer position. Bonus, equity, and benefits are also mentioned. Compensation within the applicable range depends on work location and factors such as job-related skills, experience, education, and training.

Requirements

Bachelor's or master's degree in Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field.
Experience in autonomous systems, robotics, or automotive software development.
Strong proficiency in C++ for implementing complex, real-time algorithms.
Solid understanding of robotics fundamentals, including decision-making, motion planning, control theory, trajectory ranking, and search and optimization algorithms.
Related experience in one or more of motion planning, trajectory optimization and world-environment reasoning, or trajectory ranking and cost design.

Nice To Haves

Ph.D. or internship experience related to robotics planning system design.
Knowledge of vehicle dynamics and longitudinal and lateral control systems.
Solid understanding of machine-learning principles, reinforcement learning, and related algorithms.

Responsibilities

Design and implement core motion-planning logic for high-level vehicle actions such as lane changes, merges, yielding, and interactions with other agents.
Develop and optimize motion-planning algorithms that integrate path geometry reasoning and velocity reasoning into a cohesive trajectory.
Architect and enhance the geometry system to generate geometrically feasible and compliant paths.
Architect and refine the velocity system to generate context-aware, comfortable, and safe velocity profiles.
Model complex driving scenarios and agent interactions to create a robust world model for the behavioral planner.
Design trajectory-ranking costs that balance estimated travel times, comfort, and safety.
Analyze, test, and debug system performance across scenarios and lead root-cause investigations.
Collaborate with Prediction, Perception, and Control teams to connect environmental understanding with physical vehicle motion.