Sr. Motion Planning and Controls Engineer, Autonomous Driving

We are seeking a Sr. Motion Planning and Controls Engineer, Autonomous Driving to design, develop, and deploy industry-leading planning and control algorithms for next-generation driver assistance and autonomous systems. 

This position is based in Newark, CA and requires onsite presence five days a week. 

The Role: 

As a Sr. Motion Planning and Controls Engineer, you will play a key role in developing high-performance motion planning and control features for Lucid’s ADAS and autonomous driving systems. You’ll work across software, hardware, and systems teams to ensure robust design, testing, and deployment of production-grade lateral and longitudinal control algorithms. 

Responsibilities: 

• Design, prototype, test, and deploy motion planning and control algorithms for ADAS and autonomous driving systems. 

• Implement state-of-the-art approaches to trajectory planning, route planning, and real-time control. 

• Develop and tune classical and modern controllers (e.g., LQR, MPC, PID, Adaptive, Robust) for both lateral and longitudinal vehicle dynamics. 

• Conduct model-based design and validation using MATLAB/Simulink or equivalent tools. 

• Participate in the full development cycle, from simulation and SIL/HIL testing to in-vehicle implementation and release. 

• Collaborate closely with systems, validation, perception, and platform teams to ensure safe and seamless software integration. 

• Contribute to architectural decisions, safety assessments, and product scalability. 

Required Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Automotive, Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering or a related field (advanced degrees preferred). 

• 5+ years of experience (with MS) or 3+ years (with PhD) in motion control or trajectory planning for ADAS/Autonomous Driving. 

• Deep knowledge of control system design and real-time implementation using modern control approaches (e.g., LQR, MPC). 

• Proven experience deploying lateral and longitudinal controllers in a production or research vehicle environment. 

• Proficiency in modeling and simulation tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink). 

• Solid understanding of ADAS/AD systems, robotics, and vehicle dynamics. 

• Strong communication skills and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Proficiency in programming languages such as C++, Python, and MATLAB. 

• Experience with middleware frameworks like ROS. 

• Familiarity with AUTOSAR and embedded software development practices. 

• Experience in bench testing, SIL/HIL integration, and scenario-based simulation. 

• Knowledge of safety standards and automotive system regulations (e.g., ISO 26262). 

• Background in agile development environments, version control (e.g., Git), and static code analysis.