Behavior Planning Engineer, Autonomous Driving

We are seeking a Behavior Planning Engineer, Autonomous Driving to join our world-class ADAS and Autonomous Driving team. 

This role is based in Newark, CA and requires employees to be onsite five days a week. 

As a Behavior Planning Engineer on Lucid’s Autonomous Driving team, you will design and implement robust algorithms that enable safe, intelligent, and smooth driving decisions for our ADAS and autonomous systems. You will work at the intersection of planning, motion control, and perception, helping to define the behavior of our vehicles in real-world driving scenarios. 

Responsibilities: 

• Design, prototype, test, and deploy state-of-the-art behavior planning algorithms for autonomous and assisted driving features. 

• Develop and implement trajectory and route planning, optimization-based planning, and decision-making frameworks. 

• Collaborate closely with perception, controls, localization, and systems teams to ensure robust and efficient integration of planning software. 

• Drive innovation through the invention of novel algorithms and features that elevate the safety, comfort, and intelligence of Lucid vehicles. 

• Support the validation and verification of behavior planning components in simulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and on-road testing environments. 

Required Qualifications: 

• MS degree in Automotive Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, or a related field (or equivalent experience). 

• 2+ years of professional experience, or a Ph.D. in a relevant discipline. 

• Strong C++ programming skills with a solid understanding of software engineering best practices. 

• Deep knowledge of motion and behavior planning concepts including trajectory generation, route planning, and optimization techniques. 

• Hands-on experience with embedded systems integration in robotics or automotive domains. 

• Strong communication and problem-solving skills. 

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience with middleware systems such as ROS or DDS. 

• Proficiency in additional languages such as Python, Bash, MATLAB, or JavaScript. 

• Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git) and modern development workflows. 

• Experience in decision-making algorithms such as graph/tree search methods or AI-based planners. 

• Prior work on scenario-based testing, MIL/SIL/HIL environments, or automated test frameworks. 

• Exposure to CI tools such as Jenkins or GitLab CI.