Planning - Technical Lead

About the role

As a Technical Lead for Motion Planning, you will guide the development of sophisticated motion planning modules for autonomous vehicles. You will lead efforts to design, implement, and deploy high-performance, kinematically-feasible planning algorithms that operate under strict timing constraints in diverse operational environments. In this role, you will mentor engineers, set technical direction, ensure software quality, partner with customers to understand requirements and deliver impactful solutions, collaborate cross-functionally, and drive best practices to accelerate autonomy technology at scale.

We are an in-office company and expect employees to work from their Applied Intuition office five days a week. We recognize the importance of flexibility and trust employees to manage their schedules responsibly, which may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier to accommodate family commitments.

• Lead and mentor a team of software engineers focused on onroad behavior software and motion planning for autonomous navigation.
• Develop state-of-the-art onroad behavior software and leverage ML components to achieve highway and city driving.
• Leverage lightweight map data (SD maps) and the outputs of a perception system to determine driving costs used for planning.
• Architect and oversee the implementation of planning modules that integrate perception outputs, predictions, and lightweight map data for dynamic path planning.
• Ensure deployment readiness by establishing testing protocols and validation on production hardware and real-world road conditions, partnering with evaluation and vehicle teams.
• Collaborate directly with customer engineering teams, managing technical relationships to align deliverables with their autonomy goals.
• Drive continuous improvement in software practices, performance optimization, and innovation within the planning domain.
• Contribute technical leadership to internal project planning, prioritization, and roadmap development.

• BS in Computer Science, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, or a related engineering field with a focus on planning.
• 5+ years of experience building and leading production software teams, specifically in planning algorithms for autonomous vehicles.
• Proven ability to lead technical projects end-to-end and mentor junior engineers.
• Fluency in modern C++ and experience with performance-critical software.
• Strong problem‑solving skills and ability to deliver practical, scalable solutions in fast-paced environments.
• Excellent communication skills for both technical leadership and customer-facing interactions.

• Advanced degree (MSc or PhD) in Computer Science, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, or a related engineering field with a focus on planning.
• Experience with safety-critical software development and automotive industry standards.
• Hands-on experience testing planning systems on autonomous vehicles.
• Familiarity with machine learning applications in motion planning, combining traditional approaches with the state of the art.

Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, 401k retirement benefits with employer match, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off.

Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment. Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position.

Applied Intuition is an…