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# Senior Software Engineer - Motion Planning, Secondary Driving System

- **Company:** The Ladders
- **Location:** United States (Remote available)
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $170,600.0 - $261,300.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Data Analysis, Automation of Tests, C++ (Programming Language), Code Review, Software Debugging, Python (Programming Language), Motion Planning, Software Engineering, Systems Integration, Robot Operating System, Information Technology, C++14
- **Published:** October 9, 2026
- **Apply:** https://arc.dev/remote-jobs/j/redirect/pq02c84sgl

## About the Role

* BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical/Mechanical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
 * 3+ years of professional software engineering experience in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or complex real-time/control systems.
 * Strong proficiency in modern C++ (C++14/17 or later) and experience with large, multi-contributor codebases; familiarity with Python for tooling and data analysis.
 * Experience in motion planning and controls, including trajectory generation, optimal control, and feedback control design.
 * Experience integrating with perception and prediction pipelines, even if the focus is on planning and controls.
 * Demonstrated track record of delivering reliable, high-quality autonomous or robotics software under latency/compute constraints.
 * Strong communication and collaboration skills across disciplines, including ML, systems, platform, and safety.

## Description

This role will focus on building and optimizing safety-critical software that enables advanced driving capabilities during challenging operating scenarios. You will work closely with perception, state estimation, mapping, systems, and safety partners to develop reliable planning and control solutions that perform under real-time constraints., * Develop and optimize production-grade C++ software across the secondary driving system stack, integrating ML-based perception with analytical planners and classical controllers.

 * Design and implement planning and controls algorithms, including lane-keeping and obstacle avoidance.
 * Collaborate with state estimation and mapping partners to define interfaces for reliable system engagement during primary stack failures.
 * Own features end-to-end, from requirements clarification to on-road testing and iteration based on metrics.
 * Champion software engineering best practices, including clean interfaces, code reviews, and automated testing.
 * Analyze and debug complex integration issues using logs and telemetry to root-cause problems in perception, planning, and controls.
 * Mentor and unblock other engineers through design discussions and code reviews.