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# Senior Motion Planning Software Engineer

- **Company:** Zipline
- **Location:** Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $190,000 - $230,000
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** C++ (Programming Language), Convex Optimization, Linux, Fault Tolerance, Motion Planning, Software Construction, Safety Critical Systems, Information Technology
- **Published:** November 6, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.adzuna.com/details/5801116193

## About the Role

* Master's degree in Computer Science or related field and 3+ years of experience building software for safety-critical systems (aerospace/AV/robotics).
 * Strong in Rust/C++/C for real-time, fault-tolerant code on embedded/Linux.
 * Depth in planning & search (e.g. A*/ anytime / RRT*/sampling), trajectory optimization/MPC-shipped on real robots/vehicles.
 * Hands-on with simulation at scale, SIL/HIL, log replay, and metrics-driven validation.
 * Evidence of shipping production-grade autonomy through ambiguous, noisy conditions-owning the last mile to reliability.
 * Systems thinker who collaborates tightly with perception, controls, and flight ops; crisp docs and design reviews.

## Description

* Build real-time trajectory generation and decision-making for autonomous flight (search-based, sampling, MPC, convex/non-convex optimization).
 * Tackle joint optimization across safety, energy, time, and reliability-balancing mission goals with vehicle constraints.
 * Plan in uncertain environments with complex dynamics: robustness to wind/turbulence, degraded sensors, and partial observability.
 * Design safety-critical software for avoiding obstacles and interfacing with humans while delivering and picking up packages
 * Extend the autonomy stack for new aircraft and payloads; define clean interfaces with perception and controls.
 * Prove it before flight: large-scale sim, SIL/HIL, log replay, and fault-injection.
 * Mine real fleet data to validate safety metrics, improve models, and burn down long-tail failure modes.