Your Motional resume, matched to the job ad
Drop in your resume and it opens next to this job, ready to tailor in one click.
4.8 from 167 in-app reviews
Senior Motion Planning Engineer
Motional · Boston, Massachusetts, United States; Las Vegas, Nevada, United States; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States; Remote U.S.
Tailor your resume to this job
No account needed to start.
What Motional asks for
From Motional's Senior Motion Planning Engineer ad, checked 3 Nov 2026.
C++ software development
3 or more years of C++ development, creating reliable software for high-performance systems.
Feature ownership and leadership
Managing the full lifecycle of complex technical features, starting with the initial problem definition through to research, coding, and final production use.
Motion planning and search algorithms
Heading the development of algorithms for autonomous driving, specifically using geometry-based methods and advanced search techniques.
Probabilistic and Bayesian models
Applying probabilistic approaches such as Hidden Markov Models, Particle Filters, or Bayesian inference to help systems make decisions when data is uncertain.
Mentorship and engineering culture
Teaching software principles to others and mentoring junior engineers to improve technical standards and product-focused engineering.
The ad asks for a PhD or a Master's degree plus 2 or more years of robotics experience. Candidates also need 5 or more years of motion planning research. Hybrid or remote work is possible from the United States.
How the example answers the ad
Three of the five requirements above, each matched to a line in the example.
Motion planning and search algorithms
“Led the development of a hybrid A* path planning library in C++, reducing trajectory computation latency by 40% for high-speed highway maneuvers.”
Developing a library using A* path planning for highway maneuvers shows the use of search algorithms for autonomous driving.
Mentorship and engineering culture
“Mentored two junior software engineers on C++ concurrency best practices, resulting in a 15% improvement in code review throughput.”
Teaching two junior engineers about concurrency practices in C++ to improve code review speed shows mentorship and engineering culture.
Probabilistic and Bayesian models
“Designed a Bayesian inference framework for intersection navigation, reducing uncertainty in object movement predictions by 18%.”
Building a framework using Bayesian inference for navigation tasks shows the application of probabilistic and Bayesian models.
The whole example as text
Maria Gonzalez · Senior Motion Planning Engineer
Summary
Senior motion planning engineer with 6 years of experience in autonomous systems. Develops high-performance trajectory libraries using C++ to solve complex navigation challenges. Integrates probabilistic models into core decision-making pipelines for real-time safety. Mentors junior staff on software engineering standards and production-grade algorithm deployment.
Experience
Senior Motion Planning Engineer · Waymo
Mountain View, CA · 2024 - Present
- Led the development of a hybrid A* path planning library in C++, reducing trajectory computation latency by 40% for high-speed highway maneuvers.
- Owned the full lifecycle of a lane-changing feature from initial mathematical formulation to production deployment on a fleet of 500 vehicles.
- Mentored two junior software engineers on C++ concurrency best practices, resulting in a 15% improvement in code review throughput.
Motion Planning Engineer · Zoox
Foster City, CA · 2022 - 2024
- Designed a Bayesian inference framework for intersection navigation, reducing uncertainty in object movement predictions by 18%.
- Optimized geometric path search algorithms in C++, enabling the system to recalculate optimal paths every 10 milliseconds during urban travel.
- Collaborated with perception teams to refine sensor data ingest, improving vehicle stopping precision at stop signs by 12% across various weather conditions.
Robotics Research Engineer · Nuro
Mountain View, CA · 2020 - 2022
- Developed heuristic-based trajectory cost functions, achieving a 10% reduction in jerky vehicle maneuvers in dense pedestrian environments.
- Authored C++ library modules for high-performance motion primitives, supporting real-time planning loops at 100Hz on embedded hardware.
- Analyzed large-scale simulation logs to identify edge-case planning failures, leading to the creation of 50 new stress-test scenarios.
Education
PhD in Computer Science · Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · 2015 - 2020
- Maintained a 4.0 GPA while conducting original research on geometric path planning under uncertainty.
- Authored three peer-reviewed publications on search algorithms for non-holonomic mobile robots.
- Graduated with distinction for excellence in doctoral research.
Skills
More Motional roles like this one
- Staff Motion Planning EngineerBoston, Massachusetts, United States; Remote U.S.
- Senior Motion Planning Engineer - Safety-LayerBoston, Massachusetts, United States; Las Vegas, Nevada, United States; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States; Remote U.S.
- Senior Motion Planning Engineer - Trajectory GenerationBoston, Massachusetts, United States; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States; Remote U.S.
Frequently asked questions
Is the example from an employee?
No. It is an AI-written example for this ad, made to show how a resume can answer it.
Is this role remote?
Yes. While the company encourages a hybrid schedule in Boston, Pittsburgh, or Las Vegas, the ad states that the role can be fully remote.
What level of education is required?
The ad prefers a PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, or a related engineering field. However, candidates with a Master's degree and 2 or more years of robotics experience are also eligible.
Where do I apply?
On the official Motional posting, through the job link on this page.
What happens when I tailor my resume here?
Your resume opens in the editor next to this job. Tailor it in one click, then keep or discard the edits. You only need an account to download.