Planning - Technical Lead

About Applied Intuition Applied Intuition is the vehicle intelligence company that accelerates the global adoption of safe, AI-driven machines. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion following its recent Series F funding round, Applied Intuition delivers the Vehicle OS, Self-Driving System, and toolchain to help customers build intelligent vehicles and shorten time to market. 18 of the top 20 global automakers and major programs across the Department of Defense trust Applied Intuition's solutions to deliver vehicle intelligence. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining, and agriculture industries and is headquartered in Mountain View, CA, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Diego, CA, Ft. Walton Beach, FL, Ann Arbor, MI, London, Stuttgart, Munich, Stockholm, Bangalore, Seoul, and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co. We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. (Note: For EpiSci job openings, fully remote work will be considered by exception.) 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, and partner with customers to understand requirements and deliver impactful solutions. You will collaborate cross-functionally and drive best practices to accelerate autonomy technology at scale. At Applied Intuition, you will: Lead and mentor a team of software engineers focused on onroad behavior software and motion planning for autonomous navigation. 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. We're looking for someone who has: 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. Nice to have: Advanced degree (MSc or PhD) in Computer Science, Robotics, Applied Mathematics, or related engineering field with 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. The salary range for this position is $199,295 USD to $264,500 USD annually. This salary range is an estimate, and the actual salary may vary based on the Company's compensation practices. Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws. #J-18808-Ljbffr