Senior Systems Software Engineer, Motion Planning and Prediction

Latitude AI ( lat.ai ) develops automated driving technologies, including L3, for Ford vehicles at scale. We’re driven by the opportunity to reimagine what it’s like to drive and make travel safer, less stressful, and more enjoyable for everyone.

When you join the Latitude team, you’ll work alongside leading experts across machine learning and robotics, cloud platforms, mapping, sensors and compute systems, test operations, systems and safety engineering – all dedicated to making a real, positive impact on the driving experience for millions of people. 

As a Ford Motor Company subsidiary, we operate independently to develop automated driving technology at the speed of a technology startup. Latitude is headquartered in Pittsburgh with engineering centers in Dearborn, Mich., and Palo Alto, Calif.

Meet the team:

The Autonomy Behavior and Services Team at Latitude is responsible for designing the system architecture, performing analysis and DVP (design and verification plan) of various autonomy behavior (routing, motion planning, prediction, mapping) and services (logging, time, mode, thermal, cloud data transfer, etc.) functionalities. 

• Motion Planning: Planning the safe and efficient path/maneuvers of the robot towards its destination. 


• Prediction: Inferring the current state of other actors and forecasting their future maneuvers/trajectories.

What you’ll do: 

• Lead the systems engineering of the motion planning and prediction functions at Latitude and support parallel functions for our partner teams at Ford


• Write functional requirements for the performance of our motion planning and prediction functions considering nominal operations, vehicle and environmental variations, and operational domain bounding conditions


• Write requirement verification plans and support verification testing of our motion planning and prediction functions


• Perform failure analyses to identify potential failure mechanisms and preventions


• Lead system level performance analysis and build evaluation pipelines. This would include designing metrics, defining targets, requiring novel research and ownership


• Work closely with the perception, motion planning and prediction Software teams at both Latitude and Ford in creating the functional and sw architectures


• Work closely with the Integration and Test team at Latitude to develop and execute the Design Verification Plan for the motion planning and prediction functions


• Periodically get hands-on with the product and see the designs in action

What you'll need to succeed:

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics or a related field and 4+ years of relevant experience (or Master's degree and 2+ years of relevant experience, or PhD)


• At least 4+ years of experience working in either automotive or robotics engineering, or a related field


• Experience working in production applications of motion planning


• Experience writing functional requirements


• Experience with the analysis and testing of complex systems through data-driven approach


• Experience designing and developing algorithms


• Experience with Python, C++, or other programming skills + git experience

Nice to have:  

• Doctorate Degree with a focus in motion planning


• Familiarity with model-based systems engineering tools (ex: MagicDraw)


• Familiarity with requirements management tools (ex: Jama)


• Experience with autonomous vehicle testing


• Experience writing safety requirements to meet ISO 26262 or similar standards

What we offer you:

• Competitive compensation packages


• High-quality individual and family medical, dental, and vision insurance


• Health savings account with available employer match


• Employer-matched 401(k) retirement plan with immediate vesting


• Employer-paid group term life insurance and the option to elect voluntary life insurance


• Paid parental leave


• Paid medical leave


• Unlimited vacation


• 15 paid holidays


• Daily lunches, snacks, and beverages available in all office locations


• Pre-tax spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses


• Pre-tax commuter benefits


• Monthly wellness stipend


• Adoption/Surrogacy support program


• Backup child and elder care program


• Professional development reimbursement


• Employee assistance program


• Discounted programs that include legal services, identity theft protection, pet insurance, and more


• Company and team bonding outlets: employee resource groups, quarterly team activity stipend, and wellness initiatives

Learn more about Latitude’s team, mission and career opportunities at lat.ai !

The expected base salary range for this full-time position in California is $155,360 - $233,040 USD. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Latitude employees are also eligible to participate in Latitude’s annual bonus programs, equity compensation, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.

Candidates for positions with Latitude AI must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a permanent basis. Verification of employment eligibility will be required at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is available for this position.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status or protected veteran status.