Software Engineer, Autonomy - Calibration, Mapping & Localization

About Cyngn

Based in Mountain View, CA, Cyngn is a publicly-traded autonomous technology company. We deploy self-driving industrial vehicles —   specifically autonomous tuggers  —to factories, warehouses, and other facilities throughout North America. To build this emergent technology, we are looking for innovative, motivated, and experienced leaders to join us and move this field forward. If you like to build, tinker, and create with a team of trusted and passionate colleagues, then Cyngn is the place for you. Key reasons to join Cyngn: 

We are small and big.

With under 100 employees, Cyngn operates with the energy of a startup. On the other hand, we’re publicly traded. This means our employees not only work in close-knit teams with mentorship from company leaders—they also get access to the liquidity of our publicly-traded equity.

We build today and deploy tomorrow.

Our autonomous vehicles aren’t just test concepts—they’re deployed to real clients right now. That means your work will have a tangible, visible impact.

We aren’t robots. We just develop them.

We’re a welcoming, diverse team of sharp thinkers and kind humans. Collaboration and trust drive our creative environment. At Cyngn, everyone’s perspective matters—and that’s what powers our innovation.

About this role: 

As a Software Engineer on our Calibration, Localization & Mapping (CLAM) team, you will help deliver improvements and new features to our calibration, localization, and mapping subsystems. You will work on a small, highly focused team building production-quality software that enables efficient and accurate creation of HD maps at Cyngn deployment-sites and robust localization for Cyngn’s autonomous vehicle fleets.

Working closely with senior engineers who will support your growth, you will take ownership of well-scoped components while collaborating cross-functionally with vehicle infrastructure, hardware, QA, and other autonomy teams (Perception, Decision, Planning, and Control) to achieve seamless integration, comprehensive testing, and ultimately safe and efficient driving for the next generation of Cyngn’s autonomous vehicles.

This role is a strong fit for an early-career engineer who has solid robotics fundamentals and is eager to deepen their expertise in mapping and localization on real production hardware.

Responsibilities

• Implement, tune, and test mapping, localization, and sensor calibration algorithms for our autonomous vehicle platforms using C++ and Python, with guidance and code review from senior team members.


• Contribute to tooling and metrics for performance validation and continuous testing frameworks.


• Debug and analyze algorithm performance using real-world and simulated sensor data, and iterate based on results from vehicle testing.


• Balance assigned project tasks, code reviews, and learning to meet product-driven milestones in a fast-paced startup environment.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in robotics, computer science, electrical engineering, or a similar technical field (MS a plus).


• Solid foundation in probability theory, linear algebra, 3D geometry, and spatial coordinate transformations.


• Working knowledge of matrix factorization algorithms and Lie algebra/groups, or a strong willingness to learn.


• Familiarity with 3D Lidar-based mapping and localization concepts for autonomous vehicles (e.g., LOAM series, GICP, FastLIO, bundle-adjustment).


• Exposure to state estimation frameworks such as EKFs and/or nonlinear optimization libraries (GTSAM, G2O, Ceres-Solver, etc.).


• 2–4 years of experience (including internships, research, or academic projects) building robotics or autonomous vehicle software.


• Proficiency writing C++ in a collaborative software environment—familiarity with unit testing, code review, and version control.


• Proficiency in Python.


• Excellent written & verbal communication skills, and eagerness to learn from and collaborate with a senior team.

Bonus Qualifications

• Academic publications, patents, or notable open-source contributions.


• Experience with GPU programming, CUDA.


• Hands-on experience tuning or deploying algorithms on physical robots or vehicles.


• Experience with multi-sensor calibration or sensor mis-alignment detection.


• Experience with camera-based SLAM and 3D multi-view geometry.


• Experience working with ROS2 to design, build, and operate robotic systems.


• Exposure to modern software development version control and project management tools—Git, Jira, etc.

Benefits & Perks

• Health benefits (Medical, Dental, Vision, HSA and FSA (Health & Dependent Daycare), Employee Assistance Program, 1:1 Health Concierge)


• Life, Short-term and long-term disability insurance (Cyngn funds 100% of premiums)


• Company 401(k)


• Commuter Benefits


• Flexible vacation policy


• Sabbatical leave opportunity after 5 years with the company


• Paid Parental Leave


• Daily lunches for in-office employees and fully-stocked kitchen with snacks and beverages

$162,000 - $180,000 a year

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.