You’re an engineer who is excited to work on cutting-edge software products and solutions using state-of-the-art computer vision and deep learning. You have a solid foundation in areas like detection, classification, segmentation, or tracking—whether through previous roles, internships, or research—and you’re eager to apply those skills in an impactful, production-focused environment.
You’re curious, motivated, and ready to learn from experienced teammates. You enjoy solving challenging technical problems, asking thoughtful questions, and collaborating with others to build high-quality software.
You’re excited about contributing to the perception stack for self-driving vehicles and learning what it means to build technology for safety-critical, open-world applications.
What you’ll be doing:
- Contribute to the design, development, and improvement of perception components that support downstream modules within the autonomy system.
- Help analyze perception system performance to identify areas for improvement and participate in efforts to address them.
- Work with teammates to explore creative approaches to “long-tail” challenges—for example, experimenting with synthetic data, data mining techniques, or new model architectures.
- Depending on your background and interests, you may also help optimize and deploy models to the vehicle, ensuring they operate within the constraints of our onboard hardware and meet our functional requirements and interface specifications.
- Interface with systems and safety engineers, test engineers, and data analysts to ensure appropriate requirements, test coverage, and performance metrics
What We’re Looking for:
- Master's or Ph.D. in Machine Learning, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field; or equivalent industry experience
- Solid understanding of fundamental deep learning concepts and computer vision techniques
- Experience building, training, or evaluating neural networks
- Proficiency in Python and familiarity with libraries like PyTorch or similar
- Exposure to software engineering fundamentals—version control, code reviews, testing, and collaborative development
- Clear communication skills and willingness to ask questions, share ideas, and work with others
Bonus Points:
- Previous experience with sensor fusion and/or previous exposure to the AV industry
- Experience shipping a “real” product and balancing ongoing support with next-generation innovation
- Exposure to safety-critical products or components
- Publications in relevant conferences (CVPR, ICML, NeurIPS, etc.)
- Strong programming skills in C++ and/or CUDA programming
- Experience with TensorRT and model quantization
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors including but not limited to specific skills, experience and expertise, role location, certifications, licenses, and business needs. The estimated compensation range listed in this job posting reflects base salary only. This role may include additional forms of compensation such as a bonus or company equity. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process.
Candidates for certain positions are eligible to participate in Motional’s benefits program. Motional’s benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, vision, 401k with a company match, health saving accounts, life insurance, pet insurance, and more.
Motional is a driverless technology company making autonomous vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. We’re driven by something more.
Our journey is always people first.
We aren't just developing driverless cars; we're creating safer roadways, more equitable transportation options, and making our communities better places to live, work, and connect. Our team is made up of engineers, researchers, innovators, dreamers and doers, who are creating a technology with the potential to transform the way we move.
Higher purpose, greater impact.
We’re creating first-of-its-kind technology that will transform transportation. To do so successfully, we must design for everyone in our cities and on our roads. We believe in building a great place to work through a progressive, global culture that is diverse, inclusive, and ensures people feel valued at every level of the organization. Diversity helps us to see the world differently; it’s not only good for our business, it’s the right thing to do.
Scale up, not starting up.
Our team is behind some of the industry's largest leaps forward, including the first fully-autonomous cross-country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and operation of the world's longest-standing public robotaxi fleet. We’re driven to scale; we’re moving towards commercialization of our technology, and we need team members who are ready to embrace change and challenges.
Formed as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, Motional is fundamentally changing how people move through their lives. Headquartered in Boston, Motional has operations in the U.S and Asia. For more information, visit www.Motional.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Motional AD Inc. is an EOE. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To comply with Federal Law, we participate in E-Verify. All newly-hired employees are queried through this electronic system established by the DHS and the SSA to verify their identity and employment eligibility.
Top Skills
Motional Santa Monica, California, USA Office
Work in the heart of 3rd Street Promenade, with all the modern amenities for productive work and play, steps away from the pedestrian mall and beaches
Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
