Sr. Motion Planning and Controls Engineer

We are seeking a Sr. Motion Planning and Controls Engineer, Autonomous Driving to design, develop, and deploy industry-leading planning and control algorithms for next-generation driver assistance and autonomous systems.  

This position is based in Newark, CA and requires onsite presence five days a week.  

The Role:  

As a Sr. Motion Planning and Controls Engineer, you will play a key role in developing high-performance motion planning and control features for Lucid’s ADAS and autonomous driving systems. You’ll work across software, hardware, and systems teams to ensure robust design, testing, and deployment of production-grade lateral and longitudinal control algorithms.  

Responsibilities:  

• Design, prototype, test, and deploy motion planning and control algorithms for ADAS and autonomous driving systems.  

• Implement state-of-the-art approaches to trajectory planning, route planning, and real-time control.  

• Develop and tune classical and modern controllers (e.g., LQR, MPC, PID, Adaptive, Robust) for both lateral and longitudinal vehicle dynamics.  

• Conduct model-based design and validation using MATLAB/Simulink or equivalent tools.  

• Participate in the full development cycle, from simulation and SIL/HIL testing to in-vehicle implementation and release.  

• Collaborate closely with systems, validation, perception, and platform teams to ensure safe and seamless software integration.  

• Contribute to architectural decisions, safety assessments, and product scalability.  

Required Qualifications:  

• Bachelor’s degree in Automotive, Aerospace, Mechanical Engineering or a related field (advanced degrees preferred).  

• 5+ years of experience (with MS) or 3+ years (with PhD) in motion control or trajectory planning for ADAS/Autonomous Driving.  

• Deep knowledge of control system design and real-time implementation using modern control approaches (e.g., LQR, MPC).  

• Proven experience deploying lateral and longitudinal controllers in a production or research vehicle environment.  

• Proficiency in modeling and simulation tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink).  

• Solid understanding of ADAS/AD systems, robotics, and vehicle dynamics.  

• Strong communication skills and ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.  

Preferred Qualifications:  

• Proficiency in programming languages such as C++, Python, and MATLAB.  

• Experience with middleware frameworks like ROS.  

• Familiarity with AUTOSAR and embedded software development practices.  

• Experience in bench testing, SIL/HIL integration, and scenario-based simulation.  

• Knowledge of safety standards and automotive system regulations (e.g., ISO 26262).  

• Background in agile development environments, version control (e.g., Git), and static code analysis.