On our Behaviors team (Prediction and ML Planner), you will have the opportunity to work with world-class ML engineers, whose mission is to make self-driving vehicles a reality and to create a positive social impact. The Behaviors team develops ML models that learn how different agents navigate complex real-world traffic scenarios. We leverage these models to set the behavior of our self-driving vehicle, and predict the behavior of other agents such as vehicles and vulnerable road users.

We are looking for proven leaders and technical experts who are passionate about Level 4 autonomous driving technology, excited by intellectual challenges, and interested in pursuing career growth with a fast-growing company.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Define and execute motion planning and prediction projects that improve our self-driving vehicles’ capability to safely, comfortably and legally navigate complex traffic scenarios
Lead, manage and grow a team of engineers
Design and lead the implementation of behavior models that leverage the latest advancements in machine learning, generative AI and reinforcement learning
Productionize and deploy solutions onto autonomous vehicle fleets
Collaborate with perception, simulation, data platform and integration teams to validate and enhance your products’ on-road performance
Communicate strategies, progress and challenges to executive leadership

What We’re Looking for:

Masters or Ph.D. in Computer Science or a related technical field; or equivalent industry experience
Proven leadership skills at executing large, complex technical initiatives
Extensive experience managing and leading engineers
Experience with deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch
Fluency in Python, including standard scientific computing libraries
Proven track record of designing, developing and deploying ML solutions for autonomous vehicles or robotics
Advanced knowledge of software engineering principles including software design, source control management, build processes, code reviews, testing methods
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Bonus Points:

Experience with embedded systems and real-time optimization, especially in the autonomous driving industry
Experience with state of the art generative AI, and/or reinforcement learning, paradigms
Proven track record of publications in relevant conferences (CVPR, ICML, NeurIPS, ICCV, ICL, etc.)
Strong programming skills in C++ and/or CUDA programming

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.

Salary Range

$240,000—$330,000 USD

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.

Salary Range 240000 - 330000 USD

About the company

Motional builds fully driverless, all-electric robotaxis for urban transportation. Its vehicles operate within ride-hailing and delivery networks by partnering with these services to provide autonomous mobility options. The cars use advanced sensors and software to navigate city streets safely, while a real-time Command Center monitors every robotaxi, allowing human agents to supervise operations, offer remote assistance, and ensure passenger safety. Motional differentiates itself through continuous real-time oversight, a scalable B2B model, and a focus on integrating autonomous vehicles into existing mobility networks rather than selling to individual consumers. The company aims to make driverless transportation safe, reliable, and accessible at scale, reducing costs and increasing efficiency for partners and riders alike.

Company Size

501-1,000

Company Stage

Growth Equity (Non-Venture Capital)

Total Funding

$927.2M

Headquarters

Boston, Massachusetts

Founded

2020

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

September 8, 2026 nuReasoning launch deepens Motional’s AI moat and licensing revenue options.
March 13, 2026 Uber relaunch restored public robotaxi service after Motional’s 2024 reset.
Laura Major targets end-2026 driverless service, creating a near-term commercialization catalyst.

What critics are saying

Motional still uses safety drivers in Las Vegas; a fully driverless launch slips to late-2026.
Hyundai has already injected over $3.4 billion; another missed deadline pressures a breakup.
Waymo and Zoox already operate in Las Vegas, crushing Motional’s path to relevance.

What makes Motional unique

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 factory integration gives Motional built-in sensors and compute, cutting retrofit costs.
Motional’s nuReasoning dataset, released September 8, 2026, monetizes fleet data and reasoning labels.
Uber distribution gives Motional immediate rider demand without building its own consumer app.

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Benefits

401K: 401K with up to 7.5% match
time Off: Unlimited sick and vacation days
Transportation: Commuter and fitness benefits
Healthcare: 3 plan options to support diverse needs
IVF: Fertility assistance

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

-10%

1 year growth

-10%

2 year growth

-10%

PR Newswire

Sep 8th, 2026

Motional releases nuReasoning dataset with 20K long-tail scenarios to teach AVs human-like decision making

Motional has released nuReasoning, described as the world's first reasoning-centric open dataset for autonomous vehicles. The dataset contains 20,000 long-tail scenarios drawn from Motional's driving data across Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, and Singapore. The dataset provides over 105 hours of edge cases with 247,000 reasoning annotations, designed to teach autonomous vehicles human-like decision-making. Each scenario includes at least 20 seconds of video with human-verified reasoning explaining why specific actions were taken. Motional developed the dataset with UCLA Mobility Lab and Professor Jiaqi Ma. The company is launching the nuReasoning Challenge at the European Conference on Computer Vision in Sweden, with winners to be announced at NeurIPS in December. The dataset is available for free academic use or commercial licensing. A miniset released earlier this year was downloaded over 50,000 times.

Motional

Sep 8th, 2026

Motional recognized on Fast Company's list of the 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators.

Motional recognized on Fast Company's list of the 100 Best Workplaces for Innovators. Motional earned a spot on Fast Company's eighth annual Best Workplaces for Innovators list, recognizing businesses that are creating cultures where innovation can thrive at every level. The 2026 Best Workplaces for Innovators list recognizes 100 companies across industries such as entertainment, biotech, consumer packaged goods, marketing, education, and healthcare. To be considered, applicants detailed their investment in innovation, internal programs, and company culture. Fast Company's editors evaluated each application and conducted extensive research to develop a score for each company. A distinguished panel of judges then reviewed the top-rated companies to determine the final honorees. "Innovation at Motional is rooted in a culture where team members feel safe to explore bold new ideas, are fully empowered to shape AI solutions for transportation, and are passionate about improving the safety of our roads, " says Laura Major, President and CEO at Motional. "Being recognized on Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators list is a testament to our team's relentless curiosity, collaborative spirit, and shared commitment to inventing the future of mobility." Driven by a culture of innovation, Motional achieved key internal milestones in 2025, headlined by over 50 new patent filings through the Intellectual Property (IP) program. Motional's annual cross-functional Innovation Challenge engaged teams across engineering, operations, and business to generate high-value, patentable ideas. Furthermore, Motional's annual AI Summit convened 100+ machine learning engineers to accelerate the integration of cutting-edge AI across Motional's core autonomy systems, enterprise tools and workflows to drive speed, agility, accuracy, and cost efficiency. "The most innovative workplaces don't simply ask their employees to come up with great ideas; they create the conditions that make great ideas possible," says Brendan Vaughan, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. "This year's honorees understand that innovation is ultimately a cultural commitment that requires empowering people to think differently, take risks, and turn ideas into actions. We're proud to recognize the companies and executives who are leading by example."

Business Insider

Mar 20th, 2026

Hyundai's Motional aims to deploy robotaxis at lower costs than Waymo

Hyundai-backed Motional has relaunched robotaxi operations in Las Vegas through Uber, two years after pausing its commercial service to overhaul its technology and reduce costs. CEO Laura Major told Business Insider the company can now deploy robotaxis more cheaply than competitors like Waymo. The company shifted from specialised models to "Large Driving Models" that adapt across geographies, whilst cutting 40% of its workforce to 700 employees. Motional's integration with Hyundai allows cars to arrive from production lines with sensors and compute power pre-installed, avoiding costly retrofitting. Currently operating with safety drivers, Motional plans fully driverless service by end-2026. The company will partner with ride-hailing platforms rather than launch its own app, with plans to license technology to other operators for fleet management.

Yahoo Finance

Mar 13th, 2026

Uber and Motional launch commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas

Uber and Hyundai Motor-backed Motional launched a commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas on Friday, marking the latest partnership as Uber expands its self-driving taxi strategy. The company has committed over $100 million to develop autonomous vehicle charging hubs. Las Vegas users can hail Motional's IONIQ 5 electric robotaxis through Uber's app at no extra cost. The service covers key areas including Las Vegas Boulevard, Resorts World, Downtown Las Vegas and Town Square near the airport. The vehicles will initially operate with human safety operators, with fully driverless service expected by late 2026. Motional's IONIQ 5 is among the first Level 4-capable autonomous vehicles certified under US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. Uber has recently partnered with Amazon's Zoox, Baidu, Nissan and Wayve to expand autonomous offerings globally.

Yahoo Finance

Mar 13th, 2026

Uber and Motional launch commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas

Uber and Motional launch commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas. In this article: March 13 (Reuters) - Uber and Hyundai Motor-backed autonomous vehicle firm Motional launched a commercial robotaxi service in Las Vegas on Friday, the latest in a string of similar tie-ups as the ride-hailing platform doubles down on its self-driving taxi strategy. Uber has already partnered with major players in the space, including Baidu, Amazon's Zoox, Nissan and British startup Wayve, and said it will invest more than $100 million to develop autonomous vehicle charging hubs as the sector races to commercialize driverless mobility at scale. * Uber's tie-up with Motional will allow Las Vegas users onits app to hail a driverless electric vehicle at no extra cost,the company said. * The service will cover pick-up zones along Las VegasBoulevard, including Resorts World, Encore at the Wynn, WestgateResort & Casino, Downtown Las Vegas and Town Square near theairport. * Users requesting UberX, Uber Electric, Uber Comfort orUber Comfort Electric may be matched with a Motional IONIQ 5robotaxi, with the option to switch to a conventional ride. * Motional's IONIQ 5 is among the first SAE Level 4-capableautonomous vehicles certified under the U.S.'s Federal MotorVehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), according to Uber. * The vehicles will initially operate with a human safetyoperator behind the wheel, with a fully driverless serviceexpected to be launched by late 2026. * Earlier this week, Uber signed a multi-year deal to deployAmazon self-driving unit Zoox's robotaxis on its platform, withlimited services already live in Las Vegas and a pilot riderprogram underway in San Francisco. * On Thursday, Uber, Nissan and Wayve agreed to collaborate,targeting a pilot robotaxi launch in Tokyo by late 2026, markingUber's first autonomous vehicle partnership in Japan. (Reporting by Kritika Lamba in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Ananda)

Motional

Principal Engineer – Team Lead - Behaviors

About the job

What You’ll Be Doing:

What We’re Looking for:

Bonus Points:

About the company

Get referred to Motional

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

What critics are saying

What makes Motional unique

Benefits

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

1 year growth

2 year growth