Full-Time

Software Engineer

Motion & Behavioral Planning

Posted on 5/7/2026

DiDi Global

DiDi Global

51-200 employees

L4 autonomous driving for robotaxi services

Compensation Overview

$129.2k - $247k/yr

+ Bonus + Equity

San Jose, CA, USA

In Person

Category
Software Engineering (1)
Required Skills
C/C++
Requirements
  • B.S./M.S. in Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field.
  • Experience in autonomous systems, robotics, or automotive software development.
  • Strong proficiency in C++ for implementing complex, real-time algorithms.
  • Solid understanding of robotics fundamentals, including decision-making, motion planning, control theory, trajectory ranking, search and optimization algorithms etc.
  • Related experience in one or more of the following: behavioral planning, motion planning, behavior and world environment reasoning, trajectory ranking and cost design.
Responsibilities
  • Design and implement the core Behavioral Planning logic that determines the vehicle's high-level actions (e.g., lane changes, merges, yields, and interactions with other agents).
  • Develop and optimize the motion planning algorithms that execute behavioral decisions, integrating Geometry Reasoning (path) and Speed Reasoning (velocity) into a cohesive trajectory.
  • Architect and enhance the geometry system for generating geometrically feasible and compliant paths.
  • Architect and refine the velocity system for generating context-aware, comfortable, and safe velocity profiles.
  • Model complex driving scenarios and agent interactions to create a robust world model for the behavioral planner.
  • Design different costs for trajectory ranking to trade off ETAs, comfort and safety of the vehicle behaviors.
  • Conduct in-depth analysis, testing, and debugging of the system's performance in various scenarios, leading root cause investigations.
  • Collaborate with Prediction, Perception, and Control teams to ensure a seamless flow from environmental understanding to physical vehicle motion.
Desired Qualifications
  • PhD or internship experience related to robotics planning system designs.
  • Knowledge of vehicle dynamics and longitudinal/lateral control systems.
  • Solid understanding of machine learning principles, reinforcement learning and related algorithms.

DiDi Autonomous Driving develops Level 4 autonomous driving technology and integrates it with DiDi’s ride-hailing app to offer robotaxi services and autonomous trucking through Kargobot. It provides a full hardware-software stack, including the Orca computing platform and Beiyao Beta LiDAR, and collaborates with automakers like GAC Group and Volvo to build mass-produced autonomous vehicles. The company operates robotaxi fleets in Shanghai and Guangzhou and plans a joint-venture robotaxi model with GAC Aion for deployment in major Chinese cities by 2025. Revenue comes from robotaxi fares and logistics services, with a hybrid dispatch system that blends human-driven and self-driving vehicles under one app, aiming for large-scale commercialization.

Company Size

51-200

Company Stage

Series D

Total Funding

$1.5B

Headquarters

China

Founded

2012

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • GAC Group invests $200M in $300M+ funding round, valuing unit above Xiaoma Zhixing.
  • GAC Aion JV delivers purpose-built L4 robotaxi by end of 2025 in Beijing, Guangzhou.
  • $149M from state investors bolsters autonomous driving commercialization efforts.

What critics are saying

  • Baidu Apollo Go's 500+ vehicles in 10 cities capture 60% market share immediately.
  • Pony.ai's exclusive Guangzhou licenses block DiDi's 2025 fleet rollout this year.
  • Regulators cap L4 operations in Beijing, Shanghai after DiDi test fleet incidents now.

What makes DiDi Global unique

  • DiDi Autonomous Driving develops Orca platform and Beiyao Beta LiDAR for L4 robotaxis.
  • R2 robotaxi with Raytron thermal imaging detects VRUs 300 meters in low-light conditions.
  • Huiju Port automates 90% of vehicle servicing for large-scale robotaxi operations.

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Benefits

Flexible Work Hours

Remote Work Options

Health Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

Conference Attendance Budget

Professional Development Budget

Wellness Program

Mental Health Support

Stock Options

Company Equity

Paid Vacation

Company News

Wedoany
May 9th, 2026
XiaoYu Intelligence raises hundreds of millions of yuan in Series B+ funding to deploy 1,000 welding robots in construction

Beijing XiaoYu Intelligent Technology has completed hundreds of millions of yuan in Series B+ funding, with investment from BAIC Capital, Fosun RZ Capital and C&D Emerging Industry Equity Investment. Existing shareholders Huaye Tiancheng and Guizhou Science and Technology Innovation Angel Fund co-invested, whilst Didi Chuxing and Xiaomi co-founder Li Wanqiang made additional investments. Founded in 2023 by former Xiaomi MIUI R&D head Qiao Zhongliang, XiaoYu Intelligence develops general-purpose embodied intelligence technology using a "One Brain, Multiple Forms" architecture that enables a single AI system to control different robot types. The company has focused initially on industrial welding, deploying its intelligent agent in production lines since Q4 2025. It recently signed a strategic cooperation with China Construction Science and Industry to deploy 1,000 embodied intelligent welding robots in construction steel structures within the next year.

Pandaily
Apr 8th, 2026
D-Robotics secures $270M in Series B funding, raising $180M in one month for global embodied AI push

D-Robotics has raised $150 million in a Series B2 round, bringing its total Series B funding to $270 million, with approximately $180 million raised within a single month. The round was led by Prosperity7 Ventures and Envision Group, with participation from Yunfeng Capital, Hillhouse Capital, Vertex Growth and existing investors including Didi Chuxing. The embodied AI company reported 180% year-on-year growth in annual shipments in 2025, with its customer base doubling. It now supports over 100 robot products and has grown its developer ecosystem to more than 100,000 developers across 20 countries. The funding will accelerate global expansion and support D-Robotics' integrated hardware-software platform, including its RDK S600 robotics platform. The company collaborates with Horizon Robotics on developing foundational AI capabilities for movement control and spatial awareness.

PR Newswire
Mar 17th, 2026
Didi unveils R2 robotaxi with Raytron thermal imaging for 300-metre VRU detection

Didi Autonomous Driving has unveiled the R2, its next-generation robotaxi co-developed with GAC Aion, featuring Raytron's automotive thermal camera as part of its 33-sensor perception system. The Horus 640D thermal imaging module can detect vulnerable road users up to 300 metres away in low-light and adverse weather conditions. The thermal camera uses long-wave infrared radiation to identify pedestrians, cyclists and animals regardless of darkness or visibility challenges that affect standard cameras and LiDAR. Raytron's shutterless algorithm eliminates image freeze issues common in thermal cameras. Didi CEO Zhang Bo highlighted a real-world test where the infrared sensor detected a person lying by the road at 100 metres when cameras and LiDAR failed. The technology addresses critical edge-case risks in autonomous driving.

Bloomberg L.P.
Mar 13th, 2026
Didi swings to loss as Chinese ride-hailing giant battles Meituan in global expansion push

Didi Global has returned to a loss in its latest quarter as the Chinese ride-hailing company increased investments whilst facing competition from new rivals including Meituan in international markets. The company's swing back to unprofitability follows a period of stepped-up global expansion efforts. Didi is contending with intensifying competition as it pushes into new territories beyond its home market in China.

Pandaily
Mar 3rd, 2026
Former Xiaomi exec's Xiaoyubot raises Series B to tackle 10M welder shortage with AI robots

Xiaoyubot, founded by former Xiaomi MIUI head Qiao Zhongliang, has completed Series B financing led by HuaYe TianCheng, with participation from CMB International, Moutai Fund and Guizhou Provincial Science and Technology Innovation Angel Fund. Existing investors Didi and Xiaomi co-founder Li Wanqiang also participated. Established in February 2023, Xiaoyubot is developing a "one brain, multiple forms" embodied intelligence platform for industrial robots. Its first product, welding robots, entered customer production lines in Q4 2025, targeting a market with over 10 million worker shortages. The company uses an end-to-end, data-driven approach with a multimodal three-dimensional world model. Qiao applies Xiaomi's consumer product methodology to business-to-business markets, selecting premium components and scaling through volume shipments.