Principal Engineer - Visual Mapping and Localization

Company: Motional
Location: Pittsburgh
Posted on: February 10, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Mission Summary: On our Spatial Intelligence Team, you'll have the opportunity to work with world-class 3D computer vision and machine learning engineers, whose mission is to make self-driving vehicles a reality and to create a positive social impact. The team creates computer vision-derived world maps, fuses vision-derived maps with LIDAR-based maps, updates these maps as the world changes, and localizes autonomous vehicles within these maps in real-time. We are looking for proven technical experts who are passionate about Level 4 autonomous driving technology, excited by intellectual challenges, and are interested in pursuing career growth in a fast-growing company. What You'll Be Doing: Define, lead and execute computer-vision based mapping projects that improve our self-driving vehicles' capability to efficiently map roadways and localize itself using vehicle and remote sensing data Develop methods to monitor changes to the environment and update maps accordingly Integrate visual maps with LIDAR-derived maps to create consistent fused world maps Productionize and deploy solutions onto autonomous vehicle fleets Collaborate with LIDAR-based localization and mapping, and perception teams to improve our vehicle's on-road performance What We're Looking for: Experience developing software for geometric computer vision - geometric camera models, camera calibration, fundamental / essential matrices, the epipolar constraint, feature detection and matching, triangulation Experience with visual simultaneous localization and mapping (VSLAM), structure from motion, visual-inertial SLAM, visual-inertial odometry, and large-scale bundle adjustment/factor graph optimization at scale Proven track record of designing, developing and deploying 3D computer vision solutions for autonomous vehicles, augmented reality, robotics or related applications Masters or Ph.D. in Computer Science or a related technical field; or equivalent industry experience 7 years of professional software engineering experience. Advanced knowledge of software engineering principles including software design, source control management, build processes, code reviews, testing methods Extensive experience in metrics design and metrics driven technology development Excellent communication and interpersonal skills Strong programming skills in C++ Proven track record of publications in relevant conferences (CVPR, ICML, NeurIPS, ICCV, WACV, AAAI, ICL, etc.) Bonus Points: Experience with multi-modality, multi-sensor fusion-based mapping, e.g. visual LIDAR-based mapping Remote sensing experience including geospatial coordinate frames, RPC camera models Strong python programming skills Experience training ML models using Pytorch or other libraries We encourage a hybrid schedule with in-office time at one of our locations in Boston, Pittsburgh, or Las Vegas to support collaboration, or this role can be fully remote. 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.

Keywords: Motional, Akron , Principal Engineer - Visual Mapping and Localization, Engineering , Pittsburgh, Ohio