The posting
Primary Purpose:
The Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Test Engineering team at Motional is responsible for validating the safety, functionality, and performance of our self-driving technology through rigorous, system-level testing. As a Senior AV Test Engineer, you will take a lead role in the strategy, planning, and execution of comprehensive test campaigns that span perception, planning, and control systems across virtual, closed-course, and public road environments.
In this role, you will guide test development efforts across multiple AV subsystems, mentor junior engineers, and drive improvements to our tooling, test infrastructure, and methodologies. You will lead cross-functional initiatives that directly impact release readiness and safety assurance, translating high-level engineering requirements into scalable test plans and measurable quality outcomes. Your work will contribute to iterative development, fault injection analysis, and validation of safety-critical systems that meet the highest standards for reliability and compliance.
Essential Duties:
Technical Leadership & Validation
- Lead the planning, design, and execution of validation testing across simulation, SIL, HIL, and on-vehicle environments, with a focus on perception, planning, and control systems.
- Serve as the technical lead for scenario-based testing, utilizing platforms like Applied Intuition or equivalents for synthetic and resimulation use cases.
- Own the creation and execution of test plans for complex mechatronic and software systems, including drive-by-wire (DBW), braking, steering, and system integrations.
Test Infrastructure & Analysis
- Develop and maintain robust test infrastructure using Python, Shell, and automation frameworks, ensuring modular, reusable, and scalable test architecture.
- Conduct detailed analysis of logs and system behavior, supporting root-cause investigations across AV software and hardware components.
Quality Assurance & Compliance
- Participate in and lead QA review cycles, helping to define entry/exit criteria, regression coverage, and release readiness gates.
- Ensure traceability and compliance by documenting procedures, results, and outcomes using Jira, GitLab, and Confluence.
- Contribute to compliance with safety-critical standards such as ISO26262, ISO21448 (SOTIF), and ISO9001.
Collaboration & Mentorship
- Represent the Test Engineering function in cross-functional planning meetings, collaborating closely with perception, planning, controls, and safety teams.
- Mentor and support junior Test Engineers, providing technical guidance and fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.
Strategic Adaptation & Support
- Continuously adapt and optimize test strategies in response to evolving product requirements, architectural shifts, and real-world findings.
- Support after-hours testing or incident triage as needed by fleet or field operations.
- Travel domestically on occasion to support on-site testing or operational deployments.
- Perform additional duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree or higher in Engineering, Robotics, ECE, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
- 5+ years of experience in software QA or system testing, including AV, ADAS, robotics, or safety-critical systems.
- Demonstrated expertise in test strategy, test case development, test execution, and automation for complex mechatronic or autonomous systems.
- Experience leading end-to-end testing across software stacks and physical systems, including SIL, HIL, and real-world deployments.
- Strong analytical skills with proficiency in debugging, log parsing, and root cause analysis.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to drive cross-functional alignment and effectively report technical findings.
- Proven ability to lead technical efforts, mentor junior engineers, and operate with minimal oversight.
- High level of initiative, ownership, and accountability in a fast-paced, startup-style engineering environment.
- Flexible schedule and willingness to support late meetings, night shifts, or urgent test activities as required.
Preferred:
- Master’s degree in a relevant field.
- Deep familiarity with CAN-based tools (CANalyzer, CANoe) for fault injection, bus analysis, and subsystem verification.
- Working knowledge of industry standards for safety-critical systems such as ISO26262, ISO21448 (SOTIF), and ISO9001.
- Familiarity with AV safety case development or safety validation workflows.
- Experience with robotic middleware (e.g., ROS), cloud telemetry systems, or AV data pipelines.
- Experience in a cross-site or global engineering organization.
Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to sit, talk, or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand and at times for long periods; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and move up to 50 pounds.
Working Environment
The work environment characteristics described here represent those a team member encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the team member is regularly exposed to outside weather conditions, road conditions, and pedestrian traffic. The team member is regularly exposed to mechanical and computer parts. The team member is occasionally exposed to fumes and airborne particles. The noise level in the environment is low to moderate.
Motional AD LLC is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, and we welcome all qualified applicants. All applicants will receive impartial consideration regarding race, sex, color, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic data, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or another legally protected status. Motional AD LLC is a Drug-free workplace.
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
$125,000—$167,000 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.
