Motion Planning Engineer (PhD, Intern/Full-Time)

About the Company

DiDi's autonomous driving unit was established in 2016 with the mission of developing Level 4 autonomous driving (AD) technology to make transportation safer and more efficient. In August 2019, the unit became an independent company, DiDi Autonomous Driving, dedicated to advanced AD RD, product application, and business expansion. We believe integrating AD technology into a shared-mobility fleet will generate immense social value. By leveraging DiDi's specialized technology, operational expertise, and integrated ecosystem, we are positioned to build and operate a highly efficient, user-oriented autonomous fleet.

About the Role

We are seeking a motivated PhD graduate with a strong research background in motion planning, robotics, or autonomous systems. In this role, you will apply your expertise in algorithm design and system integration to help develop next-generation planning capabilities for autonomous vehicles.

What You'll Do:

• Implementnovel solutions forBehavioral Planning, enabling high-level decision-making for lane changes, merges, yields, and multi-agent interactions.
• Design and optimizemotion planning algorithms that integrategeometry-based path reasoningandcontext-aware speed reasoninginto smooth, safe trajectories.
• Develop and improvecore geometry and velocity planning systems to ensurefeasibility, compliance, and comfortacross diverse driving scenarios.
• Model complex driving environmentsand agent behaviors to create a robustworld representationfor planning under uncertainty.
• Formulate cost functions and optimization frameworksthat balancesafety, comfort, and efficiencyin trajectory selection.
• Analyze, test, and debugsystem performance through simulation and real-world data, conducting root-cause investigations and proposing enhancements.
• Collaboratewith researchers and engineers acrossPerception, Prediction, and Controlto ensure an integrated, reliable autonomy stack.

What We' re Looking For:

• Recently completed or soon-to-completePhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Research or Internship experience in one or more of the following:
• Motion planning algorithms (optimization, sampling, graph/search-based methods)
• Behavioral planning and decision-making under uncertainty
• Trajectory optimization and control
• Multi-agent interaction modeling
• Proven research abilitydemonstrated bypublications in top-tier conferences(e.g., RSS, ICRA, IROS, CVPR, NeurIPS, CoRL).
• Hands-on experience in C++ and Python for implementing complex, real-time algorithms.
• Excellent analytical and communication skills, with a collaborative mindset.
• **For Internship Applicants:**This role offers a clear pathway, withtop-performing interns receiving the opportunity to convert to a full-time engineerupon successful completion of the program.

Compensation:

The hourly rate for the Intern position in the selected city is $46.

The base salary range for the full-time position is $129,189-$214,776 annually in addition to bonus, equity and benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

I acknowledge that prior to submitting this application, I have read and accepted the Privacy Notice for California Residents which is available on https://v.didi.cn/AQnxlBa