PlusAI · 1 day ago
Principal Engineer, Mapping and Localization
Santa Clara, CA
Full-time
Hybrid
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$200K/yr - $240K/yr
7+ years expPlusAI is a Physical AI company pioneering AI-based virtual driver software for factory-built autonomous trucks. As a Principal Engineer on the Mapping and Localization team, you will design and implement high-fidelity fusion algorithms to achieve centimeter-level accuracy and ensure safe operation in complex environments.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Autonomous VehiclesLogisticsTransportation
Responsibilities
Lead the design and evolution of our localization architecture, making critical build-vs-buy decisions and defining long-term technical roadmaps
Design and implement robust, real-time algorithms for sensor fusion, visual/LiDAR odometry, and global localization using techniques like Factor Graphs, EKF/UKF, and particle filters
Develop pipelines to generate, maintain, and query High-Definition (HD) maps
Work on "priors-based" localization and semantic map matching
Solve the "stale map" problem by designing systems for change detection. You will use fleet data to identify construction zones, lane shifts, or new signage and update the map in near real-time. Maintain and continuously update large-scale LiDAR-based HD maps to support autonomous driving systems
Optimize code for embedded compute constraints (latency, memory, and power) without sacrificing safety or accuracy
Provide self diagnosis capability for localization
Act as a technical mentor to senior and junior engineers, conducting rigorous code reviews and fostering a culture of engineering excellence
Qualification
Required
M.S. or Ph.D. in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
7+ years of industry experience in robotics, with at least 4 years dedicated to production-level localization or mapping systems
Expert-level Modern C++ (14/17/20) skills, with a deep understanding of memory management, multi-threading, and real-time systems
Strong theoretical foundation in probabilistic robotics, including Kalman Filtering (EKF, UKF), nonlinear optimization (Ceres, g2o, GTSAM), and SLAM
Deep understanding of 3D geometry, linear algebra, and coordinate transformations (quaternions, SE(3))
Familiarity with Eigen, Ceres, PCL, OpenCV, GTSAM
Preferred
Experience shipping localization stacks for deployed autonomous vehicles or mobile robots
Hands-on experience with LOAM, lego-LOAM, ORB-SLAM, or VINS
Experience with CUDA/GPU programming or optimization for ARM-based embedded platforms
Benefits
Catered free lunch
Unlimited snacks and beverages
Highly competitive salary and benefits package, including 401(k) plan
Company
PlusAI
PlusAI is an artificial intelligence company pioneering AI-based virtual driver software for factory-built autonomous trucks.
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
PlusAI has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2023 (1)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$520.03MKey Investors
HSGGSR Ventures
2021-03-01Series C· $100.15M
2020-11-23Series B· $286.18M
2018-11-15Series A· $32M
Leadership Team
David Liu
Founder & CEO
Hao Zheng
Co-Founder & CTO
Recent News
Business Wire
2026-01-16
2026-01-12
Company data provided by crunchbase