Motion Planning Engineer (PhD, Intern)

<p><strong>About The Company</strong></p>

<p>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 R&amp;D, 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.</p>

<p><br><strong>About The Role</strong></p>

<p>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.<br><br></p>

<p><strong>Responsibilities<br></strong></p>

<ul>

<li>Implement novel solutions for Behavioral Planning, enabling high-level decision-making for lane changes, merges, yields, and multi-agent interactions.</li>

<li>Design and optimize motion planning algorithms that integrate geometry-based path reasoning and context-aware speed reasoning into smooth, safe trajectories.</li>

<li>Develop and improve core geometry and velocity planning systems to ensure feasibility, compliance, and comfort across diverse driving scenarios.</li>

<li>Model complex driving environments and agent behaviors to create a robust world representation for planning under uncertainty.</li>

<li>Formulate cost functions and optimization frameworks that balance safety, comfort, and efficiency in trajectory selection.</li>

<li>Analyze, test, and debug system performance through simulation and real-world data, conducting root-cause investigations and proposing enhancements.</li>

<li>Collaborate with researchers and engineers across Perception, Prediction, and Control to ensure an integrated, reliable autonomy stack.<br><br></li>

</ul>

<p><strong>Qualifications<br></strong></p>

<ul>

<li>Recently completed or soon-to-complete PhD in Robotics, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.</li>

<li>Research or Internship experience in one or more of the following:</li>

<li>Motion planning algorithms (optimization, sampling, graph/search-based methods)</li>

<li>Behavioral planning and decision-making under uncertainty</li>

<li>Trajectory optimization and control</li>

<li>Multi-agent interaction modeling</li>

<li>Proven research ability demonstrated by publications in top-tier conferences (e.g., RSS, ICRA, IROS, CVPR, NeurIPS, CoRL).</li>

<li>Hands-on experience in C++ for implementing complex, real-time algorithms.</li>

<li>Excellent analytical and communication skills, with a collaborative mindset.</li>

<li>For Internship Applicants: This role offers a clear pathway, with top-performing interns receiving the opportunity to convert to a full-time engineer upon successful completion of the program.<br><br></li>

</ul>

<p>The hourly rate for the Intern position in the selected city is $46. Interns will&nbsp;also be eligible for Intern benefits.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. This posting is for an existing vacancy.<br><br><em>I acknowledge that prior to submitting this application, I have read and accepted the Privacy Notice for California Residents which is available on </em><em><a href="https://v.didi.cn/AQnxlBa" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://v.didi.cn/AQnxlBa</a></em></p>