Staff / Sr. Staff Engineer, Mapping and Localization
Hybrid Santa Clara Full-time Senior Engineering Leadership
At a glance
Senior Engineering Leadership role at PlusAI. Santa Clara · full-time · $200,000–$260,000 base.
SalaryStated by PlusAI
$200,000 – $260,000
Base salary for this role, in USD per year, as published in the posting.
This role, from PlusAIOur estimate for the market: $193,188–$249,668Median $221,075
The range includes the market median of $221,075 for senior engineering leadership roles in Santa Clara.
Worked out from 28 postings that stated pay, median $221,075. Last updated Oct 8, 2026.
RoleEngineering Leadership
SenioritySenior
LocationSanta Clara
WorkplaceHybrid
EmploymentFull-time
Base pay$200,000–$260,000
PostedAug 6, 2026 · 2mo ago
Role brief
techroles summary, based on the employer's posting.
What you'll do
- Shape the localization architecture, choose what to build or buy, and set its technical direction over time
- Build real-time sensor-fusion and localization methods using camera, LiDAR, radar, inertial, satellite and map data
- Create and maintain HD map pipelines, using fleet data to spot road changes and refresh maps quickly
- Make localization software fit embedded limits on speed, memory and power while preserving accuracy and safety
- Mentor engineers through technical guidance and detailed code reviews, and add self-diagnosis to localization
What you bring
- A master’s or doctoral degree in robotics, computer science, electrical engineering or a related discipline
- At least seven years in robotics, including four years building production mapping or localization systems
- Advanced Modern C++ skills, including memory management, concurrency and real-time software
- Strong grounding in probabilistic robotics, SLAM, optimization, 3D geometry and coordinate transforms
Who this fits
This senior technical role suits an experienced robotics engineer focused on production mapping or localization and able to mentor other engineers. It is hybrid in Santa Clara.
From the employer
PlusAI is a Physical AI company pioneering AI-based virtual driver software for factory-built autonomous trucks. Headquartered in Silicon Valley with operations in the United States and Europe, Plus was named by Fast Company as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies. Partners including TRATON GROUP’s Scania, MAN, and International brands, Hyundai Motor Company, Iveco Group, Bosch, and DSV are working with Plus to accelerate the deployment of next-generation autonomous trucks. If you’re ready to make a huge impact and drive the future of autonomy, Plus is looking for talented individuals to join its fast-growing teams.
As a Principal Engineer on our Mapping and Localization team, you will design and implement high-fidelity fusion algorithms that combine LiDAR, Radar, Camera, IMU, and GNSS data with HD Maps to achieve centimeter-level accuracy. You will tackle the hardest edge cases—from GPS-denied tunnels to dynamic construction zones—ensuring our vehicles operate safely in complex L4 ODDs (Operational Design Domains).
As a Principal Engineer on our Mapping and Localization team, you will design and implement high-fidelity fusion algorithms that combine LiDAR, Radar, Camera, IMU, and GNSS data with HD Maps to achieve centimeter-level accuracy. You will tackle the hardest edge cases—from GPS-denied tunnels to dynamic construction zones—ensuring our vehicles operate safely in complex L4 ODDs (Operational Design Domains).
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.
Required Skills:
- 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 Skills:
- 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.
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