Senior Engineer Team Lead

About this role

Motional’s Pittsburgh office is located in the new Hazelwood Green development, a culmination of the city’s goal of restoring an economic driver to the neighborhood in a thoughtful, inclusive, and sustainable way. With views along the Monongahela river, the Pittsburgh office is in the heart of this new state of the art development.

Mission Summary:

The Senior Engineer Team Lead is responsible for the validation of the autonomous vehicle stack with a primary emphasis on the interface between software and physical hardware. This role leads the development and execution of Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing strategies to ensure that perception, planning, and control algorithms interact safely and reliably with vehicle sensors, actuators, and ECUs.

You will be the technical authority for HIL bench architecture and hardware-software integration, ensuring that the "brain" of the vehicle commands the physical "body" with millisecond precision and fail-safe reliability.

Essential Duties:

• HIL Strategy & Architecture: Lead the design, setup, and maintenance of high-fidelity HIL test benches (e.g., dSPACE, NI, or Speedgoat). Define the hardware-software mapping required to simulate real-world vehicle dynamics.

• Hardware-Software Integration: Own the validation of the Drive-by-Wire (DBW) system, ensuring steering, braking, and acceleration commands meet safety-critical latency and accuracy requirements.

• Fault Injection & Robustness: Design and execute complex hardware fault-injection campaigns (e.g., sensor signal loss, CAN bus flooding, power interrupts) to validate system-level safety monitors.

• Communication Protocol Expert: Direct the testing of automotive communication networks, including CAN, CAN-FD, Automotive Ethernet, and LIN, using tools like Vector CANoe/CANalyzer.

• Multi-Modal Validation: While focusing on hardware, maintain oversight of SIL and closed-course testing to ensure HIL results correlate with virtual and physical track performance.

• Mechatronic Debugging: Lead root-cause analysis for complex electromechanical issues, utilizing oscilloscopes, multimeters, and logic analyzers to debug signal integrity and power distribution.

• Tooling & Automation: Architect Python-based automation frameworks for HIL regression suites, reducing manual bench time and increasing test coverage.

• Safety Compliance: Act as a lead reviewer for ISO 26262 functional safety requirements, specifically focusing on Hardware-Software Interface (HSI) specifications.

Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Mechanical Engineering, or Robotics.

• Experience: 5+ years in Systems/Hardware testing, with at least 3 years focused on HIL simulation within the automotive or aerospace industry.

• Technical Mastery:

• Hardware: Expert knowledge of ECUs, sensors (Lidar/Radar/Camera), and mechatronic actuators.

• Simulators: Proven experience configuring real-time simulation environments (e.g., dSPACE ControlDesk, NI VeriStand, or IPG CarMaker).

• Scripting: Expert proficiency in Python for test automation and Matlab/Simulink for plant model integration.

• Domain Expertise:

• Deep understanding of automotive electrical architectures and power management.

• Experience with sensor calibration and synchronization across hardware interfaces.

• Familiarity with SOTIF (ISO 21448) and how hardware limitations impact autonomous functionality.

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.

This role is based in our Pittsburgh office and requires in-office days each…