Principal Engineer, Behavior Understanding and Evaluation

Company: Motional
Location: Las Vegas
Posted on: February 13, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Mission Summary: The AV Behavior Design and Evaluation Team is responsible for owning the design and assessment of the AV behavior utilizing the concept of AV behavior competencies. The team relies on systematic decomposition of AV behavior along with data driven assessment utilizing data from on-road and simulation test modalities. We are responsible for building and operating robust, large-scale evaluation systems, alongside sophisticated simulation workflows and insightful diagnostic tools. By combining expert human judgment with advanced data driven techniques, we evaluate the system behavior performance. As the team is looking to scale to support more and more behavioral competencies, we are looking for passionate Engineers to help build a robust framework to leverage the best of agile systems engineering and data driven performance assessment to achieve our ambitious goals in scaling our system design and evaluation processes. We are looking to work with people who are driven to design robust systems and transform complex data into measurable progress toward a safer, smarter transportation future. This person will get to build relationships with the team as well cross-functional across organization to help build a cohesive understanding AV performance as applicable to the Behavioral Competencies. What you'll do: Decompose AV operational design domain (ODD) into AV capabilities Define precise atomic system and subsystem behaviors and interfaces required to realize these capabilities. Collaborate extensively with development teams (Autonomy, Infrastructure) to drive the design and implementation of new features that enable defined AV capabilities and enhance the overall product experience. Strategically plan and execute system-level testing campaigns. This includes leveraging advanced simulation tools and coordinating tests on closed course tracks and proving grounds to ensure the system meets functional and performance requirements. Effectively utilize existing metrics and propose new metrics to evaluate AV performance via simulation and on-road testing modalities. Pioneer the definition and implementation of key evaluation metrics and reward functions, driving autonomy performance across safety, comfort, and assertiveness Characterize the performance target against parameters used to define AV capabilities to provide nuance in performance evaluation Deliver strategic insights and recommendations based on AV capability testing by building meaningful visualizations Develop and maintain comprehensive dashboards and reporting tools. Distill on-road performance data into actionable feedback for engineering teams and create high-level, insightful summaries for executive leadership. Focus on automating simulation result analysis processes and gaps, removing manual processes where applicable Partner cross-functionally with Behaviors, Actions, Simulation, System Engineering, Research, and other Onboard/Offboard Software Teams on evaluation strategies What we're looking for: Bachelor's degree and 7 years of experience in one of Autonomous Vehicle, Systems Eng, Data Science, or relevant areas Strong understanding of Autonomous Vehicle architecture and functions of key subsystems such as perception, planning, prediction etc. Proven experience in decomposing high level problem statements into requirements and solution designs Fluency in SQL, Python or similar languages for analysis of datasets Proficiency in crafting data-driven reports and technical strategy documents for executive decision-making Excellent interpersonal skills to build relationships with other teams Excellent communication skills; effective in communicating complex concepts and driving resolutions Self-starter who is motivated to set and achieve goals and takes initiative to drive ambiguous tasks/projects to completion I deally, you also have: Masters degree Experience collaborating in an agile development environment A background in shaping product roadmaps Working with a global workforce that spans multiple timezones Experience in mentoring and leadership development We encourage a hybrid schedule with in-office time at one of our locations in Boston, Pittsburgh, or Las Vegas to support collaboration, or this role can be fully remote. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors including but not limited to specific skills, experience and expertise, role location, certifications, licenses, and business needs. The estimated compensation range listed in this job posting reflects base salary only. This role may include additional forms of compensation such as a bonus or company equity. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process. Candidates for certain positions are eligible to participate in Motional's benefits program. Motional's benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, vision, 401k with a company match, health saving accounts, life insurance, pet insurance, and more. Salary Range $175,000—$234,250 USD Motional is a driverless technology company making autonomous vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. We're driven by something more. Our journey is always people first. We aren't just developing driverless cars; we're creating safer roadways, more equitable transportation options, and making our communities better places to live, work, and connect. Our team is made up of engineers, researchers, innovators, dreamers and doers, who are creating a technology with the potential to transform the way we move. Higher purpose, greater impact. We're creating first-of-its-kind technology that will transform transportation. To do so successfully, we must design for everyone in our cities and on our roads. We believe in building a great place to work through a progressive, global culture that is diverse, inclusive, and ensures people feel valued at every level of the organization. Diversity helps us to see the world differently; it's not only good for our business, it's the right thing to do. Scale up, not starting up. Our team is behind some of the industry's largest leaps forward, including the first fully-autonomous cross-country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and operation of the world's longest-standing public robotaxi fleet. We're driven to scale; we're moving towards commercialization of our technology, and we need team members who are ready to embrace change and challenges. Formed as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, Motional is fundamentally changing how people move through their lives. Headquartered in Boston, Motional has operations in the U.S and Asia. For more information, visit www.Motional.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. Motional AD Inc. is an EOE. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To comply with Federal Law, we participate in E-Verify. All newly-hired employees are queried through this electronic system established by the DHS and the SSA to verify their identity and employment eligibility.

Keywords: Motional, Bullhead City , Principal Engineer, Behavior Understanding and Evaluation, Engineering , Las Vegas, Arizona