PA
Santa Clara, California, United States· Full-time· Hybrid
$200K – $260K/yr
PA
Active10mo ago
Principal Engineer, Mapping and Localization
Pay vs market · Bottom quarter
This job's pay ($220,000 a year at the midpoint) is higher than about 25% of 59 salary-listed Principal Engineer jobs in United States in the last 12 months; their median is $282,500.
Role overview
Job description
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).
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.
Your opportunities joining PlusAI
Work, learn and grow in a highly future-oriented, innovative and dynamic field.
Wide range of opportunities for personal and professional development.
Catered free lunch, unlimited snacks and beverages.
Highly competitive salary and benefits package, including 401(k) plan.
More like this
About this listing
- Source: Plus AI's official careers site · still listed there on 9 Nov 2026
- Posted 13 Jan 2026
Jobiba does not charge job seekers. Never pay to apply or share OTPs, card or bank details.
Role market pulse
How PRINCIPAL ENGINEER demand looks in United States
Live jobs
102
Posted 30d
72
30d movement
+500%
Remote share
15.7%
Salary listed
71.6%
Salary trend 1Y
Not enough history
What they are looking for
Skills & requirements
Department · Research & Development
Hiring company
Plus AI
Technology
Plus is an AI assistant for PowerPoint and Slides that helps you create usable, results-oriented presentations.
Related opportunities
Similar active roles
Relevant, currently active roles for this market.
PA
Santa Clara, California, United States· Full-time· Hybrid
$200K – $280K/yr
PythonMachine LearningArtificial IntelligenceAI
N
Santa Clara, California, United States
$133.5K – $272K/yr
DockerKubernetesLinuxAI
L
Santa Clara, California, United States· Full-time· Remote
DockerKubernetesLinuxMachine Learning
D
Santa Clara, California, United States· Full-time· Remote
$225K – $275K/yr
LinuxAIAuditing
DM
Santa Clara, Ca, United States· Full-time· Remote
$190K – $300K/yr
PythonLinuxMachine LearningAI
🔔 Get job alerts
New Engineer jobs in Santa Clara, California, United States, straight to your inbox.
No spam · Unsubscribe anytime