Job Summary

The Autonomy Support team is responsible for triaging and reporting on any changes or issues discovered in the AV’s software.  Within this team, the Autonomy Support Simulation Engineer will play a crucial role in validating the safety and functionality of our autonomous vehicle systems through comprehensive simulation testing.  They will create simulation scenarios that help evaluate system functionality as well as build tools and processes that improve the efficiency and effectiveness of simulation testing.  They work closely with development engineers to implement simulation tests that ensure that the autonomy software is constantly improving and curating test suites to constantly challenge our system’s capabilities.  They will have an opportunity to independently impact our approach to solving the most interesting problems facing AV’s today, with vehicles operating daily in the real world.

The Autonomy Support Simulation Engineer will be responsible for building and maintaining the tools and infrastructure that enable our teams to efficiently create, execute, and analyze thousands of simulation scenarios across multiple vehicle platforms and deployment sites. This includes developing automation scripts, improving existing workflows, and creating new testing frameworks to support our growing autonomous vehicle operations.  Autonomy Support Simulation Engineers will also develop a comprehensive understanding of how our simulation tools work and how to resolve any technical issues that may arise.  

The Autonomy Support Team ensures the continued safe and autonomous operation of the May Mobility fleet.  Autonomy Support Simulation Engineers support this effort by creating simulations that give visibility to issues before they reach the fleet as well as demonstrate that past fleet issues have been resolved.  Due to the high degree of autonomy of our fleet, the simulation suites often provide the first insight into performance degradation or to identify new areas to enhance our operation.  An effective Autonomy Support Simulation Engineer will be able to analyze simulation results and determine if there are autonomy issues or scenario adjustments that need to be made.  Having the ability to understand the nuances and limitations of simulation will be key to success in this role.

Essential Responsibilities

• Create simulation scenarios for drive events that test for improved behavior
• Design and implement automation tools to aid in the creation and maintenance of test scenarios 
• Collaborate with various teams to process simulation test requests and implement testing solutions
• Analyze and report simulation test outcomes, providing high quality and meaningful data analysis to assist in identifying software progressions and regressions
• Create and maintain comprehensive documentation for simulation testing standards and processes
• Debug and fix issues in existing test scenarios and testing infrastructure
• Review and validate simulation scenarios created by other team members and provide technical support and training
• Enhance our existing simulation suite by identifying and filling coverage gaps and maintaining and fixing legacy scenarios
• Partner with our vehicle autonomy, operations, and platform teams to improve performance and address software needs across the organization
• Learn the self driving system (autonomous system functionality, subsystem behavior, error messages, etc.,)
• Work in an operational but fast-paced environment emphasizing a close attention to detail

Skills and Abilities

Success in this role typically requires the following competencies:

• Demonstrated analytical skills
• Excellent attention to detail and rigorous testing methodology
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Comfortable continuously learning new software and workflows
• Ability to quickly self prioritize multiple tasks
• Ability to independently troubleshoot software issues
• Strong attention to detail and highly-organized
• Ability to multitask and adapt to shifting priorities in a fast-paced work environment
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Passionate about self-driving cars and their impact on the world

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates most successful in this role typically hold the following qualifications or comparable knowledge or experience:

Required

• B.S. Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or an equivalent degree 
• Strong understanding of software testing principles and best practices
• Strong programming skills in Python and experience with automation tooling
• Experience with Linux, Git, and CI pipelines
• Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Jira) and ability to create effective tracking systems and workflows
• Experience with robotics, automotive engineering, or start-ups is not required

Desirable

• M.S or Ph.D.. Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or another related technical field.
• A minimum of 5 years of industry experience
• Experience developing test scenarios for autonomous vehicles or other safety critical systems
• Experience with Applied Intuition simulation software suite (Simian, Logstream, Spectral, etc.)
• Experience with API integration and development
• Significant experience working in Python or C
• Experience with cloud services and distributed computing (AWS preferred)
• Experience in some form of real-time simulation platform development and integration (game engine, autonomous vehicle simulation, etc.) 

Physical Requirements

• Standard office working conditions which includes but is not limited to:
• Prolonged sitting
• Prolonged standing
• Prolonged computer use
• Remote role based out of HQ in Ann Arbor, MI
• Remote employees work primarily from home or an alternative work space.
• Travel Required:  0-10%