Senior Software Engineer, Simulation

Luminar Technologies is a global automotive technology company ushering in a new era of vehicle safety and autonomy. For the past decade, Luminar has built an advanced hardware and software/AI platform to enable its more than 50 industry partners, including the majority of global automotive OEMs. From consumer vehicle programs with Volvo Cars and Mercedes-Benz to technology partnerships including NVIDIA and Mobileye, Luminar is poised to be the first automotive technology company to enable next-generation safety and autonomous capabilities for global production vehicles.

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Team Overview

Luminar Technologies is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to join our Simulation team, where you will design and build high-fidelity synthetic models of Luminar’s LiDAR sensors. In this role, you will leverage expertise in game development, network programming, and systems architecture to create simulation libraries and tools that accelerate the development and deployment of our sensor and software products. You will own the delivery of simulation services from concept to deployment, driving innovation and quality across the stack. At Luminar, you’ll play a critical role in building the next generation of simulation tools that power self-driving technology. You’ll collaborate with teams across cutting-edge hardware and software systems, contribute directly to safety-critical automotive applications, and help shape the future of mobility.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain Luminar’s C++ Synthetic Sensor Library to produce accurate digital twins of our physical LiDAR sensors.

• Prototype, refine, debug, test, and optimize simulation software for performance and reliability.

• Integrate SDKs and third-party components into Luminar’s simulation platforms.

• Partner with Product, Perception, Data, Quality, and other cross-functional teams to ensure that our simulation tools align with product needs.

• Provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, and champion best practices in modern C++ development.

• Contribute to the software lifecycle within an Agile environment, including sprint planning, reviews, and cross-team collaboration.

Minimum Qualifications

• BS or MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Game Development, or related field.

• 5+ years of professional experience in game development or modeling & simulation.

• Deep expertise in C++14/17, including multi-threading, network programming, and API design.

• Proven track record of shipping production-quality software in Linux environments.

• Experience with CI/CD pipelines, unit/integration testing, and software reliability practices.

• Proficient in software architecture, design patterns, and performance optimization.

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to work in collaborative, cross-functional environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience productizing computer vision, machine learning, or autonomous driving applications.

• Familiarity with simulation frameworks such as dSpace’s Aurelion, Applied Intuition, CARLA, or other C++-based platforms.

• Experience with CUDA and NVIDIA’s Real-Time Ray-Tracing API.

• Recognized for innovation, technical creativity, and delivering high-quality solutions to complex challenges.

• Strong professional record demonstrating ownership, accountability, and leadership.

Luminar is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. We will make a reasonable accommodation for any qualified applicant with a disability, provided that the individual is otherwise qualified to safely perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation and that the accommodation would not impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. Please let us know if you believe you require reasonable accommodation, or if you would like assistance to complete an application or to participate in an interview at the company.