Software Development Engineer II, Nav Native

About the role

Mapbox is the leading real-time location platform for a new generation of location-aware businesses. Mapbox is the only platform that equips organizations with the full set of tools to power the navigation of people, packages, and vehicles everywhere. More than 4 million registered developers have chosen Mapbox because of the platform’s flexibility, security and privacy compliance. Organizations use Mapbox applications, data, SDKs and APIs to create customized and immersive experiences that delight their customers.

WHAT WE DO

The Navigation Native team builds the high-performance C++ engine that serves as the "brain" of our Navigation SDKs. This library runs directly on end-user systems (on-board), powering everything from mobile apps to in-vehicle infotainment systems for partners like BMW and Zeekr.

We solve the fundamental challenges of movement: transforming noisy GPS/IMU data into precise map-matching, managing complex road-network graphs, supporting routes and alternatives, tracking progress along a route, and providing "Electronic Horizon" capabilities for ADAS. Our work happens at the edge, supporting location frequencies up to 10Hz and ensuring a seamless experience even in tunnels or dense urban canyons.

As AI becomes embedded in modern engineering workflows, we value engineers who can thoughtfully integrate AI into design, development, and decision-making. Our interview process will include discussion of how you use AI in your engineering workflow.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

We are looking for smart, fast-learning engineers driven by the challenge of developing core components of the Mapbox navigation ecosystem. As a C++ Developer, you will:

- Build and maintain a unified C++17 library that runs seamlessly across iOS, Android, and low-power automotive embedded hardware.

- Analyze and improve map-matching and dead-reckoning algorithms using real-world data from millions of vehicles.

- Implement route-following features, including high-frequency route progress reporting, deviation detection, and timely instruction delivery.

- Work on road object matching (OpenLR) and live traffic incidents to give drivers a predictive "window" into the road ahead.

- Design predictive caching for routing tiles and manage complex on-board resources like junction views and signposts.

- Integrate and extend the Valhalla routing engine to support offline routing and route refresh controllers.

- Thoughtfully leverage AI tools in your design and development workflow to increase efficiency and code quality.

WHAT WE BELIEVE ARE IMPORTANT TRAITS FOR THIS ROLE

- Strong proficiency (min 7 years of experience) in C++17 (or later) with a deep understanding of the language specification, memory management, standard library, and multi-threading.

- A passion for writing clean, fast, and portable code that adheres to strict CPU and memory constraints.

- Experience working with complex graph-based structures, data structures, and spatial algorithms.