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Director, Systems Engineering

Mountain View, California, United States Full-Time Systems Engineering 4529

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Director, Systems Engineering

  • 4529
  • On Site
  • Mountain View, California
  • Systems Engineering
  • Full-Time
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Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world's most trusted driver. Since its start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has focused on building the Waymo Driver—The World's Most Experienced Driver™—to improve access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo’s fully autonomous ride-hail service and can also be applied to a range of vehicle platforms and product use cases. The Waymo Driver has provided over ten million rider-only trips, enabled by its experience autonomously driving over 100 million miles on public roads and tens of billions in simulation across 15+ U.S. states.

Waymo's Systems Engineering team works together to blend software and hardware systems in groundbreaking new ways. We set the high performance standards that ensure our vehicles run smoothly and keep passengers safe, then design and perform the tests that validate that performance. We're looking for talented teammates who’ll help us maintain strong teamwork and are passionate about driving results.

This role follows a hybrid work schedule and reports to the Vice President of Systems Engineering.

You will:

  • Lead an exemplary team of Systems Engineers to ensure the performance of the Sensing and Perception systems by specifying requirements, conducting analyses and informing architectural decisions
    • Decompose critical use cases into actionable and useful requirements for individual sensors, the sensing system, and the perception system.
    • Conduct analyses to determine the required performance levels of various sensing and perception tasks
    • Conduct trade studies to inform architectural decisions that inform hardware and/or software architecture
    • Work closely with Systems Test Engineering teams to ensure that verification strategies and results have sufficiently established that critical requirements are met
  • Build and enhance the existing team
    • Actively mentor individual contributors and managers to excel in their roles
    • Proactively recruit, hire and on-board “best in industry” engineers to expand the team’s capabilities
    • Create a team environment that allows team members to thrive personally and professionally
  • Establish innovative approaches to tackle deep technical challenges in the complex hardware and software systems required for autonomous driving
  • Collaborate deeply with engineering leaders across Waymo to guide Waymo’s prioritization and to refine your team’s deliverables

You have:

  • 5 or more years direct management experience, with a demonstrated ability to grow and lead high performing teams
  • 10 or more years engineering experience with demonstrated delivery of systems for internal or external milestones
  • Bachelor's Degree in relevant Engineering or related field (including ME, EE, CS, Robotics, Controls, Aerospace, etc.) or equivalent practical experience

We prefer:

  • Deep technical knowledge of state of the art ML techniques that power modern perception systems
  • Deep technical knowledge of multiple sensing modalities (e.g. cameras, radar, lidar)
  • Strong foundation in system engineering fundamentals such as requirements definition, formal verification and validation methods
  • SW development experience (including C/C++, Python)
  • 3+ years Experience managing teams from 10-50 engineers, including managing managers

Travel requirements (if applicable):

  • Minimal travel required

The expected base salary range for this full-time position across US locations is listed below. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the role location or, if the role can be performed remote, the specific salary range for your preferred location, during the hiring process. 

Waymo employees are also eligible to participate in Waymo’s discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements. 

Salary Range
$323,000—$410,000 USD

We appreciate your interest in Waymo. Waymo is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a culture of belonging and maintaining a supportive workplace for all employees. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, and employment decisions are based on a candidate’s qualifications, experience, and alignment with job requirements and business needs. Waymo does not discriminate against, and prohibits harassment of, any applicant or employee based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, disability, military status, family status, pregnancy, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable law. Waymo will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. Waymo is committed to making sure our hiring process is accessible for all candidates. If you need assistance applying for a role or participating in the interview process due to a disability, please let the recruiting team know or email waymo-candidatesupport@google.com. (This email address is intended to be used only for requesting accommodations as part of the application process. Other inquiries will not receive a response.)

Some of our Benefits

Health and wellness

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. At Waymo, you can enjoy top-notch medical, dental and vision insurance, mental wellness support, gym membership, and special wellness programs.

Financial wellness

Your financial peace of mind is important to us. At Waymo, we offer competitive compensation, bonus opportunities, equity, employees provident fund, and lots of other perks and employee discounts.

Flexibility and time off

Take the time you need to relax and recharge. Enjoy the flexibility to work from another location for four weeks per year. We support an on-site or hybrid work model and offer remote working opportunities, paid time off, bereavement, sick, and parental leave. 

Supporting families

When it comes to growing your family or caring for your loved ones, you have our full support. Enhanced leave options include 26 weeks of paid leave for birthing parents and 18 weeks of paid leave for non-birthing parents.

Community and personal development

At Waymo, you'll find a range of opportunities to grow, connect, and give back. We offer education reimbursement, personal and professional development, mentorship, and other ways to connect through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), other internal groups, and even time off to volunteer.

Cool perks

Access to Google offices, cafes, wellness centers, massages, and so much more. To support your wellbeing at home, you can enjoy at-home fitness and cooking classes, and more.

Ready to Apply?