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Staff Software Engineer, Perception Evaluation

Mountain View, California, United States. San Francisco, California, United States. Kirkland, Washington, United States Full-Time Software Engineering 3582

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Staff Software Engineer, Perception Evaluation

  • 3582
  • On Site
  • Mountain View, California
  • San Francisco, California
  • Kirkland, Washington
  • Software Engineering
  • Full-Time
  • Advanced Career
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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.

The Perception Evaluation team at Waymo is at the forefront of autonomous driving, ensuring the safety and reliability of our self-driving technology. We develop and utilize cutting-edge tools and methodologies to rigorously assess the performance of our Perception systems, a critical component for safe and effective autonomous operation. We are seeking a Staff Software Engineer play a pivotal role in shaping the future of transportation by directly impacting the quality and reliability of Waymo's autonomous vehicles.

In this hybrid role, you will report to a Staff Technical Lead Manager.

You will:

  • Lead Advanced Evaluation Framework Design: You will be responsible for the architectural design and development of innovative evaluation frameworks to thoroughly assess perception system performance for Waymo in multiple cities.
  • Large-scale Evaluation Methodologies: You will develop and implement cutting-edge evaluation methodologies and scalable pipelines with enormous data. This also involves leveraging advancements in AI models (including language and multimodal models) to enhance analysis, generate deeper insights, and pioneer new ways to assess performance.
  • Utilize Simulation and Reference Data Systems: You will drive the use of large-scale inference and simulation systems to establish performance benchmarks, validate perception capabilities, and proactively identify potential perception challenges in a variety of scenarios.
  • Drive End-to-End Platform Delivery: You will exercise complete end-to-end ownership in delivering a robust and adaptable discovery evaluation platform. This platform will be capable of supporting rapid iteration and meeting the demanding timelines associated with Waymo's city expansions, enabling proactive problem-solving.

You have:

  • 8+ years of experience designing and building complex, scalable systems.
  • Demonstrated technical leadership in defining long-term strategy, developing roadmaps, and guiding teams to execute projects from ambiguous requirements to high-impact deliverables.
  • Demonstrated ability to work effectively across diverse teams and communicate technical concepts clearly.
  • Deep expertise in the evaluation of Machine Learning systems at scale, encompassing metrics design, rigorous experimentation, large-scale data analysis, and statistical methods.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills, clear technical communication, and a strong sense of end-to-end ownership.

We prefer:

  • Familiarity with autonomous vehicle systems, particularly Perception, including typical data pipelines and evaluation processes.
  • Proficiency in C++ and Python in a production environment.
  • Hands-on experience with ML infrastructure, modern AI concepts (including foundation models or similar), and their practical application to solve real-world problems.
  • Hands-on experience with data analysis, visualization, and triage tools & workflows, with a knack for identifying improvement areas.
  • Experience in designing and implementing efficient data processing workflows for large datasets.
  • Familiarity with or experience in developing solutions using Generative AI or building AI agents.

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
$238,000—$302,000 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?