Principal Software Engineer (AI)

TL;DR

Principal Software Engineer (AI): Develop sensor-fusion foundation models for autonomous driving with an accent on large-scale multi-modal model training, deployment optimization, and collaboration across AI and perception teams. Focus on solving complex challenges in multi-stage training, model update latency, and integration with large-scale driving data.

Location: Onsite in Mountain View, California, United States

Salary: $332,000–$421,000 USD

Company

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company focused on building the world's most experienced driver to improve mobility and safety through fully autonomous ride-hail services and vehicle platforms.

What you will do

• Develop sensor-fusion foundation models providing temporal-spatial understanding for autonomous vehicles
• Solve large-scale multi-stage training challenges with millions of miles of driving data under limited labeling budgets
• Develop solutions for frequent model updates minimizing time-to-impact
• Optimize end-to-end latency from model training to deployment
• Drive collaboration between Perception, AI Foundation, Planning, Simulation teams, and Alphabet research groups

Requirements

• Location: Must be onsite in Mountain View, California, United States
• English: B2 or higher proficiency assumed
• Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field
• 10+ years ML model development experience, including 4+ years with large-scale vision, video, or multi-modal foundation models
• 6+ years in ML-driven production systems and technical leadership roles
• Proficiency in C++, Python, and deep learning frameworks like PyTorch or JAX

Nice to have

• Experience in multi-modal LLM pretraining and fine-tuning
• Experience with model distillation and compute optimization
• Familiarity with end-to-end model development challenges

Culture & Benefits

• Top-notch medical, dental, vision insurance, mental wellness support, and gym membership
• Competitive compensation, bonus, equity, and employee discounts
• Flexible work options including onsite, hybrid, and remote opportunities
• Generous paid time off, bereavement, sick, and parental leave
• Support for families with enhanced paid leave options
• Education reimbursement, professional development, mentorship, and volunteer time
• Access to Google offices, wellness centers, and at-home fitness classes