Staff Machine Learning Engineer (Autonomous Driving)

TL;DR

Staff Machine Learning Engineer (Autonomous Driving): Developing scalable ML and data systems for driver understanding and evaluation with an accent on Gen AI, LLM/VLM solutions, and RLHF. Focus on automating high-volume workflows, behavior anomaly detection, and optimizing model performance for an expansive autonomous fleet.

Location: On-site in Mountain View, California

Salary: $238,000—$302,000 USD

Company

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company building the Waymo Driver to improve mobility and save lives through fully autonomous ride-hailing services.

What you will do

• Lead the development of cutting-edge Deep Learning and ML models to automate high-volume workflows.
• Design and build Gen AI LLM/VLM solutions for self-driving car behavior analysis and anomaly detection.
• Develop a Reinforcement Learning from human preference (RLHF) based data collection and evaluation system.
• Implement tools for rider feedback analysis, including sentiment assessment and root cause analysis.
• Oversee the production and optimization of ML models to assess a fleet traveling millions of miles.
• Drive technical direction and align the technical agenda with business objectives.

Requirements

• B.S. in Computer Science, Robotics, Machine Learning, or similar technical field.
• 7+ years of hands-on experience in machine learning projects.
• Strong coding experience in C++ and/or Python.
• Experience with Foundational Models, VLM, or Deep Learning.
• Proficiency with ML frameworks such as TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Hugging Face's transformers.
• Must be able to work on-site in Mountain View, California.

Nice to have

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science or a related quantitative field.
• 10+ years of experience in machine learning projects.
• Deep learning experience with Transformers and Gen AI (LLM/VLM).
• Experience with MLOps, evaluation/validation techniques, and model performance optimization.
• Large-scale data processing and analytical skills.

Culture & Benefits

• Discretionary annual bonus program and equity incentive plan.
• Generous company benefits program.
• Opportunity to work on a world-leading autonomous driving technology stack.
• Collaborative environment working across Prediction, Planning, and Research teams.