Machine Learning Engineer / Applied Scientist, Prediction & Planning (Autonomous Driving)

TL;DR

Machine Learning Engineer / Applied Scientist, Prediction & Planning (Autonomous Driving): Developing generative models and ML-powered systems for autonomous vehicle prediction and planning with an accent on deep learning, foundation models, and reinforcement learning. Focus on translating complex driving scenarios into robust ML problems, deploying research to production, and designing safe, smooth vehicle behaviors.

Location: Onsite in Mountain View or San Francisco, California, United States

Salary: $175,000–$215,000 USD per year, plus eligibility for an annual bonus, equity incentive plan, and company benefits.

Company

Waymo develops autonomous driving technology and operates a fully autonomous ride-hailing service powered by the Waymo Driver.

What you will do

• Design, implement, and evaluate generative models for autonomous vehicle prediction and planning.
• Develop ML-powered systems that improve autonomous driving capabilities and support business scaling.
• Formulate real-world driving challenges as machine learning problems using foundation models and reinforcement learning.
• Write scalable, thoroughly tested Python and/or C++ code to move research into production.
• Collaborate with researchers, engineers, and product managers to deliver safe and smooth planning behaviors.
• Publish research findings at leading academic venues.

Requirements

• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Robotics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Publications in top-tier conferences such as NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR, CVPR, ICRA, IROS, RSS, CoRL, ACL, or EMNLP.
• Demonstrated impact through influential research, widely adopted open-source projects, or significant industry contributions.
• Hands-on experience with modern deep learning frameworks, including JAX or PyTorch.
• Proficient Python and/or C++ programming skills with strong analytical and debugging abilities.

Nice to have

• Research experience in deep learning, reinforcement learning, causal reasoning, or foundation models.
• Industry experience in applied ML research or software development.
• Expertise in motion planning, prediction, or related robotics problems.
• Experience deploying, evaluating, and maintaining ML systems in production.

Culture & Benefits

• Work alongside researchers, engineers, and product managers on autonomous driving technology.
• Opportunity to publish research at top-tier academic venues.
• Eligibility for a discretionary annual bonus program and equity incentive plan.
• Generous company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.