Machine Learning Engineer

About The Company
Waymo is a pioneering autonomous driving technology company committed to transforming mobility and enhancing safety on the roads. Originating from the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has dedicated itself to developing the Waymo Driver, the world's most experienced autonomous driver. With a mission to be the most trusted driver globally, Waymo aims to improve access to transportation while significantly reducing traffic-related fatalities. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo's fully autonomous ride-hail service and is adaptable to various vehicle platforms and use cases. Having autonomously driven over 100 million miles on public roads and executed more than ten million rider-only trips, Waymo continues to lead innovation in autonomous vehicle technology. The company operates across multiple states in the U.S., leveraging extensive data, advanced machine learning, and simulation to ensure safety, reliability, and scalability of its autonomous systems.
About The Role
We are seeking a talented and experienced Machine Learning Engineer or Researcher to join the Driver Understanding and Evaluation team at Waymo. This team focuses on developing sophisticated models and infrastructure to analyze and assess the behavior of the Waymo Driver. Given the scale of over one million driverless miles driven weekly, it is crucial to have automated, reliable algorithms that can evaluate vehicle performance both in real-world scenarios and simulations. The role involves designing and deploying production-grade machine learning models that enhance our understanding of autonomous vehicle behavior, ensuring safety and performance standards are met. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate cutting-edge ML techniques into our systems, contribute to the development of the reward functions guiding autonomous driving, and support large-scale data and simulation workflows. This position offers a hybrid work schedule and reports to an Engineering Manager, providing an exciting opportunity to influence the future of autonomous mobility technology.
Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Statistics, Physics, Math, or a related quantitative field, or equivalent work experience
• 4+ years of experience building and deploying production ML models
• Proficiency in programming and system design with Python and C++
• Strong background in applied Deep Learning techniques
• Proven track record of improving model quality and performance
• Experience working with large-scale data and machine learning models

Responsibilities

• Develop and optimize machine learning models to evaluate autonomous vehicle behavior
• Create and maintain ML infrastructure supporting high-performance models in production environments
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams to implement state-of-the-art ML techniques into operational systems
• Design and improve reward functions to guide autonomous vehicle decision-making
• Build and operate large-scale data pipelines, simulation workflows, and insight tools
• Leverage expert human judgments alongside machine learning models to generate training and evaluation datasets
• Continuously monitor and enhance model performance, ensuring safety and reliability standards are met

Benefits

• Competitive salary range of $238,000—$302,000 USD, commensurate with experience and location
• Participation in Waymo's discretionary annual bonus program
• Equity incentive plan to align employee and company success
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid time off and flexible work arrangements
• Opportunities for professional growth and development in a cutting-edge technological environment

Equal Opportunity
Waymo is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation and excellence in our mission to build the safest and most trusted autonomous driving technology.