Senior Field Engineer

Wayve; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Wayve in Detroit is seeking a Senior Field Engineer to join our on-site team, owning end-to-end field operations for autonomous vehicle technology. You will handle complex diagnostics and act as a senior technical lead on regional incidents.

The role demands hands-on problem solving, cross-functional collaboration, and a 24/7 shift-based work pattern, including weekends. Travel is 10–15% to support global fleet operations.

Qualifications

• Advanced technical expertise diagnosing complex vehicle software and hardware issues in fleet, automotive, robotics, or ADAS environments.
• Basic understanding of software concepts and debugging with software engineering teams.
• Independent problem solving in ambiguous problems with autonomous decision making.
• Operational leadership, guiding others without formal people-management responsibility.
• Project & process ownership for end-to-end initiatives.
• Strong cross-team communication and collaboration across regions.
• Safety, incident management, and operational governance expertise.
• Familiarity with vehicle diagnostic tools and monitoring platforms; experience with JIRA.
• Willingness to work in a shift-based, 24/7 global support environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead resolution of complex and ambiguous vehicle software and hardware issues; escalation point for high-severity faults.
• Determine when to apply established diagnostics vs. new solutions or workflows.
• Serve as first responder for geo-specific escalations and prioritised initiatives.
• Provide cross-regional escalation support across the US, UK, Germany, and Japan.
• Ensure fault triage, diagnosis, and repairs meet safety, compliance, and sign-off standards.
• Act as the senior Field Engineer on shift; set day-to-day priorities and guide execution.
• Mentor other Field Engineers during complex incidents or investigations.
• Operate as stand-in for the Field Engineering Lead when required.
• Maintain alignment with in-country Fleet Service and Maintenance Manager; enable focus on higher-level initiatives.

Skills

Technical expertise

Debugging fundamentals

Independent problem solving

Operational leadership

Project ownership

Communication & collaboration

Safety & compliance

Vehicle diagnostic tools

Shift-based availability

Tools

Datadog

Mender

JIRA

Job description

About Us

Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology. Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems.

Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward. Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving.

In our fast‑paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future.

At Wayve, your contributions matter. We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact.

The Role

The Senior Field Engineer is a hands‑on, senior individual contributor who reports directly to the in‑country Field Engineering Lead and works with a high degree of autonomy on ambiguous and complex problems within their domain.

They use judgement to decide when to apply established solutions and when new approaches are required, seeking guidance from the Field Engineering Lead where appropriate. They own projects, processes, or systems end‑to‑end and act as a key operational enabler, allowing the Field Engineering Lead to focus on higher‑level strategic initiatives while maintaining confidence in day‑to‑day execution.

Key responsibilities

• Lead resolution of complex and ambiguous vehicle software and hardware issues, acting as the escalation point for high‑severity faults within their region.
• Use judgement to determine when to apply established diagnostic approaches and when new solutions or workflows are required.
• Serve as the first responder for geo‑specific escalations and priority initiatives, supporting the in‑country Field Engineering Lead.
• Provide cross‑regional escalation support across the US, UK, Germany, and Japan, ensuring continuity through effective global handovers.
• Ensure all fault triage, diagnosis, and repairs meet safety, compliance, and sign‑off standards.

Operational Ownership & Team Enablement

• Act as the senior Field Engineer on shift, setting day‑to‑day technical priorities and guiding team execution.
• Support, unblock, and mentor other Field Engineers, particularly during complex incidents or investigations.
• Operate as the operational stand‑in for the Field Engineering Lead when required, maintaining execution continuity and clear decision‑making.
• Maintain close alignment with the in‑country Field Engineering Lead, and in‑country Fleet Service and Maintenance Manager, enabling focus on higher‑level initiatives.

Project, Process & Systems Ownership

• Own projects, processes, or systems end‑to‑end, from problem definition through delivery and adoption.
• Identify recurring fleet issues, operational bottlenecks, or reliability risks and lead initiatives to address them.
• Drive improvements to tooling, workflows, documentation, and operational practices in collaboration with cross‑functional teams.

Communication, Safety & Continuous Improvement

• Act as a key liaison between Field Engineering and cross‑functional stakeholders during incidents, escalations, and projects, including holding and leading meetings to discuss diagnostic solutions and paths forward.
• Ensure technical learnings are clearly documented and shared to strengthen global fleet operations.
• Champion safety‑first decision‑making, high‑quality execution, and continuous improvement across Field Engineering.

About you

In order to set you up for success as a Field Engineer at Wayve, we’re looking for the following skills and experience.

Essential

• Advanced Technical Expertise – Strong hands‑on experience diagnosing complex vehicle software and hardware issues in fleet, automotive, robotics, or ADAS environments, with a working, practical understanding of software systems and interactions.
• Software Awareness & Debugging Fundamentals – Basic understanding of software concepts such as logs, deployments, configuration, system states, and failure modes, with the ability to collaborate effectively with software engineering teams during investigations.
• Independent Problem Solving – Proven ability to work on ambiguous problems, anticipate challenges, and make sound technical decisions autonomously.
• Operational Leadership – Experience acting as a senior technical presence, setting priorities and guiding others without formal people‑management responsibility.
• Project & Process Ownership – Demonstrated ability to own projects, processes, or systems end‑to‑end and deliver meaningful improvements.
• Communication & Collaboration – Strong ability to work across teams, regions, and functions, providing clear technical direction and updates.
• Safety & Compliance – Deep understanding of safety protocols, incident management, and operational governance.
• Technical Tools & Platforms – Familiarity with vehicle diagnostic tools, monitoring platforms (e.g. Datadog, Mender), and ticketing systems such as JIRA.
• Flexibility & Availability – Comfortable operating in a shift‑based, 24/7 global support environment, including weekend and bank holiday coverage.

Desirable

• Experience supporting or leading on‑road testing operations.
• Strong understanding of ADAS or autonomous vehicle systems.
• Experience working closely with software engineering teams in production or fleet environments.
• Previous experience acting as a senior, deputy, or lead‑in‑practice within a technical team.

Job Details

This is a full‑time role based in our office in Detroit.

10‑15% travel required.

The role will be shift‑based, including weekends and holidays, aligning with our on‑site Fleet Servicing & Maintenance Technicians.

Legal

We understand that everyone has a unique set of skills and experiences and that not everyone will meet all of the requirements listed above. If you’re passionate about self‑driving cars and think you have what it takes to make a positive impact on the world, we encourage you to apply.

We do not ask about marriage or pregnancy, care responsibilities or disabilities in any of our job adverts or interviews. However, we do capture information about care responsibilities, and disabilities among other diversity information as part of an optional DEI Monitoring form to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring process and ensure that the process is inclusive and non‑discriminatory.

Wayve is committed to creating an inclusive interview experience. If you require any accommodations or adjustments to participate fully in our interview process, please let us know.

Wayve’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion: We create an inclusive culture that is respectful of everyone based on their unique skills and perspectives, regardless of sex, race, religion, belief, ethnicity, national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital or domestic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other basis protected by applicable law.

Additional Resources

For more information visit Careers at Wayve.

To learn more about what drives us, visit Values at Wayve.

For US candidates only, please visit E‑Verify Notice and Participation and Right to Work.