Head Engineer, Automated Driving

Woven by Toyota; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 189,000 - 311,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

401k program

Vacation policy

Family benefits

Job summary

Woven by Toyota is building the core algorithms and data infrastructure for autonomous driving at Palo Alto. This role guides technical direction, aligns ML stacks with the data flywheel, and accelerates zero-accident goals across teams.

You will mentor tech leads, influence diverse stakeholders including TMC, and ensure rigorous, safety-focused engineering practices for cutting-edge Automated Driving projects.

Qualifications

• 10+ years in data-driven software, robotics, autonomy or safety-critical systems.
• Deep understanding of ML and data operations; experience with big data architectures.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and engineers in complex discussions.
• Experience deploying software in Automated Driving products and leading end-to-end integrations.
• Experience driving code quality and safety processes for production code delivery.
• Strong leadership, communication, collaboration, and bias toward action.
• Preferred: patents or technical contributions in ML/robotics/autonomy.
• Understanding of real-time OS, non-functional requirements, and trade-offs.
• Thrives in ambiguity and aligns diverse stakeholders toward delivery goals.

Responsibilities

• Develop a long-term technical strategy for data-driven infrastructure and automated driving stack with the leadership team.
• Lead cross-functional engineers to identify complex challenges and guide data-driven stack delivery.
• Resolve cross-functional autonomy stack issues, ML training pipelines, and evaluation workflows.
• Shape and drive adoption of common development standards, toolchains, and ML stacks.
• Champion best practices in data-driven development, code quality and design reviews.
• Instill a safety-first mindset across all technical activities and focus on safety, quality and reliability.
• Define technical KPIs and ensure engineering decisions progress toward system safety and scalability.
• Represent the Head of Automated Driving in technical forums and external engagements when required.
• Mentor engineers, lead by example in coding, reviews and design discussions.

Skills

Data-driven software

Robotics

Autonomy

ML & Data ops

Cross-functional leadership

End-to-end system integration

Production code safety

Real-time systems

Leadership presence

Patents (preferred)

Job description

• Champion best practices in data-driven development, code quality, design review process, real-world validation, model interpretability, etc.

Woven by Toyota is enabling Toyota’s once-in-a-century transformation into a mobility company. Inspired by a legacy of innovating for the benefit of others, our mission is to challenge the current state of mobility through human-centric innovation — expanding what “mobility” means and how it serves society.

Our work centers on four pillars: AD/ADAS, our autonomous driving and advanced driver assist technologies; Arene, our software development platform for software-defined vehicles; Woven City, a test course for mobility; and Cloud & AI, the digital infrastructure powering our collaborative foundation. Business-critical functions empower these teams to execute, and together, we’re working toward one bold goal: a world with zero accidents and enhanced well-being for all.

TEAM

Woven by Toyota's Automated Driving organization is developing the core algorithms for safe and robust driving of complex and uncertain real-world environments and the data flywheel that powers rapid iteration. Our teams are contributing to next-generation autonomy and Automated Driving active safety systems through core algorithms, data-driven approaches, and efficient architectures.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

We are seeking a head engineer to work hand-in-hand with the Head of Automated Driving. This role is pivotal in solving deep technical challenges, driving technical alignment across teams, and harmonizing the ML stack with the data flywheel to accelerate the vision of zero accidents.

You will amplify the Head of Automated Driving, steering engineering teams toward a unified technical direction, supporting cross-functional problem-solving, and ensuring technical rigor at every stage. The ideal candidate will possess strong technical expertise in autonomy, robotics, and data-driven application development. Autonomy, robotics, and data-driven application development. Proven leadership and communication skills are critical for this role. We are looking for someone who can mentor tech leads, influence, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including TMC, in identifying deep technical challenges, developing solutions, and executing on the delivery of our autonomy mission.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop a long-term technical strategy for data-driven infrastructure and automated driving stack with the leadership team. This also includes amplifying the Head of Automated Driving in collaboration with executive leadership and Toyota Motor Corporation.
• Lead cross-functional lead engineers to identify complex technical challenges, develop robust solutions, and guide execution toward a unified, data-driven automated driving stack.
• Lead resolution of complex, cross-functional team technical challenges related to autonomy stack development, data search/curation, machine learning training pipelines, triage and evaluation workflows.
• Integrally involved with shaping and driving adoption of common development standards, toolchains, and ML stacks across autonomy teams.
• Champion best practices in data-driven development, code quality, design review process, real-world validation, model interpretability, etc.
• Embed a “safety-critical first” mindset across all technical activities, ensuring that safety, quality, and reliability are foundational to design, particularly with cutting-edge Automated Driving
• Help to define technical KPIs and ensure that engineering decisions are grounded in measurable progress toward system safety, performance, and scalability.
• Represent the Head of Automated Driving in technical decision-making forums, reviews, and external engagements when required.
• Mentor and coach engineers, fostering a culture of technical excellence and high accountability through hands-on coding, peer reviews, and design reviews.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of professional experience in data-driven software development, robotics, or autonomy, or safety-critical systems.
• Deep understanding of ML and Data operations, experience with big data and cost-efficient data flywheel infrastructures, based on cloud or on-prem devices.
• Extensive experience in leading and facilitating cross-functional teams and engineers in complex technical discussions, identifying technical blockers and solutions and steering them toward a common goal.
• Prior experience in deploying software in Automated Driving products, designing scalable architectures, and leading end-to-end system integrations.
• Experience in driving code quality and systems safety processes for production code delivery, with expertise in real-time system development, large-scale data handling, and robust model validation.
• Strong leadership presence, excellent communication skills, a skilled collaborator, and a bias toward action and outcomes.
• Preferred: patents or technical contributions in machine learning, robotics, or autonomy fields.
• Deep understanding of real-time operating systems, non-functional requirements, and trade-offs
• Thrive in ambiguity, embrace the challenge of achieving the company’s mission, and influence a diverse set of stakeholders toward a common goal of delivering the best-in-class products to end users and customers.

For positions based in Palo Alto, CA; the base pay ranges from $ 189,000 to $ 310,500 per year.

Your base salary is one part of your total compensation. We offer a base salary, short term and long term incentives, and a comprehensive benefits package. The total compensation offered to an employee will be dependent upon the individual's skills, experience, qualifications, location, and level.

What We Offer

• Excellent health, wellness, dental and vision coverage
• A rewarding 401k program
• Flexible vacation policy
• Family planning and care benefits

Our Commitment

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity.

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