Machine Learning Engineer, Simulation Realism

Waymo; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 213,000 - 263,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus program

Equity incentive plan

Generous company benefits

Job summary

Waymo is seeking an experienced software engineer to join the Simulator Team in Mountain View, California. The ideal candidate will drive innovation in world simulation, applying advanced machine learning techniques to improve autonomous vehicle technology. Expected qualifications include at least 5 years of experience in machine learning engineering, a strong background in Python, and familiarity with frameworks like PyTorch and TensorFlow.

Compensation ranges from $213,000 to $263,000 USD annually, with additional benefits including a bonus program and equity incentives.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience with ML software engineering.
• 5+ years of experience with Python.
• Experience developing ML models for robotics or self-driving vehicles.

Responsibilities

• Drive innovation in ultra-realistic world simulation for autonomous vehicles.
• Apply deep ML expertise in Generative AI to push simulation realism.
• Work with foundational AI research team to create scalable solutions.

Skills

Machine Learning expertise

Python

Familiarity with ML frameworks (PyTorch, TensorFlow, Jax/Flax)

Tools

GPU/TPU clusters

C++

Job description

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world's most trusted driver. Since its start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has focused on building the Waymo Driver—The World's Most Experienced Driver™—to improve access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo’s fully autonomous ride-hail service and can also be applied to a range of vehicle platforms and product use cases. The Waymo Driver has provided over ten million rider-only trips, enabled by its experience autonomously driving over 100 million miles on public roads and tens of billions in simulation across 15+ U.S. states.

The Simulator Team at Waymo builds state-of-the-art simulations of realistic environments for testing and training the Waymo Driver. Our team is a diverse and collaborative group of software engineers, machine learning engineers, and data scientists. We develop industry-leading simulation solutions using advanced machine learning algorithms that measure and enhance the performance of the Waymo Driver. By applying machine learning, we model the real world, including realistic agents (vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists), roads, traffic control systems, and weather conditions.

To increase the fidelity and steerability of our simulations, we employ the latest ML technologies such as large foundational world models trained on our datasets, world understanding and reasoning capabilities for tail cases, and reinforcement learning for long-term credit assignment. We also invest in capable infrastructure that allows us to quickly set up and roll out multiple counterfactual scenarios to rigorously test our autonomous driving systems.

In this hybrid role, you will report to a Senior Staff Tech Lead Manager.

You Will

• Drive innovation in ultra-realistic world simulation for autonomous vehicles, developing the latest simulation technologies using foundation models for embodied agents.
• Apply your deep ML expertise in Generative AI to push the boundaries of simulation realism and directly influence the advancement of autonomous driving technology.
• Work with Waymo's foundational AI research team to transfer research into scalable and production-ready solutions.

You Have

• 5+ years of experience with ML software engineering.
• 5+ years of experience with Python.
• 5+ years of ML software experience with machine learning frameworks including PyTorch, TensorFlow, Jax/Flax.

We Prefer

• Experience working with, creating, and/or developing ML models for robotics and/or self-driving vehicles.
• Strong C++ in a production setting, with experience integrating ML models into production systems.
• Experience training large-scale models on GPU/TPU clusters, strongly preferred.

The expected base salary range for this full-time position across U.S. locations is listed below. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the role location, or, if the role can be performed remotely, the specific salary range for your preferred location, during the hiring process.

Waymo employees are also eligible to participate in Waymo’s discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.

Salary Range

$213,000 - $263,000 USD