Principal Validation Tech Lead / Manager, L4 Driverless Autonomy

Wayve; Sunnyvale (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity participation

Relocation support

Hybrid working model

Learning & development support

Health coverage & benefits

Job summary

Wayve is seeking a senior validator to design and drive validation for advanced driver-assistance and autonomous driving features. You will translate requirements into measurable coverage, implement metrics in Python, and coordinate across data, simulation, and engineering teams to ensure scalable, evidence-based validation.

You will work with colleagues across Product, Safety, and Autonomy teams, applying ML and CV concepts to assess performance in simulation and real-world testing, while

Qualifications

• Extensive experience validating automotive or safety-critical systems.
• Led validation concepts from ambiguity through implementation and reporting.
• Proficient in Python to implement metrics and work with evaluation codebases; SQL experience valuable.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead validation strategy for ADAS and autonomy features across test modalities.
• Translate product and safety requirements into measurable coverage and acceptance criteria.
• Hands-on work with Python-based evaluation tools, metrics, simulation results, and large datasets.
• Analyze validation outcomes and communicate evidence to Product, Safety, Release, and Engineering stakeholders.
• Coordinate dependencies across data, simulation, evaluation, and engineering teams for scalable validation.
• Provide technical leadership and raise the quality bar for systems validation in fast-moving programs.

Skills

Lead validation strategy

Python

SQL

Data analysis

Stakeholder comms

Tools

Python tools

Job description

Before the detail, here's the challenge you'd help us solve.

We build the embodied intelligence that moves real vehicles safely, and the ecosystem a billion machines will run on in the future. Very few people in AI can say this. Every role here, whatever the team, plugs into that.

Here’s what this particular role covers.

About our Engineering Teams

Wayve’s engineering teams are building the AI, robotics, simulation, data, and systems foundations needed to deploy a generalisable AI Driver safely and at scale.

About AI Validation

The AI Validation team builds trust in the Wayve AI Driver. We create the strategies, metrics, test suites, and evidence used to assess learned driving behaviour across simulation and real‑world testing, supporting product releases and customer programmes.

Your day‑to‑day

• Lead validation strategy for advanced driver‑assistance and autonomous‑driving functions across multiple test modalities.

• Translate product and safety requirements into measurable coverage, acceptance criteria, and validation plans.

• Work hands‑on with Python‑based evaluation tools, metrics, simulation results, and large datasets.

• Analyse validation outcomes and communicate clear evidence to Product, Safety, Release, and Autonomy Engineering stakeholders.

• Coordinate dependencies across data, simulation, evaluation, and engineering teams so validation can run reliably at scale.

• Provide technical leadership and raise the quality bar for systems validation in ambiguous, fast‑moving programmes.

What you’ll be working on

• Comprehensive verification strategies for ADAS and autonomy functions within the Wayve AI Driver.

• Test suites spanning simulated scenarios and physical vehicle testing.

• Behaviour metrics and evidence that connect system requirements to real driving performance.

• Scalable, automated validation workflows that support multiple products and customer deployments.

• Validation approaches for learned and adaptive behaviours as end‑to‑end AI systems evolve.

You should apply if

• You have significant experience validating complex automotive, autonomous‑driving, robotics, aerospace, or similarly safety‑relevant systems.

• You have led validation concepts from initial ambiguity through implementation, execution, and reporting.

• You can use Python to implement metrics and work within evaluation codebases; SQL experience is valuable.

• You understand simulated and physical testing and can make evidence‑based decisions from imperfect data.

• You communicate crisply, document decisions well, and can align technical stakeholders across disciplines.

• Experience with ML, computer vision, motion planning, data science, SOTIF, safety validation, or agentic AI workflows is beneficial.

Not ticking every box? That’s totally okay! If you’re passionate about autonomy and keen to learn, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every requirement.

More about Wayve

Wayve is building the leading AI platform for autonomous driving. We are pioneering an end‑to‑end AI approach that enables vehicles to learn directly from real‑world experience, developing the ability to adapt, generalise and improve at scale. Instead of relying on hand‑coded rules or pre‑mapped environments, our AI Driver learns to drive by understanding the world around it. The result is technology that navigates complex urban environments with intelligence, precision and natural flow, unlocking meaningful advances in both safety and efficiency.

Our ambition is to make autonomy universal. Wayve’s mapless and hardware‑agnostic AI platform integrates with global OEM partners, enabling continuous software evolution and unlocking advanced levels of automation from L2+ through to L4 as our core AI model scales.

How we work — Locations & Flexible Working

Our main hubs are in London, Sunnyvale, Yokohama, Herzliya, Vancouver and Leonberg. We operate a hybrid working model that combines in‑person collaboration in our dedicated office spaces with focused time working remotely.

The Interview Process

Our process is clear and respectful of your time:

• Initial call / recruiter screen — 30 minutes

• Competency interviews, including programming and hiring‑manager discussion — approximately 2 hours total

• Deep‑dive technical interviews covering systems and domain expertise — approximately 3 hours total

• Final interview focused on mission and values alignment — 1 hour

We’ll always explain the format and work around your availability.

What’s in it for you (location dependent)

• Salaries benchmarked against the market annually

• Meaningful equity, sharing in Wayve’s long‑term success

• Relocation support and visa sponsorship where applicable

• Hybrid working, core hours, and opportunities to work hands‑on in vehicle workshops and labs

• Learning and development support for training, conferences, and growth

• Comprehensive location‑dependent benefits, including health coverage, family leave, retirement or pension support, wellbeing resources, and team socials
  

Wayve is not a mature, fully‑structured place with the playbook already written. Much of how we work is still being written, and if you join, you’ll help write it. That suits people who want real ownership more than people who need a settled structure from day one.

At Wayve we’re committed to creating a diverse, fair and respectful culture that is inclusive of everyone based on their unique skills and perspectives, and regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis as protected by applicable law.