Senior Data Scientist, Perception Data Strategy

Neura Market; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 298,000 - 368,000; Full time

Job summary

Waymo is hiring for a leadership role in its Perception Development Foundations team, focusing on dataset strategy, data collection methods, and evaluation frameworks. You will define data needs, collaborate across engineering and operations, and advance data-driven practices to improve perception systems.

The position requires a strong background in analytics, ML, and leadership of complex projects, with hybrid work arrangements and opportunities to build and scale teams.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience using analytics, statistical modeling, and machine learning to solve complex product, business, or autonomous systems problems.
• BS/MS and 10+ years of industry experience, or PhD + 8 years of industry experience in Statistics, Mathematics, Physics, Economics, Engineering, Computer Science, or a related quantitative field.
• Proven ability to lead and deliver on highly ambiguous, high-impact technical projects in a self-directed environment.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with a track record of influencing cross-functional teams and senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the overarching vision and multi-year strategy for determining the size, composition, and collection methods for datasets used in Perception model training and evaluation.
• Drive the design and organizational adoption of frameworks to estimate data needs based on model performance, scaling laws, generalization goals, and diverse geographies.
• Define and refine strategies for Perception evaluation datasets, ensuring they provide sufficient coverage and statistical power to measure progress.
• Collaborate with Perception engineers, ML researchers, the Labeling organization, and Operations teams to translate strategic recommendations into labeling plans.
• Analyze existing data sources to identify gaps, biases, and opportunities for more efficient data utilization.
• Establish and champion data-driven best practices for dataset design and data quality within Perception, driving operational maturity.
• Establish the impact of the Data Science function within Perception as a hands-on IC, followed by building a small team.

Skills

Analytics & ML

Coding (Python, R, SQL)

Leadership in ambiguous projects

Communication skills

Education

BS/MS and 10+ years of experience or PhD + 8 years

Job description

Waymo is hiring for a leadership role in its Perception Development Foundations team, focusing on dataset strategy, data collection methods, and evaluation frameworks. You will define data needs, collaborate across engineering and operations, and advance data-driven practices to improve perception systems.

The position requires a strong background in analytics, ML, and leadership of complex projects, with hybrid work arrangements and opportunities to build and scale teams.