About the role
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.
Hardware Engineering is an innovative and collaborative group of electrical, mechanical, reliability, software and vehicle engineers. We design, build, and perfect the products which are the eyes and ears of Waymo's autonomous driving technology, and integrate those products into vehicle platforms. We're seeking curious and talented teammates to keep us moving in the right direction.
This role follows a hybrid work schedule (at least 3 fixed days in the office) and reports to the LiDAR performance lead.
You will:
- Work closely with electrical, mechanical, manufacturing and reliability engineers to develop and characterize high performance LiDAR systems and electro-optical subsystems
- Develop bench characterization methods and accompanying physics-based software models to ensure the design is on track to achieve top level performance goals. Develop and maintain performance validation plans that scale appropriately with the design lifecycle from early bench prototypes to high volume production
- Support definition of appropriate test and calibration procedures to ensure LiDAR data quality at scale. Work with design and test engineers to develop appropriate testing procedures and performance acceptance criteria.
- Design and oversee execution of LiDAR field measurements and structured tests. Assess impact of environmental conditions on Lidar performance, help develop methods to detect and mitigate data quality impact of adverse environmental factors through experimental design, data mining and analysis
- Interface with LiDAR software engineers, perception software engineers and systems engineers to help triage field issues related to LiDAR data quality, and aid in requirement derivation to ensure the LiDAR module upholds system-level performance and safety goals
- Comfortably transition between physics modeling, simulation, large-scale data analysis and hands-on prototyping & testing in the lab
You have:
- Masters of science with 5+ years experience or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Applied Physics or equivalent
- Strong knowledge of depth sensing technologies and hands on experience prototyping/characterizing precision optical, electrical, or mechanical components and assemblies
- Experience with developing and maintaining physics-based computational models to describe and quantify performance bounds of LiDAR or other optical sensing hardware
- Track record of innovation and solving challenging technical problems
- Excellent data analysis, presentation and technical communication skills
We prefer:
- PhD in Physics, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a similar field
- Proficiency with data analysis in Python or C++
- Experience with designing studies / experiments and hypothesis testing. Previous product development experience is a plus.
- A track record of working across multiple physics disciplines and hands-on experience with from-scratch analytical physics modeling (e.g. Matlab/Python)
- Strong understanding of optical semiconductors and optical systems
The expected base salary range for this full-time position across US 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 remote, 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.
Aplyr's read
Waymo is a leader in autonomous vehicle technology, attracting talent passionate about transforming transportation with innovative self-driving solutions.
What's promising
- •Waymo benefits from Alphabet's resources, providing robust support for research and development.
- •The company is pioneering in autonomous vehicle technology, setting industry standards.
- •Waymo's diverse hiring across roles indicates a comprehensive approach to scaling operations.
What to watch
- •Regulatory hurdles could delay widespread adoption of self-driving technology.
- •High competition in the autonomous vehicle market may impact Waymo's market share.
- •Operational challenges in scaling ride-hailing services could affect growth.
Why Waymo
- •Waymo's extensive real-world testing gives it a competitive edge in data-driven development.
- •The company's collaboration with Alphabet enhances its technological capabilities.
- •Waymo's focus on safety and reliability differentiates it in the autonomous vehicle sector.
Aplyr’s read is generated by AI from public sources. Was it useful?
About Waymo
Waymo is a self-driving technology company that aims to make it safe and easy for people and things to get where they’re going. As a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Waymo is at the forefront of autonomous vehicle technology, significantly impacting the future of transportation.
