Waymo is looking to improve the performance of its autonomous driving technology, the Waymo Driver, by developing and applying machine learning techniques to its evaluation systems.
Requirements
- PhD degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 7+ years of hands-on experience in developing and applying Machine Learning models, with a significant focus on Reinforcement Learning.
- Demonstrated expertise in deep learning, sequence modeling, and generative models.
- Strong publication record or history of impactful project delivery in RL or related areas.
- Proficiency in Python and standard ML frameworks (e.g., JAX, TensorFlow).
- Experience with large-scale distributed training and data processing.
- Proven ability to lead complex and ambiguous technical projects from conception to completion.
Responsibilities
- Grow the end-to-end strategy for our next generation of machine learning-based evaluation metrics, promoting scientific and statistical rigor across our embodied AI applications.
- Architect and build scalable systems for training and fine-tuning large-scale generative models to produce realistic and evaluate interesting driving behaviors.
- Lead the design, implementation, and iteration of novel RL algorithms, reward functions, and training paradigms tailored for generating high-fidelity and insightful driving behaviors.
- Lead the development of cutting-edge Deep Learning models and Generative AI (LLM/VLM) solutions.
- Proactively monitor and assimilate best practices from within Alphabet and the broader industry to develop a novel Reinforcement Learning from Human Preference (RLHF) based data collection and evaluation system.
- Provide technical mentorship, guidance, and thought leadership to other engineers within the team and across collaborating groups.
- Guide and align multiple teams—including Driver Understanding, Simulation, System Engineering, Research, and Onboard Software—on a cohesive evaluation strategy, ensuring cross-functional alignment on goals and priorities.
Other
- PhD degree in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 10+ years of relevant experience in ML/RL research and application (preferred).
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex technical concepts clearly (preferred).
- Track record of technical leadership, influencing senior stakeholders, and driving innovation across team boundaries (preferred).
- Ability to participate in Waymo’s discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.
