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.
Software Engineering in the Hardware organization is where software meets the physical world. You will work on critical systems that manage autonomous vehicle functions, with teams such as Sensing, Vehicle Integration, Positioning, Motion Control, Fault Management, Onboard Automation and Embedded Simulation. We are looking for strong generalist software engineers to work across a wide array of domains, including embedded, controls, sensor processing, manufacturing calibration, simulation, data analysis, and also building higher-level state machines, interfaces and flows for fault management and automation.
You will have a direct & material impact on the ability of Waymo to scale to more vehicles and cities.
This role follows a hybrid work schedule and reports to a Senior Staff Software Engineer for Embedded Systems.
You will:
- Develop high-quality vertically-integrated C++ software systems (on-vehicle and off-vehicle software) to manage autonomous vehicle functions.
- Lead cross-functional workflows (e.g., requirement reviews, project planning).
- Analyze field data (logs) and simulation results.
You have:
- Experience as a technical leader or key individual contributor for cross-functional and complex projects (e.g., involving a fleet of embedded systems)
- Advanced knowledge of C++ patterns, idioms, and unit test methodology. This role is specifically for C++ and not for C/C++.
- Degree (BS, MS) in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or similar or equivalent practical experience.
- At least 5 years of professional experience developing production software in modern C++ (i.e., C++17, C++20, etc.)
- Experience designing, developing for and troubleshooting distributed systems: experience in embedded systems (microcontrollers / resource constrained) and/or distributed systems comprising embedded devices and backend systems.
We prefer:
- In-depth understanding of microcontroller-based embedded systems and associated development and debugging tools.
- Working experience with safety critical systems / functional safety.
- Working experience with cybersecurity (e.g., Secure Boot, SecOC, MACSec).
- Open source projects that demonstrate dedication to crafting high quality C++ software.
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.
Skills Required
- Degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or similar or equivalent experience
- At least 5 years of professional experience developing production software in modern C++
- Advanced knowledge of C++ patterns, idioms, and unit test methodology
Waymo Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Waymo and has not been reviewed or approved by Waymo.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Pay is considered strong for full‑time technical roles, aligning with top‑tier AV/Big Tech benchmarks. Employer materials also emphasize competitive pay with eligibility for bonuses and equity as part of total rewards.
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Healthcare Strength — Coverage spans medical, dental, vision, mental‑health resources, onsite wellness centers, and counseling, with specialized programs such as menopause and transgender medical advocacy. Dependents are included, indicating depth across core health needs.
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Parental & Family Support — Offerings include fertility and family‑forming assistance, parental and baby‑bonding leave, caregiver and elder‑care support, and backup childcare. These programs are positioned to support families through multiple life stages.
Waymo Insights
What We Do
Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with a mission to make it safe and easy for people and things to move around. With the Waymo Driver, we can improve the world’s mobility while saving thousands of lives. Waymo reaches out to candidates from official channels only (e.g. directly from @waymo.com email addresses, or through our recruiters or sourcers who are noted as such on LinkedIn). We do not contact candidates about career opportunities through instant messaging apps like Telegram, email addresses from domains other than waymo.com (such as Gmail addresses), direct messages on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or text messages. Visit waymo.com to check out our official job listings.
