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.
Waymo's Compute Team is tasked with a critical and exciting mission: We deliver the compute platform responsible for running the autonomous vehicle's software stack. To achieve our mission, we architect and create high-performance custom silicon; we develop system-level compute architectures that push the boundaries of performance, power, and latency; and we collaborate with many other teammates to ensure we design and improve hardware and software for maximum performance. We are a diverse team looking for curious and talented teammates to work on one of the world's highest performance automotive compute platforms.
This role follows a hybrid work schedule and you will report to a Software Engineering Manager.
This position will require the ability to work some hours that align with the team in the Pacific Time zone on an as needed basis.
You will:
- Design and develop scalable software frameworks for automated post-silicon validation.
- Translate hardware databook instructions (register maps, timing diagrams) into robust C++ code for hardware/software interaction.
- Build and maintain sophisticated automation scripts using Python and Bash to manage complex test sequences.
- Debug software-to-hardware communication issues, working closely with hardware designers to ensure register-level accuracy.
- Improve the efficiency of existing validation software to reduce test cycle times.
You have:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering
- Strong Proficiency in C++: Experience with pointers, memory management, and low-level system programming is mandatory.
- Advanced Scripting: Expert-level Python skills, specifically for automation and data analysis.
- Software Engineering Fundamentals: Solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented design.
- Experience with Bash/Unix environments for toolchain management.
- Willingness to Learn Hardware: While a background in silicon is helpful, the primary requirement is the ability to apply rigorous software engineering principles to hardware validation.
We prefer:
- Knowledge of hardware IP blocks (e.g., PCIe, DDR, USB).
- Experience with JTAG, I2C, or SPI protocols.
- Previous experience in post-silicon validation or embedded systems.
The expected base salary range for this full-time position 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. 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
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering
- Strong proficiency in C++ (pointers, memory management, low-level system programming)
- Expert-level Python for automation and data analysis
- Experience with Bash/Unix environments for toolchain management
- Solid understanding of data structures, algorithms, and object-oriented design
- Willingness to learn hardware and apply software engineering principles to hardware validation
- Knowledge of hardware IP blocks (e.g., PCIe, DDR, USB)
- Experience with JTAG, I2C, or SPI protocols
- Previous experience in post-silicon validation or embedded systems
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
