Software Engineer, Planner, Route and Motion Generation

Position Overview

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company dedicated to building the Waymo Driver to improve mobility and save lives. The Software Engineering team builds the brains behind fully autonomous driving, enabling our cars to perceive, decide, and act safely in complex environments. In this hybrid role reporting to a Technical Lead Manager, you will contribute to designing and improving high-performance algorithms that keep our vehicles safe, reliable, and efficient.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with a creative team to ensure the behavior of our cars is safe, dynamically feasible, reliable, and comfortable amid uncertain inputs.
• Design, implement, and improve high-performance onboard routing algorithms that guide Waymo vehicles safely and efficiently.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams—including other Planner teams, TaaS, Pullover, and Offboard—to enhance routing decisions.
• Contribute to the full software development lifecycle from ideation and design to testing, deployment, and monitoring.

Required Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Robotics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Proficiency in C++ programming with experience producing production-quality code.
• Strong software architecture and problem-solving skills with the ability to work amidst ambiguity.
• Excellent communication skills and a proven ability to collaborate effectively within cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, ML, or a related technical field.
• Knowledge of search algorithms or optimization techniques.
• Experience with robotics, autonomous vehicles, or geospatial systems.
• Experience with Python and SQL for data analysis.
• Familiarity with machine learning concepts and applying them to real-world problems.

Benefits & Perks

• Compensation: $204,000—$259,000 USD base salary range, based on job-related factors.
• Eligibility for a discretionary annual bonus program.
• Participation in an equity incentive plan.
• Access to a generous Company benefits program.