Systems Engineer, Perception

Full TimeHybrid

Mountain View, CA, US; San Francisco, CA, USPosted 26 days ago

Role Overview

Waymo is hiring a Systems Engineer, Perception. This is a full-time hybrid role, based in Mountain View, CA, US; San Francisco. Part of Waymo's Risk hiring, posted 3 weeks ago. Full responsibilities, required qualifications, and the apply link are listed in the description below.

Salary Context

Salary is not disclosed in this posting. Market median for Risk roles is $122k-$165k (based on 463 comparable listings). Many employers share specifics during the interview process or after an initial screen.

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Job description

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 Systems Engineering team works together to blend software and hardware systems in groundbreaking new ways. We set the high performance standards that ensure our vehicles run smoothly and keep passengers safe, then design and perform the tests that validate that performance. We're looking for talented teammates who'll help us maintain strong teamwork and are passionate about driving results.

This role follows a hybrid work schedule and you will report to a Staff Systems Engineer.

You will:

Use your knowledge of perception systems combined with Waymo’s safety and business targets to propose requirements based on statistical, risk based arguments.
Lead the qualification of perception software systems that are a key part of Waymo’s driverless software release.
Drive consensus on those requirements within the software and hardware teams.
Develop reusable, high-quality analysis and evaluation tools based on simulation and fleet data.
Use these and existing tools to design, debug, and execute tests.
Communicate recommendations and results of your analysis in technical reports and presentations to peers and leadership

You have:

An advanced degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Engineering or other relevant technical field OR 4 years of practical experience involving perception or robotic systems
Experience in software engineering for simulation and data evaluation, using Python or other high level language (e.g. SQL, R, C++)
Comfortable juggling multiple projects at once and thriving in ambiguity
Experience managing projects with multiple contributors and stakeholders
Excellent technical communication and writing skills.

We prefer:

Experience with Systems Engineering fundamentals, including requirements definition and verification and validation techniques.
Experience with perception systems for robotics or autonomy, including work with lidar, camera, and/or radar sensor data
Experience with testing safety-critical systems.
Experience with C++
Experience with developing and/or testing machine learning/computer vision/AI 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.

Salary Range

$196,000—$248,000 USD

About Waymo

Waymo

waymo.com

RiskHybrid

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for the Systems Engineer, Perception position at Waymo?

Use the Apply button above to submit your application directly to Waymo. Most applications take less than 5 minutes if your resume and contact details are ready, and you'll be routed to the employer's official application system to finish.

Is the Systems Engineer, Perception role at Waymo remote or in-office?

This is a hybrid role based in Mountain View, CA, US; San Francisco. Expect a mix of in-office and remote days, with the specific cadence set by the hiring manager.

What does a Systems Engineer, Perception at Waymo earn?

Waymo has not disclosed a salary range in this posting. Many employers share specifics later in the interview process; you can also ask during a recruiter screen if compensation transparency is important to you.

When was the Systems Engineer, Perception role at Waymo posted?

This role was posted on June 17, 2026 (26 days ago). It's still listed as actively hiring; we re-confirm openings against the source system multiple times per day and remove closed roles.