Senior Motion Systems Engineer, Actuators

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.

Hardware Engineering is an innovative and collaborative group of electrical, mechanical, reliability, software and vehicle engineers. We design, build, and perfect the products which are the eyes and ears of Waymo's autonomous driving technology, and integrate those products into vehicle platforms. We're seeking curious and talented teammates to keep us moving in the right direction.

This role follows a hybrid work schedule and you will report to a Vehicle Systems Architecture Lead.

You will:

• Translate product and safety goals into tangible technical requirements. You will drive architectural trade-off discussions regarding performance, fault tolerance, and reliability
• Serve as the primary technical interface between internal software teams and external hardware suppliers (OEMs/Tier 1s) to resolve integration gaps and deviations early in the design phase
• Review verification strategies for qualifying systems for driverless operation. You will collaborate with test engineers, close gaps in coverage, and drive final system sign-off decisions
• Lead investigations into field issues and testing anomalies. You will use fleet data and simulation to assess risk and coordinate root-cause resolution for release-blocking challenges
• Develop and maintain Python scripts/tools to automate the analysis of large-scale fleet data, validating actuator performance against specifications and moving verification earlier in the release cycle

You have:

• 5+ years of experience integrating complex, safety-critical systems in the Automotive, Aerospace, or Robotics industries (or 3+ years with an Advanced Degree/PhD)
• Demonstrated technical ownership of electromechanical motion control systems (e.g., Steer-by-Wire, Electronic Braking, Flight Controls)
• Strong proficiency in Python for data analysis, scripting, or tool development (must be able to write scripts to process logs/data). Ability to read and understand C++
• Experience with requirements management traceability (e.g., DOORS, Jama) and interface control documents (ICDs)
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related field

We prefer:

• Experience developing L4 autonomous vehicle platforms or similar systems where fail-operational behavior and redundancy are requirements
• Knowledge of ISO 26262 (Functional Safety) or SOTIF (ISO 21448), specifically in interpreting safety concepts and verifying ASIL targets
• Proven experience managing technical interfaces with Tier 1 suppliers, including authoring Statements of Work (SOW) and leading technical design reviews
• Proficiency with automotive communication protocols (CAN, Ethernet, Vector CANoe/CANalyzer)
• Professional working or Native proficiency in Korean or Japanese is highly preferred to facilitate complex technical negotiations and design reviews with specific OEM partners

Travel requirements:

• Up to 20% travel (domestic and international) to support requirement implementation with partners or verification at test sites

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