System Architect - Sensors

The Role Wayve is seeking a Sensor Systems Architect within the Product & Delivery (P&D) organisation to own the definition and integration of sensor systems as part of the end-to-end autonomy stack. This role focuses on system-level sensing requirements and integration, ensuring that sensor configurations are optimised for driving use cases, ODD coverage, and autonomy performance across customer programs. You will work closely with Hardware teams—who lead component-level benchmarking, sensor evaluation, and base image quality—to translate system needs into production-ready sensor configurations and vehicle integration strategies. You will act as the owner of the sensor–model–performance boundary at system level, ensuring sensing is defined, integrated, and validated in the context of real-world driving behaviour, not just hardware capability. Key Responsibilities System-driven Sensor Architecture Define sensor system requirements from driving use cases, safety goals, and product constraints Develop end-to-end sensing concepts (modality, placement, coverage, redundancy) aligned with autonomy performance for mass production Translate system needs into quantitative KPIs (coverage, FoV, latency, detection range, etc.) Ensure alignment with Wayve’s AI architecture and overall system design Sensor Concept Co-Development Co-develop sensor system concepts with Hardware and core algorithm teams, spanning what matters AV2.0: Sensor selection and characteristics Imaging pipeline (exposure, HDR, ISP) System integration and data interfaces Contribute system-level requirements while leveraging HW expertise in benchmarking and component evaluation Ensure a seamless link between: Component capabilities (HW) System performance and behaviour Sensor Integration & Vehicle Architecture Define sensor layout, placement, and integration strategies for production vehicle platforms Translate system concepts into vehicle-ready solutions (mounting, placement, synchronisation, calibration) Ensure integration decisions preserve perception performance and remain consistent from development to production System-level Validation & Performance Closure Validate sensor system performance using: Fleet data Simulation / replay Program-specific validation Establish clear linkage between: Sensor system design → system KPIs Identify and resolve gaps between expected and observed system performance OEM Program Architecture Leadership Act as technical owner of sensor system architecture in OEM programs Co-design solutions with OEMs and Tier1s, balancing: System performance Vehicle constraints Cost and scalability Drive data-backed architectural decisions across stakeholders Productisation & Development Vehicle Platform Consistency Ensure sensor systems are designed for seamless transition from development to production, including: Consistent data characteristics Stable installation and calibration assumptions Avoid late-stage rework by aligning sensor architecture with production constraints early Support sensor bring-up, integration validation, and program readiness About You Essential Strong experience defining sensor systems at system level, beyond component selection, including integration into production vehicle architectures Proven track record of: Translating driving use cases → sensor system concepts → validated system performance Driving architectural decisions through data, measurement, and real-world validation Experience working across: System architecture AI / perception performance Vehicle integration and product constraints Solid understanding of: Camera systems (sensor, exposure, HDR, ISP pipelines, calibration, image artefacts) Radar and/or LiDAR fundamentals Experience collaborating across hardware and software domains to co-develop system-level technical concepts Ability to reason across: End-to-end autonomy performance Safety (ISO 26262 / SOTIF) Production constraints (cost, power, packaging, scalability) Strong communication skills, with the ability to align and influence cross-functional teams and OEM/Tier1 stakeholders through evidence-based decisions Desirable Experience leading or contributing to sensor system architecture in production ADAS/AV programs Experience working with ML-based perception systems and understanding their implications on sensing Familiarity with fleet data analysis, simulation, and replay-based validation workflows Experience in OEM or Tier1 co-development environments, including system-level trade-offs and integration constraints Experience in camera or sensing system development across Dev → Production transitions Programming experience for data analysis, prototyping, or validation tooling This role is a full-time role based in Sunnyvale, CA (hybrid) and the reasonably estimated salary for this role ranges from $252,500 to $298,200, plus a competitive equity package. Actual compensation is based on the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. At Wayve we want the best of all worlds so we operate a hybrid working policy that combines time together in our offices and workshops to fuel innovation, culture, relationships and learning, and time spent working from home.