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Software Engineer, Perception Optimization

Waymo
San Francisco, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 4/19/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 6/4/2026
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.

The Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) Optimization team uses our know-how of CPUs, GPUs, and clever algorithms to process Waymo's sensor data super-fast and feed it to the Perception models. We specialize in low-level understanding of compute hardware, and we apply that knowledge wherever we can, throughout the whole stack. We are looking for engineers with a CPU, GPU, or system-level optimization background to help us improve compute performance on our car and in simulation. Experience with compiler technology is a plus. You’ll work across the entire software stack to optimize latency and compute utilization.

This role follows a hybrid work schedule and reports to the TLM of the HAL Optimization team.

You Will

  • Implement highly efficient sensor data processing algorithms.
  • Optimize existing CPU code.
  • Write CUDA kernels to speed up specific operations.
  • Optimize end-to-end system latency.
  • Collaborate with ML practitioners to understand their input-processing needs.

You Have

  • B.Sc in Computer Science, Mathematics or a related field
  • 4 years of industry experience
  • Strong C programming skills
  • Experience with CPU optimization
  • Experience with system-level optimization

We Prefer

  • M.Sc or PhD in Computer Science, Mathematics or a related field
  • Experience with GPU optimization (CUDA)
  • Experience with compiler technology.

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

$170,000—$216,000 USD

Salary : $170,000 - $216,000

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