Machine Learning Engineer / Applied Scientist (Prediction & Planning)

• The Predictive Planning team (PrePlan) develops and deploys state-of-the-art machine learning solutions that predict the future state of the world and plan the Waymo Driver’s behavior
• Our mission is to transform Waymo’s unprecedented scale of driving data into robust, generalizable, and performant deep neural networks
• These models enable the autonomous vehicle to navigate complex environments safely and efficiently
• In this hybrid role, you will report to a manager on our PrePlan team
• Team matching happens after you’ve completed your onsite interviews
• Develop the next-generation ML-powered prediction and planning system to enhance the performance and capabilities of the ML driver and support the rapid scaling of Waymo’s business
• Frame open-ended, real-world challenges as well-defined ML problems; research, develop, and apply cutting-edge ML techniques, including foundation models and reinforcement learning, for the planning and prediction tasks of autonomous vehicles
• Collaborate with world-class researchers, engineers and product owners to create safe, smooth planning behaviors for all road users and to meet product requirements
• Develop and evaluate large models, and integrate them into Waymo’s production planning software for real-world applications through close partnership with the Planner and Research teams

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
• Employee assistance programs focused on mental health
• Personalized workplace adjustments for diverse needs and abilities, including physical, mental, and neurodivergent considerations
• Access to mental health apps
• Onsite wellness centers
• Counseling services
• Medical advocacy program for transgender employees
• Second medical opinion for you and your loved ones
• Support programs including menopause benefit
• Competitive compensation
• Regular bonus and equity performance grant opportunities
• Generous 401(k) and regional retirement plans
• Annual cross-company compensation review and pay equity analysis
• 1-on-1 financial coaching
• Fertility and growing family assistance
• Parental leave and baby bonding leave
• Elder care and support
• Backup childcare
• Survivor income benefit
• Caregiver leave
• Paid time off, including vacation, bereavement, sick leave, parental leave, disability, and holidays
• Jury duty leave
• Military leave
• Hybrid work model with remote work opportunities also available
• Educational reimbursement
• Peer learning and coaching platform
• Donation matching programs
• Volunteer hours
• Employee resource groups
• Internal community groups and local culture clubs
• Inspiring spaces to work, recharge, and collaborate with fellow Waymonauts
• On-site meals and snacks
• Fitness centers, massage programs, and ergonomic support
• On-demand fitness, wellbeing, and cooking classes
• Commuter benefits- BS in Computer Science, ML, Robotics, similar technical field of study, or equivalent practical experience
• Proficient programming skills (eg: Python, C/C++)
• Strong analytical and debugging skills
• 5+ years of experience in Machine Learning modeling and/or Autonomous Vehicles
• Hands-on experience with modern deep learning libraries (eg: TensorFlow, JAX, Pytorch)
• Added Demonstrated contributions to the ML community through publications, open-source projects, or significant industry impact
• MS or PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Robotics, or a related field
• Publications in top-tier conferences such as ICML, NeurIPS, CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, ICLR, IROS, CoRL, ACL, or EMNLP
• Prior software development or ML research industry experience (including internships)
• Experience applying or evaluating ML-based systems in production environments
• General software engineering experience solving motion planning or related robotics problems
• Experience with performance optimization of deep models, including with respect to specific hardware architectures