Machine Learning MS/PhD Intern (Perception, Summer 2027)

• The Perception team builds the system which learns the spatial-temporal representation and their semantic meanings of the surrounding environment of the self-driving car, i.e., the system that “perceives” the world around the car. We work jointly with downstream teams on the optimization and integration into the Waymo Driver
• We conduct our own research to address real-world problems and collaborate with research teams at Alphabet. We have access to millions of miles of driving data from a diverse set of sensors, enabling engineers like you to (1) develop methods for efficiently and continuously learning from large scale real-world data, to (2) develop models and model training at scale, to (3) analyze real-world behavior and develop systems for handling the complexities of interacting with the real-world, and (4) optimize models for our onboard and offboard hardware
• Waymo interns work with leaders in the industry on projects that deliver significant impact to the company. We believe learning is a two-way street: applying your knowledge while providing you with opportunities to expand your skillset. Interns are an important part of our culture and our recruiting pipeline. Join us at Waymo for a fun and rewarding internship!
• This internship will be based on-site at our headquarters in Mountain View, CA
• Design and implement state-of-the-art multi-modality (camera/radar/lidar/audio) and multi-task perception models. Potential project areas include:
• 3D object detection and tracking,
• Open vocabulary detection applying world knowledge models,
• 3D occupancy detection,
• Semantic segmentation,
• Large-scale foundation models,
• Pre-training and self-supervised learning through forecasting
• Train and evaluate ML models on our vast and high fidelity data from Waymo driving logs
• Gain experience using large scale ML infrastructure and working in a team environment

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
• Support programs including menopause benefit
• Second medical opinion for you and your loved ones
• Medical advocacy program for transgender employees
• 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
• Employee resource groups
• Volunteer hours
• 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- Enrolled in a PhD program in Computer Science, Robotics, or a similar technical field of study or enrolled in a master’s program with a strong publication record
• Experience building ML models with JAX, PyTorch or Tensorflow
• Experience in Python
• Strong track record of high quality ML / CV research. Publications at top-tier conferences like CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, ICLR, ICML, ICRA, IROS, RSS, NeurIPS, AAAI, IJCV, PAMI
• Experience in object detection, segmentation, multiple-object tracking audio perception or occupancy detection