Senior System Test Engineer, Perception

Waymo|10 Feb 2026

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Listed location: Mountain View, CA US; San Francisco, CA US

Work arrangement: onsite. A remote label does not confirm worldwide eligibility or visa sponsorship.

Read the employer’s description for qualifications, compensation and work eligibility. Confirm the position is still open on the application page.

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Job Description

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.

Waymo's Systems Engineering team works together to blend software and hardware systems in groundbreaking new ways. We set the high performance standards that ensure our vehicles run smoothly and keep passengers safe, then design and perform the tests that validate that performance. We're looking for talented teammates who’ll help us maintain strong teamwork and are passionate about driving results.

This role follows a hybrid work schedule and reports to the Technical Lead Manager, Perception Test Engineering.

You will:

Develop test strategies and new methodologies to support rapid scaling and rare, but critical, edge cases
Design and implement metrics, test plans, and simulated scenarios for testing the autonomous vehicle in off-nominal situations, such as after a fault occurs or when remote assistance is needed, across multiple platforms and in support of rapid commercialization
Write reusable, high quality, software for analyzing simulation test results and be an enabler and advocate for automation at scale
Lead cross-functionally to unblock development of scalable multi-platform testing, working with partner teams who develop the simulator or code running onboard the AV
Use your knowledge of autonomous vehicles, engineering and test strategy development to review and provide feedback on system requirements and feature validation plans

You have:

An advanced degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or other relevant technical field OR equivalent practical experience involving perception or robotic systems
Experience with software development for robotics OR experience with software verification and validation for software running on robotic, safety critical or high reliability systems
Strong grasp of Machine Learning fundamentals and applied statistical concepts
Experience in data analysis/modeling or software engineering using Python and SQL
Solid written and verbal communication and experience contributing to projects spanning across multiple disciplines

We prefer:

8+ years of Engineering experience (graduate school and industry experience both count)
Experience in autonomous vehicles, robotics, assisted driving technology, or other safety critical or high reliability system
Experience leading cross-team initiatives, including coordinating with external vendors or partners to deliver high-impact solutions
Experience using C++

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—$242,000 USD

Skills mentioned

PythonSQLC++

Frequently asked questions

Is the Senior System Test Engineer, Perception position at Waymo remote?

The Senior System Test Engineer, Perception role at Waymo does not have a confirmed remote arrangement in our data. Check the employer description for its work location.