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Staff Systems Engineer, Hardware Architecture

Waymo· Systems Engineering
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Mountain View, California$230k - $284kFull-timePosted 3mo ago

About the role

Lead the architecture for the next-generation Waymo Driver, balancing performance, reliability, cost, and safety across cross-functional teams to deliver a cohesive self-driving system.

Responsibilities

  • Lead and conduct complex, multi-attribute trade studies to define the architecture of the next-generation Waymo Driver
  • Develop and analyze architectural options for the overall Self-Driving System with emphasis on safety via robust fallback systems and high reliability
  • Collaborate with and drive alignment across diverse engineering teams (Software, Hardware, Sensing, Compute, Safety, Reliability) to make holistic architectural decisions
  • Define key system interfaces and behaviors, ensuring a cohesive and well-integrated system design
  • Create and present clear and compelling technical recommendations to senior leadership and stakeholders, justifying architectural choices with data and analysis
  • Work closely with systems engineering to decompose architectural decisions into clear requirements for subsystem development
  • Manage and guide architectural change across current and future SDS generations, ensuring consistency and a clear evolution path

Qualifications

  • A bachelor's degree in Engineering (e.g., EE, ME, CS, Aerospace) or a related technical field
  • 5+ years of experience in systems architecture, systems engineering, or complex system design, preferably in autonomous vehicles, aerospace, or robotics
  • Proven ability to lead and execute complex technical trade studies involving multiple disciplines and competing objectives
  • Strong understanding of design for high availability and safety-critical applications
  • Deep understanding of autonomous system components and their functionality in at least one major area (Sensing, Compute, Software, Networking/ interconnections, Cleaning)
  • Exceptional cross-functional communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to influence without direct authority

Skills

Required:Trade studiesSystem architectureCross-functional collaboration

Benefits

  • Health and wellness benefits including medical, dental, vision insurance
  • Financial wellness including compensation, bonus opportunities, equity, and employee discounts
  • Flexibility and time off including hybrid/remote options, paid time off, bereavement, sick, and parental leave
  • Supporting families with enhanced leave options (e.g., 26 weeks for birthing parents, 18 weeks for non-birthing parents)
  • Community and personal development opportunities including education reimbursement, mentorship, ERGs, and volunteer time off
  • Perks such as access to Google offices, wellness offerings, at-home fitness and cooking classes
Last updated Oct 22, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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About Waymo

The World’s Most Experienced Driver

Waymo—formerly the Google self-driving car project—makes it safe and easy for people & things to get around with autonomous vehicles.

Autonomous DrivingAutonomous VehiclesMobilityRide-Hailliquid-ai-recruiting-target
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