2027 Summer Intern, MS/PhD, Sensor Performance Engineer Intern at Waymo (Mountain View, CA)
Waymo· Mountain View, CA· $70–$85/hr·
Role details
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.
The Waymo Laser team is a diverse, innovative, and collaborative group of electrical, mechanical, optical and software engineers. We design, build and perfect our cutting edge automotive lidars, and evaluate the lidars that are on the market, and integrate them into Waymo products.
Waymo interns partner with leaders in the industry on projects that create impact to the company. We believe learning is a two-way street: applying your knowledge while providing you with opportunities to expand your skill-set. Interns are an important part of our culture and our recruiting pipeline. Join us at Waymo for a fun and rewarding internship!
You will:
- Sensor Data Analysis: Process and analyze complex sensor datasets to extract key insights.
- Experimental Setup: Design and execute rigorous experiments for validation and testing.
- Performance Engineering: Develop robust performance metrics and streamline operational processes.
- Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner effectively with cross-functional teams to align project goals.
You have:
- Currently enrolled in an MS or PhD program in Electrical Engineering, Physics, Computer Science, or a related field.
- Hardware Experimentation: EE or physics-based experimental design
- System Prototyping: Modeling and rapid prototyping of complex hardware
- Data Analysis: Evaluating performance metrics and experimental results
- Technical Scripting: Automation using Python, SQL, and scripting
We prefer:
- Signal Processing: Advanced filtering, algorithm design, and data extraction
- Sensing Systems: Experience with LiDAR, radar, camera, and general perception hardware
- Technical Communication: Clear presentation of complex concepts to cross-functional teams
Note: This will be a hybrid onsite internship position. We will accept resumes on a rolling basis until the role is filled. To be in consideration for multiple roles, you will need to apply to each one individually - please apply to the top 3 roles you are interested in. The expected hourly rate for this full-time position is listed below. Interns are also eligible to participate in the Company’s generous benefits programs, subject to eligibility requirements.
Hourly Masters Pay $70—$70 USD
The expected hourly rate for this full-time position is listed below. Interns are also eligible to participate in the Company’s generous benefits programs, subject to eligibility requirements.
Hourly PhD Pay $85—$85 USD
Why work at Waymo
- Impact: Work on technology that directly saves lives (1.4M traffic deaths globally each year) and reshapes the future of transportation.
- Culture: Waymo describes itself as a place for “ambitious thinkers and relentless problem solvers” with a deep respect for getting every detail right. Values include safety, innovation, and responsibility.
- Teams: Opportunities across Software Engineering, Hardware Engineering, AI Foundations, Product & Design, Operations & Supply Chain, Safety, Policy, and General & Administrative roles.
- Internships: Strong early-career program with internships for Bachelors, Masters, MBA, and PhD candidates, often leading to full-time offers.
- Hiring process: Transparent and structured. Includes an initial recruiter screen, 1-2 phone/video interviews, and a virtual onsite (up to 5 interviews). Emphasizes problem-solving, collaboration, and real-time thinking. AI tools are not permitted during technical assessments to ensure fair evaluation.
- Remote/hybrid policy: The careers page lists both on-site and remote roles, with most engineering and operations roles based in Mountain View, San Francisco, or other US locations.
- Benefits: Top-notch benefits, unique learning opportunities, thoughtful community engagement, and meaningful gatherings. Specific perks are not detailed publicly but are described as comprehensive.