---
title: 'Senior Staff Machine Learning Engineer – Autonomous Driving Foundation Models at XPENG'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-machine-learning-engineer-autonomous-driving-foundation-models-zhmjejxmqc1e'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-05'
---

# Senior Staff Machine Learning Engineer – Autonomous Driving Foundation Models at XPENG

- **Company:** XPENG
- **Location:** Santa Clara, CA
- **Posted:** 2026-03-17
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-05
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/xpengmotors/jobs/8465375002

## Job description

XPENG is a leading smart technology company at the forefront of innovation, integrating advanced AI and autonomous driving technologies into its vehicles, including electric vehicles (EVs), electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and robotics. With a strong focus on intelligent mobility, XPENG is dedicated to reshaping the future of transportation through cutting-edge R&D in AI, machine learning, and smart connectivity.

The Mission: We are building the next generation of L4 autonomous vehicles. Moving beyond traditional modular stacks, we are developing large-scale Vision-Language-Action (VLA) models and World Models to handle the infinite long-tail scenarios of global driving. As a Senior Staff Machine Learning Engineer, you will architect the transition from behavior cloning to intelligent, zero-shot decision-making in diverse global markets.

Key Responsibilities:

- Architectural Leadership: Lead the design of end-to-end VLA architectures, bridging multi-modal perception with high-level linguistic reasoning and precise action generation.

- World Model Development: Drive R&D in generative world models (latent dynamics) to create high-fidelity, controllable driving simulations for closed-loop training and evaluation.

- Policy Evolution: Apply Advanced RL (Online/Offline) and IL to refine driving policies, focusing on long-horizon planning and complex multi-agent interactions.

- Scaling & Data Strategy: Define scaling laws for driving foundation models, overseeing data curation, automated labeling, and post-training at a multi-billion parameter scale.

- Global Generalization: Lead the model’s adaptation strategy for overseas road conditions, ensuring robust performance across varying traffic laws and driving cultures.

Qualifications:

- 5-8 years of expertise in Deep Learning, with a significant track record in VLM, VLA, or Embodied AI.

- Proven experience in training and deploying Foundation Models (Transformers, LLMs) at scale.

- Deep understanding of Sequential Decision Making, World Models, or Policy Gradient methods.

- Mastery of PyTorch and expertise in distributed training (DeepSpeed, Megatron, etc.).

- A "Product-First" mindset: The ability to balance cutting-edge research with the deterministic requirements of L4 production vehicles.

What do we provide:

- A fun, supportive and engaging environment

- Infrastructures and computational resources to support your ML model development/research.

- Opportunity to work on cutting edge technologies with the top talent in the field.

- Opportunity to make significant impact on transportation revolution by the means of advancing autonomous driving

- Competitive compensation package

- Snacks, lunches, dinners, and fun activities

The base salary range for this full-time position is $244,140-$413,160, in addition to bonus, equity and benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is our policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to race, age, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, disability, veteran status or marital status or any other prescribed category set forth in federal or state regulations.

## About XPENG

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: XPENG is a Chinese global AI mobility technology company designing and manufacturing smart electric vehicles, eVTOL aircraft, and humanoid robots, powered by in-house full-stack advanced driver-assistance systems and AI.
- **Entity Type**: Public (NYSE: XPEV, HKEX: 9868)
- **Headquarters**: Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- **Founded**: 15 August 2014
- **Founders**: He Xiaopeng (Chairman & CEO), Xia Heng (Henry Xia), He Tao, Yang Chunlei

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Automotive, Aerospace, Robotics (AI mobility)
- **Target customers**: B2C (premium smart EV buyers globally), B2B (fleet operators, robotaxi services)
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To transform future mobility through intelligent revolution, from road to air, as the "Explorer of Future Mobility" [xpeng.com](https://www.xpeng.com/brand)

## Products & Services
- **Smart Electric Vehicles (EVs)**: SUVs (G6, G9), sedans (P7, P5), and MPVs — all equipped with XPILOT/VLA intelligent driving systems. Type: Hardware + Embedded Software.
- **XPILOT / VLA 2.0**: Full-stack advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) using vision-only sensors and 4D mmWave radar. Type: AI Software.
- **XPeng AeroHT (Land Aircraft Carrier)**: Modular flying car — a 6x6 range-extended eVTOL carrier van. Type: Hardware (eVTOL).
- **IRON Humanoid Robot**: Next-generation general-purpose humanoid robot for embodied AI applications. Type: Hardware + AI Software.
- **Robotaxi**: Mass-produced autonomous ride-hailing vehicle (GX platform), targeting pilot operations in 2026. Type: Service + Hardware.
- **XPENG Charging Network**: Self-operated ultra-fast charging stations (2,398+ ultra-fast stations as of Q1 2026). Type: Infrastructure.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly available (as of mid-2026, market cap fluctuates with NYSE/HKEX trading).
- **Key Metric**: Full-year 2025 revenue of CN¥76.72 billion (~$10.6B) with 429,445 vehicles delivered (126% YoY growth). Recorded first-ever quarterly net profit in Q4 2025 (RMB0.38B). [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XPeng)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**:
  - **Volkswagen Group**: Strategic partner ($700M investment for 4.99% stake in 2023; joint development of E/E architecture and two VW-brand EVs for China).
  - **Alibaba, Foxconn, IDG Capital**: Early investors.
  - **BlackRock**: 5.3% long position in Class A shares (as of Dec 2025).
  - **Salvador Caetano Group**: Distribution partner for Spain/Portugal.
  - **International Motors Ltd**: UK launch partner (2025).
- **Growth Signals**:
  - 126% YoY vehicle delivery growth in 2025.
  - Expanded to 60 countries/regions globally by end of 2025.
  - 96% YoY growth in overseas deliveries (45,008 vehicles in 2025).
  - First quarterly net profit in Q4 2025 (RMB0.38B).
  - Gross margin improved to 20.6% in Q1 2026.
  - 733 physical sales stores across 256 cities in China (as of Q1 2026).
  - Began mass production of robotaxi in May 2026 (Reuters).

## Competitive Advantages
- **In-house full-stack AI stack**: Unique integration of EV hardware, autonomous driving software (VLA 2.0), and AI foundation models — not reliant on third-party suppliers for core intelligence.
- **First-mover in flying cars**: AeroHT subsidiary is a leader in eVTOL vehicles, with the Land Aircraft Carrier entering production.
- **Strong strategic partnership with Volkswagen**: Provides access to global automotive expertise, supply chain leverage, and co-developed platforms.
- **MSCI ESG "AAA" rating** (highest among global automakers for three consecutive years) — a differentiator for ESG-conscious investors and talent. [xpeng.com](https://www.xpeng.com/brand)
- **Global R&D footprint**: Engineering centers in Silicon Valley (Santa Clara, San Diego), Munich, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou — enabling talent acquisition across AI, robotics, and automotive domains.

## Strategic Focus
- **Embodied AI & Physical AI**: Shifting from "EV maker" to "global embodied intelligence company" — integrating AI into vehicles, robots, and flying cars.
- **Robotaxi commercialization**: Mass production of robotaxi in 2026, targeting fully driverless operations by early 2027.
- **Global expansion**: Deepening presence in Europe (UK, Spain, Portugal, Germany) and entering new markets (60 countries by end of 2025).
- **Cost efficiency & margin improvement**: Achieving positive quarterly net profit (Q4 2025) and growing gross margins (20.6% in Q1 2026) through scale and platform sharing.
- **VLA 2.0 rollout**: Full deployment of vision-only intelligent driving system across all new models, removing LiDAR for cost reduction.

## Why Work Here
- **Cutting-edge AI & Robotics**: Work on the frontier of autonomous driving, humanoid robots (IRON), and eVTOL aircraft — rare multi-domain exposure.
- **Global, diverse team**: Employees across China, USA (Santa Clara, San Diego), and Europe (Munich) — strong cross-cultural collaboration. [xpeng.com](https://www.xpeng.com/brand)
- **Strong engineering culture**: Open roles in AI infrastructure, computer vision, machine learning (foundation models, perception, end-to-end), robotics (whole-body control, dexterous manipulation), and software engineering. [Greenhouse](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/xpengmotors)
- **Growth trajectory**: Rapid scaling (126% delivery growth, new markets, robotaxi launch) — opportunity to make an outsized impact.
- **Public company stability**: Listed on NYSE and HKEX with significant institutional backing (Volkswagen, BlackRock).
- **Perks & environment**: Self-built smart factories (Industrial 4.0), strong ESG commitment (AAA rating), and a mission-driven culture focused on "exploring future mobility."
- **Remote/Hybrid**: Not explicitly stated, but roles are location-specific (Santa Clara, San Diego, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Munich) suggesting on-site/hybrid presence.

## Sources
1. [XPENG Official Brand Page](https://www.xpeng.com/brand)
2. [XPENG Official Website](https://www.xpeng.com/)
3. [XPENG Careers (Greenhouse)](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/xpengmotors)
4. [XPENG Join-Us Page](https://www.xpeng.com/join-us)
5. [Wikipedia - XPeng](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XPeng)

## Other roles at XPENG

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- [Public Relations Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/public-relations-manager-xpeng-mexico-city-2bnd2y3kxprw) — Mexico City, Mexico
- [Staff Machine Learning Engineer - LLM Quantization & Deployment](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-machine-learning-engineer-llm-quantization-deployment-xpeng-santa-clara-ea4cbv1hwdzc) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior Machine Learning Engineer - LLM Quantization & Deployment](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-machine-learning-engineer-llm-quantization-deployment-xpeng-santa-clara-4c3sja4epcx1) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior Machine Learning Engineer – Predictive World Model](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-machine-learning-engineer-predictive-world-model-xpeng-santa-clara-pgz1zt82gpj9) — Santa Clara, CA
- [Senior Software Engineer, Agentic Platforms](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-agentic-platforms-xpeng-santa-clara-zm41jhnrbtp6) — Santa Clara, CA
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- [2027 Campus Recruiting Robotics Center Full-Time Position](https://feeny.ai/job/2027-campus-recruiting-robotics-center-full-time-position-xpeng-santa-clara-x35f7n9kpm7x) — Santa Clara, CA