2027 Summer Intern, MS/PhD, Software Engineer

Waymo
Mountain View, CA
HybridCareer-pivot friendly

Who this role is best for

Geared toward graduate-level candidates comfortable with C++ development and safety-critical software validation, with a hybrid work arrangement and a focus on autonomous driving systems.

Best fit for

  • Graduate students with C++ experience and a strong foundation in software engineering principles.
    — “Experience programming in C++ with clean and efficient code”
  • Candidates in MS/PhD programs who are interested in autonomous driving technology and systems engineering.
    — “If you’re a software engineer or researcher who’s curious and passionate about Level 4 autonomous driving”
  • Individuals who can contribute to large-scale codebases and simulation validation processes.
    — “Proven ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable C++ code in a large-scale codebase”

Things to consider

  • Hybrid onsite internship may require regular in-person attendance despite remote flexibility.
    — “This will be a hybrid onsite internship position”
  • Applying to multiple roles requires individual submissions, which may be time-consuming.
    — “you will need to apply to each one individually - please apply to the top 3 roles”

How to stand out

  • Highlight contributions to safety-critical systems in your resume and interview responses.
    — “Validate software changes with large-scale simulation suites to evaluate safety”
  • Demonstrate your ability to write high-quality, production-grade C++ code in your portfolio.
    — “Write clean, tested, production-grade code adhering to rigorous code review standards”
  • Showcase experience with large-scale data or ML applications if applicable.
    — “Experience with large-scale data/ML applications”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Individual

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • implement onboard logic
  • validate software changes
  • write clean code
Typical background
MS or PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering

Skills & requirements

Required

C++ ProgrammingAutonomous Driving TechnologySoftware ValidationCode ReviewProduction-grade Code

Preferred

Large-scale Data/ml ApplicationsSafety-critical SystemsReal-time Systems

Stack & domain

C++Autonomous DrivingRoboticsPerceptionDecision-making

About the role

Original posting from Waymo

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.

Software Engineering builds the brains of Waymo's fully autonomous driving technology. Our software allows the Waymo Driver to perceive the world around it, make the right decision for every situation, and deliver people safely to their destinations. We think deeply and solve complex technical challenges in areas like robotics, perception, decision-making and deep learning, while collaborating with hardware and systems engineers. If you’re a software engineer or researcher who’s curious and passionate about Level 4 autonomous driving, we'd like to meet you. 

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:

Work with a creative team of people who ensure that the behavior of our cars is compliant, safe, smooth, and predictable to other road users

Design and implement onboard C++ logic governing how the Waymo Driver interacts with traffic controls

Validate software changes with large-scale simulation suites to evaluate safety, rule compliance, among a multitude of metrics before deployment

Write clean, tested, production-grade code adhering to rigorous code review standards and continuous integration testing

You have:

Currently enrolled in an MS or PhD program in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field

Experience programming in C++ with clean and efficient code

Solid foundational understanding of core Computer Science principles, including data structures, algorithms, and computational complexity

We prefer:

BS in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field. Currently enrolled in an MS or PhD program in similar fields

Proven ability to write clean, efficient, and maintainable C++ code in a large-scale codebase

Experience developing software for safety-critical, fault-tolerant, or real-time systems

Experience with large-scale data/ML applications

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 USDThe 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

Source: Waymo careers

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