2027 Summer Intern, PhD, Research, Perception Foundation Models

Waymo
Mountain View, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Geared toward PhD candidates in quantitative fields comfortable with ML experiment design and evaluation.

Best fit for

  • PhD candidates with strong ML modeling skills and interest in autonomous vehicle technology
    — “AI Foundations areas that we are currently focusing on include reinforcement learning, learning from demonstration, generative modeling, Bayesian inference, hierarchical learning, and robust evaluation”
  • Individuals with prior research experience and a track record of academic output
    — “Evidence of research output (eg: top tier publications)”
  • Candidates who are adaptable and can thrive in a hybrid work environment with some on-site presence
    — “This will be a hybrid onsite internship position”

Things to consider

  • Applicants must commit to applying separately for top 3 roles of interest
    — “you will need to apply to each one individually - please apply to the top 3 roles you are interested in”
  • The position is limited to those eligible for the benefits program, likely requiring specific status
    — “Interns are also eligible to participate in the Company’s generous benefits programs, subject to eligibility requirements”

How to stand out

  • Highlight specific ML projects involving perception systems in your resume and interview
    — “AI Foundations team is focused on machine learning solutions addressing open problems in autonomous driving”
  • Emphasize your experience with Python and ML frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow
    — “Familiarity with at least one ML framework (pytorch, tensorflow etc)”
  • Showcase prior work on robust evaluation or world modeling if applicable
    — “We prefer: Evidence of research output (eg: top tier publications)”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · Company

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

What success looks like

  • ML experiment design
  • modeling and iteration
  • evaluation and interpretation of results
Typical background
PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Machine Learning

Skills & requirements

Required

Machine LearningModelingEvaluationPython

Preferred

Reinforcement LearningGenerative ModelingBayesian InferenceRoboticsPerception

Stack & domain

ML Experiment DesignML Modeling And IterationEvaluation And Interpretation Of ResultsTransformersDiffusion ModelsPyTorchTensorFlowPythonResearch OutputCollaborationProblem-solvingAdaptabilityLeadershipAIMachine LearningRobotics

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.

The mission of the Waymo AI Foundations team is to develop machine learning solutions addressing open problems in autonomous driving, towards the goal of safely operating Waymo vehicles in dozens of cities and under all driving conditions. As part of our work, we also initiate and foster collaborations with other research teams in Alphabet. AI Foundations areas that we are currently focusing on include reinforcement learning, learning from demonstration, generative modeling, Bayesian inference, hierarchical learning, and robust evaluation.

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:

ML experiment design

ML modeling and iteration

Evaluation and interpretation of results

You have:

Currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Machine Learning, or a related quantitative field

Familiarity with modern ML techniques (transformers, diffusion models etc) 

Familiarity with at least one ML framework (pytorch, tensorflow etc)

Proficiency in Python

We prefer:

Evidence of research output (eg: top tier publications)

Exposure to robotics, perception or AV technology

Familiarity with world modeling

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 PhD Pay$85—$85 USD

Source: Waymo careers

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