Applied ML/AI Manager - Behavior Validation

Description

The autonomous vehicle organization builds self-driving vehicles using simulation and iterative development.

The software validation team decides when software launches and continuous releases can go ahead, using simulation-led verification and validation, prototypes and protocols.

This role leads a team that builds and runs behavior critics and human benchmarking for machine-learning-driven autonomy systems, turning people's expectations of safe, comfortable and natural driving into measurable evaluation frameworks that shape model development and release choices.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a cross-functional team working on behavior evaluation and human benchmarking for autonomous vehicles.
• Design, build and run offboard machine learning models that infer behavior reliably.
• Set the technical roadmap and machine learning priorities so they match company goals and product milestones.
• Work with autonomy, simulation, safety and product teams to define how behavior is judged against human drivers.
• Connect behavior critic signals to validation pipelines, continuous release and long-term performance monitoring, and bring the models into the vehicle validation system.

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience and an MS or PhD in computer science, machine learning, robotics, software engineering, data science or a related field.
• Strong Python and PyTorch programming and data skills.
• Proven experience fine-tuning and deploying vision-based and/or time series machine learning pipelines to production.
• 2+ years of people management or tech lead experience leading engineering teams.
• Preferred: experience with autonomous driving, robotics or other safety-critical domains, especially in perception, prediction, planning, validation, safety or systems engineering.
• Preferred: experience designing and training foundation models.
• Preferred: a track record in simulation-based validation for autonomy systems.

Conditions

The role is remote or hybrid. Remote employees who live within 50 miles of Austin, Detroit, Warren, Milford or Sunnyvale, CA must report to that location at least three times per week.

Employees who live within a specific mile radius of a company hub are expected to report to that location three times a week, or as often as their manager sets.

Travel is less than 25%.

The base salary range is $218,800 to $335,300. The final offer within that range depends on job-related factors.

The compensation figures are a good faith estimate based on what a successful applicant might be paid under applicable state law, and may not reflect roles outside the California Bay Area.

Selected candidates may be required to complete a role-related assessment and/or a pre-employment screening before starting.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and does not tolerate unlawful discrimination.

Benefits

• Eligible for an incentive pay program with payouts based on company performance, job level and individual performance.
• After a successful motor vehicle record review, you can join a company vehicle evaluation program and drive and assess a qualifying company vehicle. Participants must buy or lease a qualifying company vehicle every four years, unless a limited exception applies.
• This job may qualify for relocation benefits under company policy.