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Wayve is building an AI platform for autonomous driving that learns directly from real-world experience. The Robot Software organization builds the platform that transforms autonomy models into dependable, observable software running across development and customer vehicles.
As a Principal Software Engineer, you will be a technical peer and trusted adviser to Robot Software leadership. You will shape the 12–24 month technical roadmap, identify high-leverage platform investments, and lead cross-team delivery that improves reliability and developer velocity across multiple vehicle programs.
Day-to-day responsibilities include:
- Partnering with leadership to define and refine the Robot Software technical roadmap
- Leading high-impact platform initiatives from ambiguity through delivery
- Aligning architecture and interfaces across Robot Software, Autonomy, Simulation, Evaluation, hardware, and OEM stakeholders
- Designing systems that are observable, diagnosable, and supportable remotely at scale
- Improving developer experience, pre-merge validation, logging, metrics, deployment, and fault isolation
- Mentoring senior engineers and helping teams reach evidence-based technical decisions
Key projects include:
- Building a unified robot-software platform supporting different vehicles, compute platforms, and sensor packages
- Developing application-framework and inter-process communication approaches deployed across internal and partner platforms
- Ensuring reliable platform delivery for Gen2, Gen3, Nissan prototypes, Qualcomm reference platforms, and future programs
- Implementing fleet observability, diagnostics, logging, and proactive reliability metrics
- Creating simulation and emulation approaches that shift Robot Software validation earlier in development
- Establishing portable build and deployment strategies across Jetson, DRIVE, Qualcomm, and partner base systems
- Making cross-team technical decisions where reliability, performance, developer velocity, and program outcomes intersect
Wayve operates a hybrid working model with main hubs in London, Sunnyvale, Yokohama, Herzliya, Vancouver, and Leonberg. The company offers relocation support and visa sponsorship where applicable.
Requirements:
- Demonstrated leadership of large technical initiatives involving multiple engineering teams or senior collaborators
- Ability to define architecture and strategy while remaining close enough to code to debug difficult cross-domain problems
- High proficiency with modern C++ and experience in embedded systems, robotics, automotive, or similarly complex systems
- Concise communication skills, ability to build trust across teams, and capacity to move contentious technical decisions toward evidence-based conclusions
- Fleet-level thinking in terms of reliability, uptime, deployment speed, and operational supportability
- Comfort balancing deep work with critical, unplanned technical leadership needs
- Valuable experience: Linux/QNX, robotics middleware, platform integration, simulation, embedded compute, CI/CD, or large-scale fleet operations
The company emphasizes that not meeting every requirement is acceptable if you are passionate about autonomy and keen to learn.
