Senior Software Engineer, ICX Graphics

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 Waymo Passenger Experience team builds the real-time, in-car visualization systems that communicate the Waymo Driver’s perception to our riders. We are focused on delivering high-fidelity, low-latency 3D renderings on our infotainment displays, ensuring passengers feel informed and confident throughout their journey.

In this hybrid role, you will report to an Engineering Manager.

You will:

• Own the technical implementation of 3D visualization systems (Ego View) on onboard infotainment platforms, delivering fluid, high-performance visual experiences.

• Lead the design and implementation of the 3D rendering pipeline for the 3D Car View on the Android-based in-car system using C++ and Kotlin via JNI.

• Integrate next-generation visual assets for the new vehicle platform, optimize shader performance in the internal rendering engine to reduce GPU utilization, and implement new visual indicators for complex perception scenarios like construction zones.

• Write high-quality, well-tested code, resolve complex rendering bugs, and optimize performance (frame rate, CPU/GPU, memory) on resource-constrained onboard hardware.

• Collaborate closely with Product Managers and UX/UI designers to translate vehicle perception data into fluid animations and motion designs.

You have:

• Graphics or game engine developer with strong experience in 3D graphics development using C++ and APIs like OpenGL ES or Vulkan.

• Experience with mobile/embedded platforms, custom rendering engines, mobile game development, VR/AR, or high-performance Android graphics.

• Solid foundation in 3D mathematics (linear algebra, coordinate spaces, transformations) and shader programming (GLSL).

• 5+ years of total software development experience, with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or equivalent practical experience.

• Strong sense of ownership and the ability to independently design, optimize, and implement complex software components.

We prefer:

• Experience with Android graphics architecture (Surface Flinger, HWUI) and custom Android builds (AOSP).

• Experience developing with Kotlin/Java and integrating with C++ via JNI.

• Background in real-time visualization of perception data (e.g., point clouds, object detection) or game engine rendering.

The expected base salary range for this full-time position across US locations is listed below. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the role location or, if the role can be performed remote, the specific salary range for your preferred location, during the hiring process.

Waymo employees are also eligible to participate in Waymo’s discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.

Salary Range

$213,000—$263,000 USD