Senior Data Scientist

Wayve • Sunnyvale, CA

19d • $209,700 - $240,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

As a Senior Data Scientist on Wayve’s Model Integration & Release team, you will own the analytical layer that supports evaluation and release decisions for autonomous driving models. The team runs simulation and on-road testing to determine whether weekly model candidates are ready for promotion. You will use data already collected to strengthen performance measurement, translate on-road findings into improved simulation tests, and align evaluation metrics with operator experience in the vehicle.

You will analyze model and autonomous-vehicle performance data across simulations, offline evaluations, and on-road tests. Working with Validation, Data Science, Product, and engineering teams, you will investigate performance issues, apply statistical rigour, improve metrics and test coverage, and make release recommendations. You will work autonomously in a fast-moving weekly release cadence, turning investigations into durable improvements and clear recommendations.

Wayve builds an end-to-end AI platform for autonomous driving. Its mapless, hardware-agnostic platform integrates with global OEM partners and aims to support automation from L2+ through L4. The company operates a hybrid working model across hubs in London, Sunnyvale, Yokohama, Herzliya, Vancouver, and Leonberg. The role includes the opportunity to work hands-on in vehicle workshops and labs.

Requirements

• Strong analytical and investigative skills, including the ability to turn an unclear concern into a clear, evidence-backed conclusion.
• Hands-on experience with ML evaluation data, driving-performance metrics, or complex test results at scale.
• Experience applying statistical methods to A/B testing and experimentation, including confidence intervals, distributions, and sampling.
• Proficiency in Python or SQL and comfort querying and analyzing large datasets.
• Ability to work autonomously in a fast-moving environment, prioritize within broader goals, and decide when to resolve an issue directly or escalate or partner.
• Clear written communication and ability to turn complex investigations into concise, actionable recommendations for technical and non-technical audiences.
• Curiosity about model behaviour and whether evaluation measures capture the right things.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in autonomous driving, robotics, safety-critical ML systems, simulation-based testing, or on-road experiment analysis.
• Experience with OEM or partner validation workflows.
• Experience improving evaluation infrastructure or measurement methodology.

Responsibilities

• Lead analysis of model and autonomous-vehicle performance data from simulations, offline evaluation, and on-road testing, translating findings into recommendations for engineering teams.
• Investigate performance issues and identify improvements to metrics, test coverage, or scoring logic.
• Define and develop deeper analysis practices, tooling, and workflows for evaluation data.
• Identify blind spots, inconsistencies, and gaps in simulation and offline driving-performance metrics.
• Investigate on-road release-test findings, determine whether offline tests should have detected them, and improve evaluation coverage and measurement.
• Analyze experiments and apply statistical methods to make data-driven recommendations about promoting new driving models.
• Expand performance assessment beyond intervention rates by using available behavioural and operational signals.
• Partner with Data Science and Validation to define, implement, and maintain evaluation methods and ground truth.
• Support partner-facing quality investigations by quantifying and tracking issues raised through OEM QA workflows.
• Document findings and recommendations for the weekly release cadence and follow through to prevent recurrence of similar issues.
• Set priorities and collaborate across teams in a fast-moving release environment.

Benefits

• Market-benchmarked salaries, reviewed annually.
• Meaningful equity.
• Relocation support and visa sponsorship where applicable.
• Hybrid working and core hours.
• Opportunity to work hands-on in vehicle workshops and labs.
• Learning and development budgets, with support for training and conferences.
• Comprehensive benefits including health insurance, dental coverage, enhanced maternity and paternity leave, retirement or pension where applicable, access to therapists, wellbeing partnerships, and team socials.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed