System Architect - Sensors

Wayve•Sunnyvale, CA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology. Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems. Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward. Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving. In our fast-paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future. At Wayve, your contributions matter. We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact. Make Wayve the experience that defines your career! The Role Wayve is seeking a Sensor Systems Architect within the Product & Delivery (P&D) organisation to own the definition and integration of sensor systems as part of the end-to-end autonomy stack. This role focuses on system-level sensing requirements and integration, ensuring that sensor configurations are optimised for driving use cases, ODD coverage, and autonomy performance across customer programs. You will work closely with Hardware teams—who lead component-level benchmarking, sensor evaluation, and base image quality—to translate system needs into production-ready sensor configurations and vehicle integration strategies. You will act as the owner of the sensor–model–performance boundary at system level, ensuring sensing is defined, integrated, and validated in the context of real-world driving behaviour, not just hardware capability.

Requirements

Strong experience defining sensor systems at system level, beyond component selection, including integration into production vehicle architectures
Proven track record of: Translating driving use cases → sensor system concepts → validated system performance
Driving architectural decisions through data, measurement, and real-world validation
Experience working across: System architecture, AI / perception performance, Vehicle integration and product constraints
Solid understanding of: Camera systems (sensor, exposure, HDR, ISP pipelines, calibration, image artefacts)
Radar and/or LiDAR fundamentals
Experience collaborating across hardware and software domains to co-develop system-level technical concepts
Ability to reason across: End-to-end autonomy performance, Safety (ISO 26262 / SOTIF), Production constraints (cost, power, packaging, scalability)
Strong communication skills, with the ability to align and influence cross-functional teams and OEM/Tier1 stakeholders through evidence-based decisions

Nice To Haves

Experience leading or contributing to sensor system architecture in production ADAS/AV programs
Experience working with ML-based perception systems and understanding their implications on sensing
Familiarity with fleet data analysis, simulation, and replay-based validation workflows
Experience in OEM or Tier1 co-development environments, including system-level trade-offs and integration constraints
Experience in camera or sensing system development across Dev → Production transitions
Programming experience for data analysis, prototyping, or validation tooling

Responsibilities

System-driven Sensor Architecture: Define sensor system requirements from driving use cases, safety goals, and product constraints
Develop end-to-end sensing concepts (modality, placement, coverage, redundancy) aligned with autonomy performance for mass production
Translate system needs into quantitative KPIs (coverage, FoV, latency, detection range, etc.)
Ensure alignment with Wayve’s AI architecture and overall system design
Sensor Concept Co-Development: Co-develop sensor system concepts with Hardware and core algorithm teams, spanning what matters AV2.0: Sensor selection and characteristics, Imaging pipeline (exposure, HDR, ISP), System integration and data interfaces
Contribute system-level requirements while leveraging HW expertise in benchmarking and component evaluation
Ensure a seamless link between: Component capabilities (HW) and System performance and behaviour
Sensor Integration & Vehicle Architecture: Define sensor layout, placement, and integration strategies for production vehicle platforms
Translate system concepts into vehicle-ready solutions (mounting, placement, synchronisation, calibration)
Ensure integration decisions preserve perception performance and remain consistent from development to production
System-level Validation & Performance Closure: Validate sensor system performance using: Fleet data, Simulation / replay, Program-specific validation
Establish clear linkage between: Sensor system design and system KPIs
Identify and resolve gaps between expected and observed system performance
OEM Program Architecture Leadership: Act as technical owner of sensor system architecture in OEM programs
Co-design solutions with OEMs and Tier1s, balancing: System performance, Vehicle constraints, Cost and scalability
Drive data-backed architectural decisions across stakeholders
Productisation & Development: Vehicle Platform Consistency: Ensure sensor systems are designed for seamless transition from development to production, including: Consistent data characteristics, Stable installation and calibration assumptions
Avoid late-stage rework by aligning sensor architecture with production constraints early
Support sensor bring-up, integration validation, and program readiness