Role Summary:

The Principal Engineer, ML (VLA Automated Driving) is the technical anchor for Vision-Language-Action (VLA /VLAM) models for our Level 2++ to Level 4 Automated Driving stack.

This role defines the technical direction for VLA-based driving across model architecture, training strategy, data flywheel, evaluation, and embedded deployment. The Principal Engineer bridges multimodal foundation-model advances with the realities of real-time, safety-critical automotive systems and helps turn promising research into robust in-vehicle capability.

This role also serves as the technical champion for applying GenAI and agentic AI to engineering workflows, identifying and scaling high-value use cases across model development, data flywheel, evaluation, and engineering productivity.

This is a highly cross-functional leadership role spanning model, data, evaluation, and deployment.

Role Responsibilities:

Technical Direction & Architecture

• Define the technical direction for VLA / VLAM-based automated driving
• Lead architecture decisions for multimodal driving models from perception and context to trajectories, actions, or driving intent
• Drive technical decisions on model adaptation, planning interfaces, fallback/arbitration, latency, and generalization

Model Development & Training Strategy

• Design, adapt, and evolve state-of-the-art vision-language-action / multimodal foundation models for automated driving
• Define training strategies across supervised learning, imitation learning, offline learning, synthetic data, and simulation-based approaches as appropriate
• Drive model quality across robustness, generalization, and complex traffic interactions

Data Flywheel & Platform Partnerships

• Define the data strategy needed to improve model performance quickly and systematically
• Partner with data and platform teams to establish a scalable flywheel across data selection, balancing, mining, labeling/annotation inputs, retraining, and evaluation
• Align data and training iteration loops to measurable performance outcomes and release readiness

Evaluation, Benchmarking & Deployment Readiness

• Define evaluation and benchmarking strategies for route-level and scenario-level driving performance
• Partner with embedded and systems teams to support deployment on target automotive hardware
• Drive model evaluation, error analysis, and generalization assessment across diverse driving scenarios

Technical Leadership & GenAI/Agentic Workflow

• Serve as a senior technical leader across engineering and partner teams, mentoring others and helping build long-term VLA capability in Mountain View
• Act as the technical champion for GenAI and agentic AI workflows within the team, identifying, validating, and helping scale high-value applications across model development, evaluation, data, and engineering productivity
• Establish technical standards and best practices for scalable, production-grade ML development in safety-critical systems

General Skills:

• Deep expertise in end-to-end AI and foundation-model approaches for automated driving
• Strong software engineering skills and production mindset
• Excellent analytical, debugging, and technical decision-making skills
• Ability to lead highly complex cross-functional efforts in ambiguous environment
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to collaborate effectively across teams, geographies, and time zones

Required Specialized Skills:

• Deep expertise in foundation models, multimodal learning, and VLA / VLAM approaches for automated driving
• Strong background in transformers, vision models, multimodal fusion, and spatio-temporal modeling
• Hands-on experience with PyTorch or equivalent ML frameworks
• Strong experience developing and adapting large-scale ML models for real-world systems
• Experience or strong familiarity with AD/ADAS systems, including end-to-end driving models, world models, or VLA-based architectures
• Strong foundation in model evaluation, error analysis, and generalization across diverse driving scenarios

Desired Skills:

• Experience with imitation learning, offline RL, reinforcement learning, or world-model-based training
• Familiarity with quantization, pruning, distillation, and hardware-aware optimization
• Familiarity with TensorRT, ONNX Runtime, or similar inference frameworks
• Experience deploying models on embedded or automotive-grade hardware
• Experience with simulation and large-scale evaluation pipelines for automated driving
• Understanding of automotive system constraints and safety considerations for ML-based ADAS/AD systems

Workplace Flexibility:

• Calls, virtual meetings, and workshops overlapping with German and US business hours as needed
• Occasional domestic and international travel

Years of Relevant Experience:

• 12+ years of experience in applied machine learning, deep learning, robotics, or automated driving
• 5+ years of experience in one or more of the following: multimodal foundation models, computer vision, reinforcement learning, imitation learning, or AD/ADAS systems
• Strong candidates with equivalent industry experience will be considered

Required Education:

• Master's degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field

Desired Education:

• PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field

Compensation

Salary range is dependent on factors such as geographical differentials, credentials or certifications, industry-based experience, qualification and training. In the city of Mountain View, CA, the salary range for this position is $235,520 - $323,044.

CARIAD, Inc. provides performance based merits and annual bonus along with a competitive benefits package. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401k with employer match and defined contribution plan, short and long term disability, basic life and AD&D insurance, employee assistance program, tuition reimbursement and student loan repayment plans, maternity and non-primary caregiver leave, adoption assistance, employee referral program and vacation and paid holidays. We also offer a unique vehicle lease program that covers registration and insurance fees.