Sr Software Engineer, Android Automotive

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. Waymo Onboard Infrastructure is responsible for low-level software and infrastructure on various components of the Waymo self-driving system. The team's scope covers everything from low-level system software to high-bandwidth data logging, IPC (low-latency and high-throughput), performance analysis, and full-system debugging. We work with the Hardware, Compute, Sensor, Perception, Behavior and Machine Learning teams to build the most performant and low-latency self-driving solution in the industry. We are seeking an experienced Android System Software Engineer to join our team in developing the In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) platform for our next-generation, in-house System-on-Chip (SOC). This role requires a strong foundation in low-level OS fundamentals, embedded software, and a proactive approach to validating and ensuring the hardware meets critical software performance requirements. In this role you will: System Bring-up & Integration: Implement and integrate low-level software, including bootloader configuration, device trees, and kernel porting during the initial hardware bring-up phase. OS/Kernel Development & Optimization: Customize, optimize, and debug the Linux Kernel and relevant parts of the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) for the partner SOC, ensuring robust and efficient operation. Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) Implementation: Develop and maintain reliable Vendor HALs to interface the unique in-house hardware IP (e.g., security modules, power management units, display controllers) with the Android framework. Performance Engineering: Drive system-level performance optimization, including boot time reduction, scheduling tuning, thermal management, and power efficiency based on the SOC's specific architecture. Ambiguity Resolution: Proactively manage and clarify technical requirements for features that are still actively being defined internally, rapidly documenting and stabilizing interfaces for the broader software team. At a minimum, we'd like you to have: Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related technical field. Minimum 3+ years of professional software development experience, with a focus on embedded systems, low-level Android, or OS development. Deep expertise in OS Fundamentals: Strong working knowledge of the Linux Kernel (e.g., device drivers, memory management, IPC, scheduling) and embedded operating systems concepts. Experience Interfacing with Hardware Teams: Proven ability to read hardware specifications (datasheets, block diagrams) and effectively communicate software requirements, providing constructive technical feedback on hardware design choices. Proficiency in C/C++ is essential, along with experience in scripting languages (Python/Shell) for tooling and automation. Solid understanding of Android System Development: Hands-on experience modifying, debugging, and building AOSP, including familiarity with Android HALs, Treble/VNDK, and system debugging tools. Adaptability and Initiative: Demonstrated ability to thrive in an environment where technical specifications are evolving, requiring proactive problem-solving and definition of solutions. It's preferred if you have: Direct experience developing or integrating systems using Andr