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.
Key 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)
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 → 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
About You
Essential
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
Desirable
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
This role is a full-time role based in Sunnyvale, CA (hybrid) and the reasonably estimated salary for this role ranges from $252,500 to $298,200, plus a competitive equity package. Actual compensation is based on the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. At Wayve we want the best of all worlds so we operate a hybrid working policy that combines time together in our offices and workshops to fuel innovation, culture, relationships and learning, and time spent working from home.