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# Senior Staff Machine Learning Engineer, LLM/VLM Model Architecture & Optimization

- **Company:** Waymo LLC
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $298,000.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Computer Vision, Big Data, Computer Engineering, Machine Learning, Motion Planning, Software Engineering, Pytorch, Large Language Models, Deep Learning, Information Technology, Low Latency, Hardware Acceleration
- **Published:** June 23, 2026
- **Apply:** https://diversityjobs.com/career/17350687/Senior-Staff-Machine-Learning-Engineer-Llm-Vlm-Model-Architecture-Optimization-California-San-Francisco

## About the Role

* 7+ years of experience in Machine Learning, with a focus on large-scale model development (LLM, VLM, or similar foundation models).
 * Proven expertise in low-latency on-device inference techniques and a deep understanding of hardware acceleration.
 * Extensive experience with deep learning frameworks (e.g. PyTorch, JAX) and large-scale model training.
 * A track record of operating effectively under ambiguity, setting direction amid rapidly evolving research and technical constraints
 * Experience applying large language models or foundation models in complex, safety-critical domains (e.g., autonomy, robotics, or other high-reliability systems)
 * Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

We prefer:

 * Familiarity with large-scale data curation and quality assurance processes for multimodal datasets.
 * Background in autonomous vehicle perception, motion planning, or decision-making systems.
 * Publications in top-tier machine learning or computer vision conferences (e.g., NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR, ICCV, ECCV).
 * PhD in a relevant field.

The expected base salary range for this full-time position across US locations is listed below. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the role location or, if the role can be performed remote, the specific salary range for your preferred location, during the hiring process.

## Description

* Design VLM/LLM model architecture and drive strong alignment between model architectures and hardware architectures.
 * Optimize model performance for on-device use cases (memory, power, compute constrained environments).
 * Engage directly with research, software engineering, hardware engineering, and product teams to deliver end-to-end solutions.


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