Software programmer Jobs in Santa Clara, CA

Before the detail, here's the challenge you'd help us solve.

We build the embodied intelligence that moves real vehicles safely, and the ecosystem a billion machines will run on in the future. Very few people in AI can say this. Every role here, whatever the team, plugs into that.

Here’s what this particular role covers.

?️ About our Engineering Teams

Wayve’s Robot Software team builds the onboard software used by our development fleet to enable autonomous driving and collect the data needed to train new driving models. The OS team curates Wayve’s bespoke Linux and QNX distributions and works closely with hardware, supply chain, field engineering, reliability, and other Robot Software teams.

You’ll help deliver a reliable, stable, and flexible operating-system platform that lets model developers and scientists iterate quickly while supporting new vehicles, sensors, peripherals, and product features.

? Your day-to-day

• Build and maintain embedded Linux and QNX platform software, kernels, and device drivers.

• Work with product, program, hardware, and engineering stakeholders to choose and deliver the right solutions.

• Develop high-quality C and C++ software that is observable and debuggable on remotely operated vehicles.

• Diagnose performance problems involving stack traces, core dumps, disk I/O, CPU load, memory, devices, and threading.

• Improve fault tolerance, diagnostics, testing, documentation, tooling, and ease of use.

• Mentor teammates and contribute to a strong engineering culture.

? What you’ll be working on

• Wayve’s embedded Linux distribution, including Yocto, kernel configuration, device trees, boot sequence, and secure boot.

• Linux kernel and device-driver support for new sensors, peripherals, and compute platforms.

• High-throughput IPC middleware for robotics applications.

• Robust diagnostics and remote debugging for vehicles with limited connectivity.

• Stable platform software that supports rapid on-road experimentation and fleet operation.

• Integration across NVIDIA Jetson, NVIDIA DRIVE, QNX, and future vehicle-compute platforms.

? You should apply if

• You have strong C and C++ experience building high-performance embedded Linux system software.

• You understand the full development lifecycle, from design through delivery and optimisation.

• You have hands-on knowledge of embedded Linux kernels, device trees, Yocto, boot flows, or user-space systems software.

• You can debug complex performance and reliability problems across system layers.

• You understand IPC mechanisms and middleware used in high-throughput robotics systems.

• You care about testing, documentation, observability, maintainability, and collaboration.

Experience with NVIDIA robotics or automotive platforms, QNX or another RTOS, secure boot, or ROS-style frameworks would be valuable.

? Not ticking every box? That’s totally okay! If you’re passionate about autonomy and keen to learn, we encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every requirement.

More about Wayve:

? Wayve is building the leading AI platform for autonomous driving. We are pioneering an end to end AI approach that enables vehicles to learn directly from real world experience, developing the ability to adapt, generalise and improve at scale. Instead of relying on hand coded rules or pre mapped environments, our AI Driver learns to drive by understanding the world around it. The result is technology that navigates complex urban environments with intelligence, precision and natural flow, unlocking meaningful advances in both safety and efficiency. We believe autonomy represents a once in a generation transformation in how people and goods move, comparable to the shift from horses to cars, and from human driven vehicles to intelligent machines.

Our ambition is to make autonomy universal. Wayve’s mapless and hardware agnostic AI platform integrates with global OEM partners, enabling continuous software evolution and unlocking advanced levels of automation from L2 plus through to L4 as our core AI model scales. In a race increasingly defined by intelligence and real world learning, Wayve is taking a distinct approach, building a generalisable driving intelligence that can power any vehicle, anywhere. By combining embodied AI with scalable deployment, we are creating technology that can be shaped to each OEM brand and driver experience, accelerating the transition to a safer, more intelligent future of mobility.

How we work ?- Locations & Flexible Working:

Our main hubs are in London, Sunnyvale, Yokohama, Herzliya, Vancouver and Leonberg. We operate a hybrid working model that combines in-person collaboration in our dedicated office spaces with focused time working remotely. This gives our teams the connection and energy of working together, alongside the flexibility to do their best work in a way that fits their lives.

? The Interview Process:

Our process is clear and respectful of your time:

• Initial recruiter screen — 25 mins

• Competency Interviews — Programming and technical domain interviews (2 hours)

• Deep-dive technical interviews — Programming, software design, and hiring-manager/team fit interviews (3 hours)

• Final interview: Mission & values alignment (1 hour)

We’ll always explain the format and work around your availability.

What’s in it for you (Location dependant):

? Salaries benchmarked against the market annually
? Meaningful equity, sharing in the ownership and long term success of Wayve
✈️ Relocation support and visa sponsorship where applicable
✅ Hybrid working, core hours and the chance to work hands on in vehicle workshops and labs
? Learning and development budgets with support for training, conferences and growth
? Comprehensive benefits including health insurance, dental, enhanced maternity and paternity leave, retirement or pension where applicable, access to therapists, wellbeing partnerships, team socials and more

A quick, honest note before you apply.

Wayve is not a mature, fully-structured place with the playbook already written. Much of how we work is still being written, and if you join, you’ll help write it. That suits people who want real ownership more than people who need a settled structure from day one.

If that sounds like the kind of problem you want to spend your time on, we’d really like to hear from you.

At Wayve we're committed to creating a diverse, fair and respectful culture that is inclusive of everyone based on their unique skills and perspectives, and regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis as protected by applicable law.

For more information visit Careers at Wayve. To learn more about what drives us, visit Values at Wayve

DISCLAIMER: We will not ask about marriage or pregnancy, care responsibilities or disabilities in any of our job adverts or interviews. However, we do look to capture information about care responsibilities, and disabilities among other diversity information as part of an optional DEI Monitoring form to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring process and ensure that the process is inclusive and non-discriminatory.

Retribuzione: $275K – $293K • Offers Equity