Director, Application Engineering, US

The posting, as Wayve wrote it

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

Our Application Software Engineering teams bring Wayve’s core AI and autonomous driving technology into production vehicles. Working at the intersection of AI and autonomy, vehicle engineering and our automotive partners, the team turns advances in our core technology into safe, reliable, production-ready driving capabilities across different vehicles, platforms and markets.

As Director of Application Software, US, you will lead and grow the US engineering organisation responsible for this work, building a strong technical bridge between Wayve’s core engineering teams and our OEM customers.

🧠 YOUR DAY-TO-DAY

You will lead the engineering organisation responsible for applying Wayve’s AI Driver to customer vehicle programmes, from technical definition through integration, validation, release and production. You will work closely with our AI, autonomy, vehicle, product, safety and validation teams, while partnering directly with senior engineering leaders at our automotive customers.

This is a highly collaborative technical leadership role. You do not need to be the specialist in every part of the technology stack, but you will need the technical judgement to connect AI and autonomy with vehicle systems, make thoughtful engineering trade-offs and create an environment where great engineering teams can succeed.

🧩 WHAT YOU’LL BE WORKING ON

• Lead and grow our US Application Software organisation, developing senior engineers, technical leaders and engineering managers.
• Own how Wayve’s core AI and autonomous driving technology is applied to customer vehicle programmes, from technical definition through integration, validation, release and production.
• Guide the development and delivery of new ADAS and autonomous driving capabilities across machine learning, autonomy, vehicle systems and application software.
• Create a strong technical bridge between Wayve’s core engineering teams and our OEM customers, ensuring vehicle and customer requirements are reflected in engineering priorities.
• Provide technical and architectural leadership across autonomous driving, ML-enabled systems, embedded software, vehicle integration and deployment.
• Partner closely with AI, autonomy, product, safety, validation, release and systems engineering teams to solve complex technical challenges and deliver high-quality customer outcomes.
• Turn learning from individual customer programmes into reusable components, engineering practices and integration approaches that accelerate future deployments.
• Build trusted relationships with senior engineering stakeholders at our automotive

[…]
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. https://wayve.ai/careers/ To learn more about what drives us, visit Values at Wayve https://wayve.ai/careers/

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.