Sr Software Engineer, ML & Data Science

We are CARIAD, an automotive software development team with the Volkswagen Group. Our mission is to make the automotive experience safer, more sustainable, more comfortable, more digital, and more fun. To achieve that we are building the leading tech stack for the automotive industry and creating a unified software platform for over 10 million new vehicles per year. We’re looking for talented, digital minds like you to help us create code that moves the world. Together with you, we’ll build outstanding digital experiences and products for all Volkswagen Group brands that will transform mobility. Join us as we shape the future of the car and everyone around it.

​Role Summary:

The Sr. Software Engineer specializes in Machine Learning and Data Science techniques to bring actional insights to business solutions.  This role is embedded in a software development team with the focus on providing technical and scientific leadership in conceptualizing, hypothesizing, validating and fine-tuning models leveraging disparate and large datasets.  This individual is responsible for end-to-end delivery including production operations.

Role Responsibilities:

Strategic Work 

• Educate and inform yourself and team members about emerging technologies, trends and opportunities
• Continually participate in visioning exercises and help guide the innovation strategy for CARIAD, Inc.
• Identify and integrate cutting-edge tools and technologies into business applications, refining tech stacks and methods

Machine Learning Application Development 

• Design and implement scalable machine learning and data science solutions.
• Develop, prototype, and evaluate machine learning models and algorithms.
• Build and maintain data pipelines for structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data.
• Develop RESTful services and microservices to support ML models and business applications.
• Write and maintain high-quality Python code within a production-grade coding environment.
• Conduct rigorous code reviews, ensuring adherence to best practices in test-driven development (TDD) and agile methodologies.

Product Delivery and Operations 

• Own and maintain production ML models and applications, ensuring performance, reliability, and scalability.
• Optimize system performance, including handling large datasets and distributed computing frameworks like Spark and Databricks.
• Work with cloud-based infrastructures (AWS, Azure, or GCP) to deploy and monitor production workloads.
• Improve system security, storage, networking, and overall operational resilience.
• Troubleshoot, debug, and optimize production services, reducing technical debt and ensuring stability.
• Document deployments, proactively manage risks, and collaborate with stakeholders to ensure seamless operations.

​General Skills:

• Analytical and conceptual thinking – using logic and reason, creative and strategic
• Outstanding problem-solving, troubleshooting and application debugging capabilities
• Communication skills – interpersonal, presentation and written
• Resource management
• Strong attention to detail
• Highly motivated, flexible, with a mature and positive attitude
• A passion for working with peers and customers to help resolve deep customer technical issues on Microsoft, Third Party, and Open-Source technologies.
• A drive and desire to learn and grow yourself and others through proactive knowledge sharing
• Strong and effective verbal/written communication and listening skills for collaboration and working with customers and peers
• Strong organization and prioritization skills, with the capacity for driving quality impacts for customers and/or stakeholders
• An overall passion for technology and for the business and customer value it drives and the desire to help others learn through proactive knowledge sharing activities
• Ability and willingness to quickly ramp up on multiple technology areas as needed

​Required Specialized Skills:

• Proficiency with Python and working in a production coding environment
• Experience with data architecture and manipulation, including data pipelines and handling structured, semi-structured, and unstructured data
• Experience working with large datasets and distributed computing, hands-on experience with Databricks, Spark or similar frameworks for working with large datasets
• Experience with building, prototyping and evaluating machine learning models and algorithms
• Systems programming experience, proven ability to solve hard problems (scale, perf, reliability)
• Ability to rapidly prototype and test functionality
• Experience with one Public Cloud Technology (i.e. Amazon, Azure, Google, etc.)
• Expertise in SQL and querying large-scale datasets; familiarity with NoSQL and graph databases is a bonus
• Experience with cloud technologies including storage, security, networking etc.
• Experience with developing RESTful services and Microservices
• Experience with agile and test-driven development methodologies (SAFe, JIRA)

​Desired Skills:

• DevOps and CI/CD tool chains (i.e. Jenkins, Terraform, Spinnaker, Azure developer services, GitHub)
• Container orchestration systems (i.e. Docker, Kubernetes, Red Hat OpenShift, Cloud Foundry, Azure Kubernetes Service, GitHub).
• Proven experience designing, building and optimizing supervised, unsupervised, and deep learning models at scale
• Proven experience in solving unstructured and non-standard mathematical problems
• Ability to stay abreast of the latest findings in the field, new technologies, and best practices
• Experience in delivering services in the Mobility Space

​Workplace Flexibility:

• 10% business travel(domestic and international)
• Frequent early morning collaboration with colleagues in different time zones

​Years of Relevant Experience:

• 6+ years of experiencewith Machine Learning models and working with large data sets
• 2+ years’ experience working in production code

​Required Education:

• B.S. in Computer Science or equivalent work experience 

​Desired Education: 

• Master’s or PhD in Computer Science (or equivalent education) 

Compensation

Salary range is dependent on factors such as geographical differentials, credentials or certifications, industry-based experience, qualification and training. In the city of Mountain View, CA, the salary range for this position is 145,000 - 202,333.

CARIAD, Inc. provides performance based merits and annual bonus along with a competitive benefits package. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401k with employer match and defined contribution plan, short and long term disability, basic life and AD&D insurance, employee assistance program, tuition reimbursement and student loan repayment plans, maternity and non-primary caregiver leave, adoption assistance, employee referral program and vacation and paid holidays. We also offer a unique vehicle lease program that covers registration and insurance fees. 

CARIAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds, and do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, color, gender identity/expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws.