Director of Data Science

Role overview A director-level data science leadership role for the Systems Readiness and Performance function in an autonomous driving program. The position turns large-scale fleet and simulation data into rigorous statistical evidence that supports vehicle launch readiness and safety decisions, partnering across autonomy, infrastructure, and operations teams.

Responsibilities - Run rapid operational analytics on emergent fleet issues, converting real-time data into launch-critical insights. - Build advanced exposure models that evaluate vehicle safety and performance across varied environmental conditions and operational design domains. - Serve as the primary analytical partner for perception, prediction, and planning teams, framing methodology and interpreting results. - Distill raw telemetry into executive-level artifacts, including strategy documents, dashboards, and visualizations. - Lead and grow a dedicated team of four, building a culture that balances analytical speed with scientific rigor.

Requirements - 10+ years leading data science or applied AI/ML initiatives, with at least 5 years scaling programs for autonomous driving, robotics, or other safety-critical systems. - Master's or PhD in data science, computer science, robotics, mathematics, physics, or another highly quantitative discipline. - Deep expertise in statistical analysis, density estimation, hypothesis testing, uncertainty quantification, and causal reasoning. - Mastery of Python, SQL, and data science infrastructure, plus working knowledge of modern sequence modeling (Transformers) and compute frameworks such as Ray or AWS. - Track record of converting ambiguous real-world performance questions into structured metrics and solution architectures. - Strong communication and cross-functional influence, with experience presenting technical trade-offs to engineering peers and C-suite leaders.

Nice to have - Background designing reward functions or applying Inverse Reinforcement Learning for driving intent, assertiveness, or comfort evaluation. - Familiarity with physical AI ecosystems, open-weights Vision-Language models, or raw-telemetry pipelines without text-translation bottlenecks. - Direct experience evaluating onboard perception, prediction, or motion planning subsystems.

Benefits and work setup Salary range of $288,000 to $396,000 USD, with eligibility for bonus or equity. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, health savings accounts, life insurance, and pet insurance.