Principal Engineer - Evaluation & Simulation

About the Role

As a Principal Engineer in Evaluation & Simulation, you will drive the architectural vision and technical strategy for AV Labs' large-scale virtual testing, research, and validation platforms. In this critical leadership role, you will design and scale high-fidelity, closed-loop simulation frameworks that seamlessly combine raw and synthetic sensor data and behavioral models to rigorously evaluate state-of-the-art autonomous capabilities across millions of virtual miles. Operating as a key technical multiplier, you will define deterministic performance metrics, pioneer the generation of complex edge-case scenarios, and collaborate directly with cross-functional research teams. You aren't just building a testing environment; you are building the core evaluation infrastructure that accelerates AI research and sets the standard for uncompromising safety benchmarking across the broader AV ecosystem.

What You’ll Do

• Strategic Simulation Architecture: Lead the technical roadmap for our large-scale, cloud-based simulation platform, ensuring it can efficiently scale to run millions of closed-loop scenarios and validate complex urban edge cases
• High-Fidelity Virtual Validation: Design and oversee the implementation of advanced simulation frameworks that integrate sensor data (LiDAR, camera, radar), cutting-edge neural rendering, and highly realistic traffic agent behaviors
• Metrics & Scenario Generation: Define the deterministic and probabilistic evaluation metrics used to score autonomous behavior. Pioneer the systems used for procedural and data-driven generation of rare, long-tail edge-case scenarios
• End-to-End System Integration: Act as the crucial bridge between simulation infrastructure and the core ML stack, ensuring seamless integration so that onboard models can be trained, tested, and validated in highly accurate virtual environments prior to field deployment
• Technical Mentorship & Influence: Mentor senior and lead engineers, fostering a culture of rigorous software architecture, testing, and engineering excellence. You will influence the technical direction of multiple infrastructure and autonomy teams

What You’ll Need

• 10+ years of working experience in Software Engineering, Autonomous Systems, Simulation, or Robotics
• Proven experience leading the architecture and delivery of large-scale distributed systems or complex simulation platforms from conception to production
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related fields
• Expert-level proficiency in C++ and Python within Linux environments
• Deep expertise in high-performance computing, system optimization, and cloud architecture (AWS, GCP, etc.)

Bonus Points If

• Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Computer Science, Robotics, or a related technical field
• Extensive experience building AV simulation platforms, rendering engines, or complex video game engines (e.g., Unreal Engine, Unity, custom C++ engines)
• Deep understanding of sensor modeling (Camera, LiDAR, Radar) and vehicle kinematics
• Recognized expertise in the field (e.g., relevant patents, open-source contributions, or publications)

About the Team

Uber is launching AV Labs to accelerate the autonomous technology ecosystem. We're building out a high-velocity team of multi-disciplinary experts to turn real-world operations into high-quality data for our autonomous partners. This team is focused on the hardest problem in AV today: unlocking real-world, long-tail driving data. Autonomy is now a data race—and Uber has an edge: We collect rare, real-world driving data at a scale and capital efficiency no one else can match.

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For San Francisco, CA-based roles: The base salary range for this role is USD$302,000 per year - USD$336,000 per year.

For Sunnyvale, CA-based roles: The base salary range for this role is USD$302,000 per year - USD$336,000 per year.

For all US locations, you will be eligible to participate in Uber's bonus program, and may be offered an equity award & other types of comp. All full-time employees are eligible to participate in a 401(k) plan. You will also be eligible for various benefits. More details can be found at the following link https://jobs.uber.com/en/benefits.

Ready to Ride?

This isn't the kind of place where you follow a playbook — it's where you help write one. If you're driven by impact, energized by challenge, and ready to shape how the world moves — we'd love to hear from you.

You may be eligible for bonuses, equity, and other compensation, as well as a range of benefits. Explore our benefits.

Offices remain key to collaboration and Uber's culture. Unless approved for full remote work, employees must spend at least 50% of their time in-office. Some roles, like those at greenlight hubs, require full-time in-office presence. Ask your Recruiter for details about this role's requirements.

Uber is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing this form.