Field Engineer Lead

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.  

About us   

Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology.  Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems.

Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward.  Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving. 

In our fast-paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future.

At Wayve, your contributions matter.  We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact.  

Make Wayve the experience that defines your career!  

The role

The Field Engineering Lead serves as the on-site leader, responsible for rapid fault diagnosis and resolution of vehicle software and hardware issues to keep the fleet operational. They will oversee and support field engineers, ensuring a 5-minute response time and providing a fix to get the vehicles back on the road as quickly as possible, within reason, depending on the issue at hand. 

This role demands hands-on leadership, seamless coordination with global teams, and participation in an on-call rotation to provide 24/7 support across locations. As a key contributor to a new Fleet Operations function, the Field Engineering Lead will play a pivotal role in shaping processes and driving efficiency in a fast-paced environment.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead on-site fault triage and resolution, ensuring vehicle software and hardware issues are diagnosed and repaired swiftly to maintain fleet uptime.
• Collaborate - Work closely with the Reliability Engineering team (and wider teams)  to triage and mitigate new issues new features are added and new tools are created
• Develop and enforce structured processes for fault diagnosis, repair protocols, and operational workflows within the newly established Field Engineering function.
• Oversee and support field engineers, providing hands-on leadership, technical guidance, and ensuring seamless collaboration across global teams.
• Ensure rapid response and resolution, meeting the 15-minute issue response and one-hour repair SLA to keep vehicles operational.
• Manage global operational handovers, maintaining open communication with the Head of Field Engineering and ensuring smooth transitions across geographical locations.
• Coordinate on-call support and shift coverage, ensuring round-the-clock technical assistance and problem-solving across multiple regions.
• Uphold strict safety and compliance standards, ensuring all fault triage, diagnosis, and repairs follow the correct protocols and approvals.
• Continuously Improvement, identifying areas for improvement and optimizing field engineering support across all geographical locations.

About you

In order to set you up for success as a Field Engineering Lead at Wayve, we’re looking for the following skills and experience.  

Essential:

• Full German driving licence.
• Lead by example, inspiring and guiding a team of Field Engineers to efficiently triage, troubleshoot, and resolve hardware, software, and automotive system issues.
• Take full ownership of the field engineering function within their respective location, ensuring operational excellence.
• Strong knowledge of vehicle diagnostics, fault triage, and repair processes, with experience in fleet operations, automotive systems, or ADAS technology being a plus.
• Skilled in process development, resource allocation, and workflow efficiency to meet strict SLAs (5-minute response time, 90% vehicle uptime on average).
• Excellent ability to coordinate with global teams, provide clear technical guidance, and ensure seamless handovers between locations.
• Deep understanding of safety protocols, incident management, and strict adherence to operational procedures.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment, including participation in on-call rotations and weekend coverage when required.
• Fluent in German and English

Desirable: 

• Background in Automotive, DevOps, or Infrastructure – Experience in vehicle systems, software deployment, or cloud-based monitoring is highly beneficial.
• Knowledge of ADAS and Autonomous Vehicle Technology – Familiarity with sensor systems, vehicle diagnostics, and real-world testing environments is a plus.
• Experience in System Troubleshooting and Optimisation – Ability to diagnose and resolve issues across hardware, software, and networked vehicle systems efficiently.

Additional Requirements:

• This role is based onsite at our office in Leonberg  - Monday to Friday role during core working hours, though occasional weekend availability may be required for high-priority events, with lieu time provided.
• All applications are required to disclose any second job as part of the application process.
• All applications will be subject to a health check before/after. 
• Employment is contingent upon passing training and pre-employment checks.

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Wayve is committed to creating an inclusive interview experience. If you require any accommodations or adjustments to participate fully in our interview process, please let us know

We understand that everyone has a unique set of skills and experiences and that not everyone will meet all of the requirements listed above. If you’re passionate about self-driving cars and think you have what it takes to make a positive impact on the world, we encourage you to apply.

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.