Triage Operator & Software Developer

Source One is a consulting services company and we’re currently looking for the following individual to work as a consultant for our direct client, an autonomous vehicle company in Palo Alto, CA.** We are unable to work with third-party companies for this role.Title: Triage Operator & Software Developer (Contract)Work Environment: 100% onsiteCompensation: $50 -$68/hour (W-2) plus benefitsSummary: Investigate autonomous vehicle (AV) issues across on-road and simulation environments and contribute targeted bug fixes to a production C++ autonomy codebase. This role combines autonomous vehicle issue triage, data analysis, root-cause investigation, and hands-on C++ software development. The ideal candidate can analyze complex vehicle and simulation data, trace issues through a large autonomy software stack, implement reliable fixes, and collaborate effectively with vehicle operations and engineering teams.Key Responsibilities:Autonomous Vehicle Triage- Analyze on-road and simulation data, including logs, video, sensor data, and metadata, to identify and investigate AV issues.- Categorize and prioritize issues consistently across triage workflows.- Correlate on-road incidents with corresponding simulation scenarios to support reproduction, regression testing, and improved test coverage.- Distinguish between simulation tooling/environment issues and autonomous vehicle stack behavior.- Route issues to the appropriate engineering or operations teams.Root-Cause Analysis & Software Development- Navigate and investigate a large production C++ autonomy codebase to identify the root causes of issues.- Trace problems through relevant autonomy modules, including perception, planning, and controls.- Develop targeted C++ bug fixes to address identified issues.- Submit pull requests following established development, contribution, and code-review standards.- Participate in code reviews and incorporate technical feedback to maintain software quality and system stability.Cross-Functional Collaboration- Work closely with Vehicle Operations, Simulation Operations, and engineering teams across perception, planning, controls, and infrastructure.- Communicate technical findings and issue context to engineering stakeholders.- Support issue prioritization, ownership, routing, investigation, and resolution.- Maintain a working understanding of the autonomous driving and simulation platforms.Required Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related Engineering/STEM field.- 2+ years of experience triaging autonomous vehicle issues in on-road and/or simulation environments.- 5+ years of experience in data science or a related technical field, or equivalent high-caliber academic/project experience for qualified recent graduates.- Hands-on C++ programming experience in a production software environment.- Experience navigating and debugging large software codebases.- Experience developing, testing, and submitting software fixes through pull requests.- Strong root-cause analysis and problem-solving skills.- Ability to trace complex issues across software modules such as perception, planning, and controls.- Strong analytical skills and experience working with complex logs, sensor data, video, metadata, or simulation outputs.- Ability to work effectively across operations and engineering teams.- Willingness and ability to work 100% onsite in Palo Alto, CA, 40 hours per week.Preferred Qualifications- Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Robotics, or a related field.- Experience with CI/CD and GitHub Actions.- Knowledge of machine learning and its application to autonomous driving systems.- Experience with autonomous driving simulation and regression testing.- Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary AV engineering teams.