Overview

Who we are

Toyota Research & Development is racing toward a new future of mobility with a diverse team to help us enhance and design products to help people move. Headquartered in Michigan, the research hub of America, we offer competitive salaries, amazing benefits, leadership which prioritizes growth and development, and the chance to play a substantial role in our constant pursuit of innovation and advanced technology. Join an inclusive team environment that puts “respect for people” first, with long-term career opportunities within R&D or across Toyota’s enterprise.

Who we’re looking for
 

Toyota’s Information Technology Lab is looking for a passionate and highly motivated Principal Researcher for conducting research on data platforms & related software and systems for next-gen mobility service platforms.

The primary responsibility of this role is to research new and emerging data technologies and to develop new data platform capabilities for mobility and connected technologies. The person in this role will participate in the R&D activities to build and advance software-defined data infrastructure.

Reporting to the General Manager & Director, the person in this role will support the Infrastructure and Data Platform Department's objective to develop a next-generation data platform capable of handling millions of vehicles and provide MaaS (Mobility as a Service).

What you’ll be doing

• Define research goals & tasks for data platform technology.
• Develops and researches emerging new technologies that could enhance performance and lower costs including but not limited to databases, data access, data security, data encryption, data management, etc.
• Define your own research tasks to advance the state-of-the-art data architecture and platform for 2025 data platforms and beyond.
• Outreach to open source community, monitor technology trends, and propose new data infrastructure solutions for mobility.
• Develop innovative ideas and solutions for data domains that deliver
  • Better Performance and Scalability
  • Lower cost and reduce latency
  • High Availability and Redundancy
  • Observability and Reliability
  • Encryption, Security, etc.
• Conduct PoC and benchmarks to compare performance, costs, and other criteria.
• Establish research collaborations with leading experts in universities and industry consortiums.
• Mentoring and training junior researchers in-group/department-wide.
• Technology transfer ITL research to advanced development or valuable business contribution to the company.
• Obtain patents and publish research in prestigious journals and conferences.
• Regularly champion research and present/influence to VP and GVP level and show technology domain expertise.

What you bring

• Ph.D. in Computer Science, Math, Statistics, or related field.
• Research experience with data infrastructure, platform development, IoT, etc.
• Experience with building cloud/edge framework with on-device and off-device compute for IoT.
• Experience with advanced data platforms, distributed cloud systems & architecture including data management, data ingestion, data analytics, data processing, data observability for infrastructure, data normalization, clustering, logs, tools, monitoring, etc.
• Expertise in data and ML infrastructure technologies including:  Tensorflow, Python, Pytorch, Kafka, Spark, S3, Kubernetes, Databricks, Hadoop, Redshift, BigQuery, R and more
• Track record of researching data infrastructure including patents and publications.
• Experienced contributor for driving standards (e.g. IEEE, NIST, etc).
• Hands-on working experience with cloud services.
• PoC and Benchmarking experience in data and/or infrastructure.
• Cloud Architect Certification is preferred with experience with cloud environments like AWS, GCP, and Azure.
• Experience in developing architectures for data services.
• Managed research projects, e.g., planning, reporting, and managing time/team/outside collaborators.
• Well-developed interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to respond professionally in all types of situations.

Added bonus if you have

• Ph.D. in Engineering (e.g. Computer Science, Mechanical, Electrical, etc) or related field.
• Corporate lab setting with a proven track record of cross-functional collaboration and achievements experience.
• Key components of IoT, edge, distributed cloud architecture with emphasis on connected systems.
• Experience in proof-of-concept (PoC) prototyping for connected cars and IoT systems.
• Experienced with prototyping and cloud bulk data ingestion techniques (e.g. AWS, Spark, Kafka).
• Programming experience with Python, Rust, and embedded systems (e.g. NVIDIA Jetson, Arduino, etc).
• Working experience and knowledge of connecting car architecture and vehicle compute requirements.
• Broad knowledge of Computer Systems, Software engineering, and Embedded Systems.
• Experience working and communicating in multicultural and multinational companies.
• Toyota experience.

What we’ll bring

During your interview process, our team can fill you in on all the details of our industry-leading benefits and career development opportunities. A few highlights include:

• A work environment built on teamwork, flexibility, and respect.
• Professional growth and development programs to help advance your career, as well as tuition reimbursement.
• Vehicle purchase & lease programs.
• Comprehensive health care and wellness plans for your entire family.
• Flextime and virtual work options (if applicable).
• Toyota 401(k) Savings Plan featuring a company match, as well as an annual retirement contribution from Toyota regardless of whether you contribute.
• Paid holidays and paid time off.
• Referral services related to prenatal services, adoption, childcare, schools, and more.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Relocation assistance (if applicable).

The expected base pay range for this position is $163,280.00 - $265,330.00 per year.

Belonging at Toyota

Our success begins and ends with our people. We embrace diverse perspectives and value unique human experiences. Respect for all is our North Star. Toyota is proud to have 10+ different Business Partnering Groups across 100 different North American chapter locations that support team members’ efforts to dream, do and grow without questioning that they belong. As a company that has been one of DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity and a member of The Billion Dollar Roundtable supporting minority and woman-owned suppliers for over 10 years, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer that celebrates the diversity of the communities where we live and do business. 

Applicants for our positions are considered without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, religion, military or veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by law.

Have a question or need assistance with your application?  Check out the How to Apply section of our careers page on Toyota.com or send an email to [email protected]