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Google is hiring test drivers for its self-driving cars project in Arizona to monitor software systems and provide feedback to the firm’s engineering teams.

The job ad, which can be found here, promises work on “cutting edge technology” and requires successful candidates to “develop a unique set of operational skills using vehicles running proprietary software and hardware.” The drivers will work in teams with one of them in the passenger seat taking notes on a laptop.

Brian Torcellini, head of operations for Google's Self-Driving Car testing program, told AZCentral: “Test drivers play an important role in developing our self-driving technology. They give our engineers feedback about how our cars are driving and interacting with others on the road, and can take control of the vehicle if needed.”

Employees will work on 12 to 24 month contracts in Chandler, Arizona, and will operate the vehicles for six to eight hours a day. The work will involve recording how the vehicle responds and reacts to various traffic situations.

Torcellini added: “The role of test driver is so new that there isn’t a particular type of person that we look for. We’ve hired people from all types of backgrounds, from English teachers to orbital welders. In general, they need to be excellent drivers who pay really close attention to the road and can predict the social aspects of driving. Local drivers will be great for testing in the Phoenix area because they know the roads and local driving norms better.”

A research note from IHS Automotive in November argued that Google is the current technological leader when it comes to self-driving software, while in February the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) provisionally granted approval for the tech giant’s self-driving vehicles.