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Director Waymo Engineering Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Regional Fleet Readiness Manager - EAST

Washington, DC · On-site

$74K - $100K/yr

Direct experience with autonomous vehicle ecosystems, specifically the integration of compute ... Engineering (WOS/Lean): Experience implementing or refining formal operating systems (e.g., Waymo ...

Director Waymo Engineering information

How does a director of Waymo Engineering typically collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive project success?

As a Director of Waymo Engineering, you will regularly collaborate with product managers, research scientists, operations leads, and UX designers to align technical objectives with overall business goals. This role requires facilitating open communication across teams, removing roadblocks, and ensuring that engineering deliverables meet high standards for safety and innovation. You’ll also participate in strategic planning sessions, balancing technical feasibility with product priorities and regulatory requirements. Effective collaboration and leadership are crucial in fostering a productive, high-performing engineering culture.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director of Waymo Engineering?

To excel as a Director of Waymo Engineering, you need a deep background in software engineering, robotics, and autonomous vehicle technology, typically supported by an advanced degree in engineering or computer science. Familiarity with large-scale distributed systems, machine learning frameworks, and automotive safety standards, as well as experience with project management tools, is essential. Strong leadership, strategic vision, and effective cross-functional communication are crucial soft skills in this role. These competencies ensure the successful development, deployment, and scaling of autonomous driving technologies in a highly competitive and safety-critical industry.

What is the difference between Director Waymo Engineering vs Director Autonomous Vehicle Engineering?

AspectDirector Waymo EngineeringDirector Autonomous Vehicle Engineering
Required CredentialsAdvanced degree in engineering, computer science, or related field; extensive industry experienceSimilar educational background; focus on autonomous vehicle systems
Work EnvironmentLeading teams in autonomous vehicle development at Waymo; R&D and operational settingsOverseeing autonomous vehicle projects, often within automotive or tech companies
Employer & Industry UsagePrimarily at Waymo, within the autonomous vehicle industryVarious automotive and tech companies involved in autonomous vehicle development

While both roles involve leading autonomous vehicle projects, the Director Waymo Engineering specifically focuses on Waymo's proprietary systems and operations, whereas the Director Autonomous Vehicle Engineering may work across multiple companies or projects in the autonomous vehicle industry.

What does a director of Waymo Engineering do?

A Director of Waymo Engineering leads and manages technical teams responsible for the development of autonomous driving technology at Waymo. Their role involves setting strategic goals, ensuring high engineering standards, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver innovative solutions. They also oversee project timelines, allocate resources, and mentor engineering leaders to drive progress. The position requires a deep understanding of both software and hardware systems, as well as experience in large-scale, complex technology projects.
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Regional Fleet Readiness Manager - EAST

Waymo

Washington, DC • On-site

$74K - $100K/yr

Full-time

Posted 14 days ago


Job description

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world's most trusted driver. Since its start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has focused on building the Waymo Driver-The World's Most Experienced Driver™-to improve access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo's fully autonomous ride-hail service and can also be applied to a range of vehicle platforms and product use cases. The Waymo Driver has provided over ten million rider-only trips, enabled by its experience autonomously driving over 100 million miles on public roads and tens of billions in simulation across 15+ U.S. states.
Waymo Operations exists to deliver the Waymo Driver to the world. We are a global team building and scaling the world's first and leading autonomous fleet and operations platform. From component sourcing to end customer management, we enable and create value for Waymo through scaled and orchestrated deployment of the Waymo Driver. At Waymo, we are dedicated to building a culture that promotes collaboration and celebration. We value our team members' unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences and support and encourage all team members to share their ideas to help Waymo better serve the communities in which we operate.
This role follows a hybrid work schedule and reports to the Head of Market Operations - East Region.
You will:
  • Regional Fleet Integration & Scalability: Lead the strategic scale of new EV platforms across multiple Eastern Region markets, prioritizing fleet uptime and platform maturity through rigorous oversight of field integration, high-voltage stabilization, and sensor-health protocols.
  • Technical & Diagnostic Leadership: Provide dotted-line leadership and technical oversight to a multi-site team of Diagnostic Technicians, setting daily priorities and providing technical mentorship to ensure high-quality execution of complex powertrain and AV-stack troubleshooting.
  • Engineering-to-Ops Liaison: Serve as the primary conduit between Hardware/Electrical Engineering and Field Ops, translating systemic technical failures into actionable Standard Work (SW) and driving Root Cause Analysis (RCA).
  • Vendor Management & Workforce Readiness: Demonstrated ability to manage complex service-level agreements (SLAs) while ensuring third-party partners are appropriately staffed and technically trained to support multi-platform EV operations. Experience auditing vendor "Standard Work" and safety certifications is essential.
  • Operational Governance & Automation: Champion the deployment of automated systems and advanced tooling to maximize depot throughput; provide executive-ready reporting on fleet health and maturity to Global Leadership.
  • Supply & Asset Integration: Partner with Supply Management to oversee critical component lifecycles and "just-in-time" part availability, ensuring zero-downtime for mission-critical EV hardware.

You have:
  • Educational Foundation: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial Engineering or a related technical/industrial field.
  • 10+ Years of Industry Experience: Proven track record in large-scale commercial operations, logistics, or hardware manufacturing, with at least 3 years specifically focused on Electric Vehicle (EV) platforms.
  • NPI & Scaling Success: Demonstrated experience taking a vehicle platform or complex hardware product from the NPI phase through to stable, commercial-scale field deployment.
  • Vendor Management Excellence: Proven ability to manage complex service-level agreements (SLAs) and drive vendor accountability through data-driven performance audits.
  • Analytical Rigor: Advanced ability to interpret telemetry data, diagnostic codes (DTCs), dashboarding and fleet metrics to identify operational gaps and mitigate market-level risks.
  • Project Leadership: Experience managing multiple high-stakes technical projects simultaneously in a high-velocity environment (e.g., retrofits, software-defined hardware updates).

We prefer:
  • AV Industry Fluency: Direct experience with autonomous vehicle ecosystems, specifically the integration of compute/sensing suites with EV powertrains.
  • Process Engineering (WOS/Lean): Experience implementing or refining formal operating systems (e.g., Waymo Operating System or Lean Manufacturing) to reduce operational drag.
  • High-Voltage Safety: Advanced knowledge of EV safety standards and the ability to design/manage safe workspaces for high-voltage battery service.
  • Change Management Leadership: Skilled in navigating organizational restructuring and leading teams through the "fluid" environment of a scaling startup.
  • Relationship Building: Ability to build and manage relationships, engage in-person, and foster cross-functional communication and alignment.
  • Strategic Decision-Making: Skilled in analytical and critical thinking, problem-solving, risk assessment, management, and long-term planning and prioritization.

Travel Requirements:
  • Primarily domestic travel, accounting for 30% of the time, with very minimal international trips.

The expected base salary range for this full-time position across US locations is listed below. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the role location or, if the role can be performed remote, the specific salary range for your preferred location, during the hiring process.
Waymo employees are also eligible to participate in Waymo's discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.
Salary Range
$159,000-$196,000 USD