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60 Waymo Technical Lead Jobs Hiring Near You

Technical Lead Manager, Planner Tech 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 ...

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Waymo Jobs Information

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Technical Lead, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Technical Lead, you need strong expertise in software development, architecture design, and experience leading engineering teams, often backed by a relevant degree and years of hands-on coding. Familiarity with project management tools (like Jira), version control systems (such as Git), and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure) is typically required. Outstanding communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills help a Technical Lead effectively guide teams and bridge technical and business goals. These skills are crucial for delivering quality solutions, aligning team efforts, and ensuring project success in dynamic tech environments.

How does a Technical Lead typically balance hands-on technical work with team leadership responsibilities?

Technical Leads often divide their time between actively contributing to codebases and providing guidance to their development teams. While they may still participate in design, code reviews, and complex problem-solving, a significant part of their role involves mentoring team members, facilitating communication, and ensuring alignment with project goals. Successful Technical Leads establish clear priorities, delegate effectively, and foster collaboration across cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality solutions. Balancing these responsibilities requires strong organizational skills and a focus on both technical excellence and team development.

What are Technical Leads?

Technical Leads, often called Tech Leads, are experienced professionals who oversee the technical aspects of a software development team or project. They help guide the team's technical direction, make key architectural decisions, and ensure best practices in coding and development are followed. In addition to hands-on programming, Technical Leads mentor team members, coordinate with stakeholders, and often bridge the gap between management and engineering. Their role is crucial in delivering high-quality software efficiently and aligning technical efforts with business goals.

What job pays 400,000 a year without a degree?

High-level roles such as certain senior software engineers, cloud architects, or specialized sales executives can earn $400,000 annually without a formal degree, often requiring extensive experience, technical skills, and certifications. These positions typically involve leadership, advanced technical knowledge, or high-value client interactions in technology or sales environments.

What is the difference between Technical Lead vs Software Engineer?

AspectTechnical LeadSoftware Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or higher in CS or related field; often some leadership experienceBachelor's or higher in CS or related field
Work EnvironmentLeads technical projects, collaborates with teams, and guides developmentDevelops software, writes code, and implements features
Employer & Industry UsageUsed across tech companies, startups, and large enterprisesCommon in all software development settings

The main difference is that a Technical Lead oversees technical aspects and guides teams, while a Software Engineer focuses on coding and implementing solutions. The Technical Lead has more leadership responsibilities, whereas the Software Engineer concentrates on technical execution.

What is it like to work at Waymo?

Waymo is a technology company that values innovation, collaboration, and safety, fostering an environment where employees can work together to develop and implement autonomous driving solutions.

The company's structure is organized into various teams, including software engineering, hardware development, and operations, allowing employees to specialize in their areas of expertise and contribute to the development of self-driving cars. Waymo's work environment is designed to encourage creativity and experimentation, with access to cutting-edge technology and resources.

Working at Waymo may appeal to individuals who are passionate about transforming the transportation industry and have a strong interest in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and software development, as the company offers opportunities to work on complex technical challenges and make a meaningful impact on society.
Infographic showing various Technical Lead job openings at Waymo in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 89% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution.
Technical Lead Manager, Planner Tech

Technical Lead Manager, Planner Tech

Waymo

Mountain View, CA • On-site, Remote

$238K - $302K/yr

Full-time

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.


Job description

Technical Lead Manager, Planner Tech

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 DriverTM—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.

Software Engineering builds the brains of Waymo's fully autonomous driving technology. Our software allows the Waymo Driver to perceive the world around it, make the right decision for every situation, and deliver people safely to their destinations. We think deeply and solve complex technical challenges in areas like robotics, perception, decision-making and deep learning, while collaborating with hardware and systems engineers. If you're a software engineer or researcher who's curious and passionate about Level 4 autonomous driving, we'd like to meet you. In this hybrid role you will report to a Technical Lead Manager, Senior Staff Engineer.

You will:

  • Provide technical leadership for onboard motion planning systems that improve low-speed maneuvering performance.
  • Improve evaluation capabilities to better understand on-road performance.
  • Provide mentorship for junior engineers on the team
  • Investigate driving behavior issues from logs and understand the root cause
  • Develop foundational frameworks that help advancement of the Waymo Driver's capabilities.
  • Directly contribute to solving some of the most challenging driving situations in the long tail.

You have:

  • MS/PHD in Computer Science, ML, Robotics, similar technical field of study, or 4+ years of equivalent practical experience
  • General software engineering experience programming in C++ with robust and efficient code
  • Ability to collaborate within and across teams
  • 1+ year of management experience years with 5+ reports

We prefer:

  • AV or Robotics experience
  • Experience with Machine Learning models in production systems
  • Experience in graph search, optimization, or path planning algorithms.
  • 8+ years of Software Engineering experience in complex systems
  • Coding proficiency in Python and SQL

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 $238,000—$302,000 USD