Communications Manager, Product & Tech

Waymo LLC; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 168,000 - 207,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary bonus

Equity incentives

Benefits program

Job summary

Waymo LLC in San Francisco seeks an experienced communications leader to shape public understanding of autonomous driving and product milestones. You will translate complex AI and hardware work into clear narratives for press, technical audiences, and the public, while supporting executives and managing media inquiries.

The role requires deep media relations, cross-functional collaboration with Legal and Safety, and a track record of launching communications for tech products.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of communications experience, ideally in tech companies.
• Proven ability to manage media relations and craft narratives for multiple audiences.
• Experience developing comms plans for product launches and technical milestones.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute comms plans for product and technology milestones.
• Translate engineering work (AI, perception, hardware) into clear stories for press and the public.
• Own spokesperson support for Product and Engineering leaders, including talking points and interview prep.

Skills

Communications leadership

Media relations

Tech storytelling

Product launches

Crisis communications

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications

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.

As a member of the Communications team, you'll be on the cutting edge of bringing autonomous driving technology to the public, developing strategies that will increase understanding, acceptance, and adoption of this life-saving technology. We work with reporters, editors, bloggers, and other influencers to tell stories about Waymo and the potential of our technology to change how we move and live. We partner with the engineering, business, policy, marketing, and product teams to create messaging for new products and other initiatives, counter misinformation, and shape our reputation.

You will:

• Develop and execute communciations plans for product and technology announcements, from feature launches to research publications and hardware milestones.
• Translate complex engineering work (AI, perception, simulation, hardware, safety research) into clear, accurate stories for press, technical audiences, and the public.
• Own spokesperson support for designated Product and Engineering leaders, including craftng talking points, briefing documents, FAQs, interview prep, and speaking opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with technology, AI, and transportation reporters, as well as with key trade outlets; proactively pitch stories and manage inbound media inquiries.
• Support rapid response for your area: draft reactive statements and holding lines quickly and accurately, and know when to escalation.
• Write and edit blog posts, press releases, technical explainers, and social copy with a high bar for accuracy and tone.

You have:

• 10+ years of experience in communications (in-house or agency), ideally at a technology company.
• A proven track record of deep media relations and the ability to skillfully interface with journalists across offensive and defensive storytelling efforts.
• Experience developing and executing communications plans for product launches and technical announcements.
• Both technical storytelling chops and mass-market instincts; you can get the engineering details right for an AI reporter briefing in the morning and land the same story with a broadcast or lay audience in the afternoon.
• Ability to run multiple launches at once in a fast-paced environment, with a high bar for detail.
• Sound judgement on sensitive, fast-moving issues, and comfort working closely with cross-functional internal teams like Legal and Safety.

We prefer:

• Experience in technology, AI, robotics, automotive, or autonomous vehicle industries.
• Experience communicating research or technical milestones (e.g., academic papers, datasets releases, technical conferences).
• Experience managing PR agencies.
• Bachelor's degree in Communication, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field preferred but not required.

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

$168,000—$207,000 USD