Public Relations Manager, Partnerships

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

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Equity incentives

Benefits program

Job summary

Waymo is seeking a senior communications professional to lead corporate communications strategy and execution across the company. The role reports to the Corporate Communications Lead and operates on a hybrid schedule.

You will collaborate with Business Development, Partnerships, Marketing, Legal, Policy, and Product teams to align on business objectives, craft unified narratives, and secure cross-functional approvals. Strong media relations and writing skills are essential.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in corporate communications and public relations.
• Experience managing corporate communications, partnerships, and expansions.
• Strong media relations with pitching and managing deadlines.
• Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience coordinating with external PR partners, agencies, vendors.

Responsibilities

• Drive communications planning, strategy development, and execution for corporate communications efforts.
• Lead partner PR activities to ensure alignment and reputation management.
• Collaborate with internal teams to align on objectives and approvals.
• Draft press releases, messaging playbooks, FAQs, and talking points.
• Oversee day-to-day engagement with business and tech press.

Skills

Corporate communications

Public relations

Media relations

Writing and editing

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, or related field

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.

This role follows a hybrid work schedule and reports to the Corporate Communications Lead.

You will:

• Drive communications planning, strategy development, and tactical execution for corporate communications efforts, including strategic partnership announcements and commercial expansions.
• Lead on communications activities with partners, coordinating closely with partner PR teams on announcements and other activities to ensure message alignment and proactive reputation management.
• Partner with internal teams (such as Business Development, Partnerships, Marketing, Legal, Policy, and Product) to align on business objectives, develop unified narratives, and secure cross‑functional approvals.
• Draft high‑impact press releases, messaging playbooks, reactive FAQs, executive talking points, and briefing documents for high‑profile external engagements.
• Oversee day‑to‑day engagement with business and tech press, proactively cultivating relationships and handling reactive media inquiries.

You have:

• 7+ years of experience in corporate communications and public relations, ideally at a high‑growth or technology company.
• Proven experience managing corporate communications, including strategic corporate partnerships, joint announcements, and commercial expansions.
• Strong media relations experience, with a proven track record of pitching, working with reporters, and managing tight deadlines.
• Outstanding writing, editing, and storytelling skills with a sharp eye for detail and tone.
• Ability to thrive in a rapid, "always‑on" environment, managing multiple complex projects independently while maintaining a high bar for quality.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with experience coordinating communications across multiple external PR partners, agencies, and vendors.

We prefer:

• Experience working within the autonomous vehicle, ride‑hailing, automotive, or transportation technology sectors (in‑house or agency).
• Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field, preferred but not required.
• An established network of relevant media contacts, including new media, and fluency in the current media/social landscape.

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