Technical Recruiter (AI + ML)

Waymo; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 137,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus program

Equity incentive plan

Generous company benefits

Job summary

Waymo, located in Mountain View, is seeking a recruiter for technical positions in AI/ML. You will partner with research staff to define hiring priorities and anticipate future talent needs.

The ideal candidate has experience in recruiting specialized talent, strong judgment in sensitive conversations, and a knack for talent intelligence. Waymo offers a salary range of $137,000 to $169,000 with additional benefits including a bonus program and equity incentives.

Qualifications

• Significant experience recruiting for highly technical and specialized talent.
• Strong judgment in handling sensitive candidate conversations.
• Instinct for talent intelligence and market context.

Responsibilities

• Define hiring priorities and shape search strategies.
• Cultivate exceptional AI/ML research talent.
• Perform recruiting analyses to optimize search strategy.
• Use market insights to influence hiring decisions.
• Negotiate and close offers with hiring managers.

Skills

Recruiting for technical talent

Talent intelligence

Building relationships with candidates

Partnering with senior leaders

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's People team recruits and supports the world's best talent (including, we hope, you). Our HR business partners, program administrators, staffers, and compensation specialists help our employees attain their full potential in a healthy, considerate and supportive environment.

In this hybrid role, you will report to the Head of Onboard Engineering Recruiting.

Responsibilities

• Partner directly with research and technical staff to define hiring priorities, shape search strategies, and anticipate future talent needs as technical roadmaps evolve.
• Proactively identify and cultivate exceptional AI/ML research talent across industry, academia, and emerging labs, often before formal hiring needs exist.
• Perform recruiting analyses and talent assessments to determine how best to optimize your search strategy and overall hiring productivity, making adjustments to strategy as appropriate.
• Use market insights and candidate signals to influence hiring decisions, leveling, and compensation strategy for highly specialized research roles.
• Extend, negotiate and close offers, including making recommendations to hiring managers and champ callers on offer close strategy.

Qualifications

• Significant experience recruiting for highly technical, senior, executive, or otherwise specialized talent.
• Strong judgment and discretion in handling sensitive candidate conversations and confidential searches.
• A real instinct for talent intelligence: you know how to gather market context, read between the lines, and turn incomplete information into useful action.
• Track record of building relationships with hard‑to‑reach candidates who are not actively looking or who require a highly personalized process.
• Experience partnering closely with senior leaders and influencing recruiting strategy in ambiguous, fast‑moving environments.
• Comfort operating in fast‑moving environments where hiring priorities and role definitions may evolve over time.

Preferred Experience

• Experience recruiting within highly technical or specialized environments such as ML/AI, distributed systems, infrastructure, scientific computing, or quantitative research. Track record of leading complex, ambiguous technical searches from early talent mapping through close.
• Deep interest in AI research, Deep Learning, and ML technical talent markets, and the broader ecosystem of labs, companies, and people shaping the frontier.
• Experience navigating high‑stakes negotiations with senior technical or research candidates.

Remote jobs only – please note that Waymo may not be able to employ remotely in all locations. Please speak with your recruiter about your preferred location for remote work when you begin the interview process.

Salary and Benefits

Salary Range: $137,000 – $169,000 USD. 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.