Waabi

Lead Product Manager, Autonomy

Waabi$165K — $260K *
Transportation
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8+ years in Product Management with a focus on autonomous vehicles or AI/ML systems.
  • Strong analytical skills to make informed strategic choices and assess trade-offs.
  • Excellent communication for articulating complex autonomy concepts to varying stakeholders.
  • Proven leadership in fast-paced environments to drive results and team alignment.
  • Empathetic approach towards internal teams and commercial partners' needs.
  • Adaptability in balancing R&D innovation with product commercialization.
  • Commitment to long-term goals while addressing immediate operational challenges.

Responsibilities

  • Define and execute the Autonomy roadmap connecting driving capabilities with commercial milestones.
  • Drive the product lifecycle for autonomy features, converting complex requirements into actionable tasks.
  • Lead alignment across multiple teams to define product requirements and manage trade-offs.
  • Analyze performance data to assess system readiness and prioritize issue resolution.
  • Foster a culture of trust and transparency in a safety-critical environment.
  • Monitor KPIs to enable data-driven decisions for quicker commercialization.

Benefits

  • Competitive compensation and equity awards.
  • Comprehensive Health and Wellness benefits including Medical, Dental, and Vision coverage.
  • Unlimited Vacation policy supporting work-life balance.
  • Flexible working hours and options for remote work.
  • Free daily drinks, snacks, and catered meals when in the office.
  • Opportunities for team building activities and social events.
Full Job Description
We are seeking a Lead Product Manager to lead the strategy and execution of the core autonomy stack that powers the Waabi Driver. This role is central to the success of the business and requires a leader who can bridge the gap between cutting-edge AI research and real-world commercial requirements. You will provide focused ownership and coordination across teams, ensuring that autonomy efforts are aligned with both technical milestones and driverless launch objectives. You will bring the strategic depth and execution rigor needed to manage complexity at this scale, turning advanced autonomy capabilities into a reliable, commercial product.

You Will...

- Define, develop and execute the Autonomy roadmap, aligning core driving capabilities with the company's driverless and commercial milestones across both the trucking and robotaxi verticals.

- Drive the end-to-end product lifecycle for autonomy features by translating complex use cases into actionable requirements and establishing performance benchmarks for deploying core driving behaviors in the real world.

- Lead cross-functional alignment across Engineering, Design, Research, Simulation, Systems Engineering, Safety, and Commercial teams to define product requirements, manage technical trade-offs, and develop frameworks that make autonomy performance measurable and transparent.

- Analyze performance data and feedback from simulation, track, and road testing to develop a comprehensive understanding of system readiness metrics and systematically prioritize issue resolution.

- Be a team player who prioritizes trust, transparency, and honesty, leading by example in a high-stakes, safety-critical environment.

- Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as ODD coverage, system readiness, and route viability to make data-driven decisions that accelerate commercialization.

Qualifications:

- Minimum of 8+ years of experience in a Product Management role, with a proven track record in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or complex AI/ML systems.

- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to resolve dependencies, inform strategic decisions, and evaluate tradeoffs between performance and safety.

- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with significant experience drafting written strategy documents and slides to communicate complex autonomy concepts to diverse stakeholders.

- Demonstrated leadership abilities, with experience driving results and cross-functional alignment in fast-paced, high-growth environments.

- Exhibits exceptional empathy, fostering a deep understanding of the needs of internal engineering teams, safety drivers, and commercial partners.

- Adaptable and versatile, proficient at navigating the shift from R&D-heavy environments to product-driven commercial execution.

- Able to maintain progress towards long-term architectural goals while solving immediate operational hurdles.

- Passion for autonomous systems, safety-critical software, and building the "brain" of the vehicle that will redefine the future of freight.
Bonus:

- Deep understanding of the autonomy stack (e.g. Perception, Prediction, Motion Planning, Localization) and the nuances of autonomous driving operations.

- Experience defining operational boundaries and safety validation milestones to drive the successful deployment of autonomous features in complex environments.

- Technical experience in autonomous vehicle development or a background in Computer Science/Robotics.

- Experience working in an Agile/Scrum environment tailored for deep-tech research.

The US yearly salary range for this role is: $165,000 - $260,000 USD in addition to competitive perks & benefits. Waabi (US) Inc.'s yearly salary ranges are determined based on several factors in accordance with the Company's compensation practices. The salary base range is reflective of the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations. Note: The Company provides additional compensation for employees in this role, including equity incentive awards and an annual performance bonus.

Perks/Benefits:

- Competitive compensation and equity awards.

- Health and Wellness benefits encompassing Medical, Dental and Vision coverage (for full-time employees only).

- Unlimited Vacation.

- Flexible hours and Work from Home support.

- Daily drinks, snacks and catered meals (when in office).

- Regularly scheduled team building activities and social events both on-site, off-site & virtually.

- As we grow, this list continues to evolve!

Waabi is a technology start-up building technologies to transform the way the world moves. Join our talented team to be a part of the future and to make an impact!

About Waabi

Waabi is an artificial intelligence company that develops self-driving car technology. The company's focus is on developing a system that can safely and efficiently navigate complex urban environments. Waabi's technology is based on deep learning algorithms that allow the system to learn from experience and improve over time. The company was founded in 2021 by a team of experts in the field of autonomous vehicles and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.
Learn more about Waabi
Size
50 employees
Industry
Founded
2021
NASDAQ

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