Waymo

System Safety Engineer, Strategic Programs & Integration

Waymo • $241K — $297K *
Transportation
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • BS/MS in Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or related field with 10+ years in technical program management or safety engineering.
  • Strong knowledge of system safety engineering principles and risk management standards (ISO 26262, MIL-STD-882, etc.).
  • Experience managing complex technical programs from concept through validation, including executive reporting.
  • Deep understanding of autonomous vehicle systems and software/hardware release lifecycles.
  • Proven ability to influence diverse teams in fast-paced environments.
  • Experience in establishing engineering workflows and project management frameworks using Jira or similar.

Responsibilities

  • Lead program planning and milestone roadmapping for System Safety initiatives.
  • Spearhead workstreams translating vehicle goals into safety deliverables across various teams.
  • Establish and execute safety baselines for product expansions and capabilities.
  • Track safety readiness criteria across multiple platforms, resolving bottlenecks promptly.
  • Partner with team leads to standardize safety processes and develop automation tools.

Benefits

  • Participation in Waymo's discretionary annual bonus program.
  • Eligibility for equity incentive plan.
  • Access to a comprehensive benefits program.
Full Job Description
In this hybrid role, you will report to the Head of System Safety.

You will:
  • Lead end-to-end program planning, milestone roadmapping, and OKR definition across the entire System Safety organization, ensuring high-priority safety workstreams align with company-wide product launches
  • Spearhead System Safety workstreams for new, strategic programs across Onboard SW, Systems Engineering, Hardware, Ops Safety, and Product, translating high-level vehicle goals into actionable safety deliverables
  • Establish and execute the Safety Baseline and Delta approach for product expansions and novel product capabilities
  • Track and govern safety readiness criteria across multiple vehicle platforms, identifying critical-path bottlenecks and driving timely resolution
  • Partner with team leads to standardize safety processes, develop automated workflows and tracking dashboards (Jira/TaskFlow), and reduce execution overhead for safety engineers
  • Serve as the primary safety interface to executive program leadership, Product Management, Systems Engineering, and Fleet Operations, championing safety culture and synthesizing complex risk assessments into clear executive summaries

You have:
  • BS/MS in Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or related technical field (or equivalent practical experience) with 10+ years of technical program management or safety engineering experience in safety-critical domains
  • Working knowledge of system safety engineering principles, risk management, and industry standards (e.g., ISO 26262, ISO 21448/SOTIF, ISO 31000/31010, or MIL-STD-882)
  • Proven track record of managing complex, cross-functional technical programs from concept through validation, including resource allocation, schedule risk management, and executive reporting
  • Strong understanding of autonomous vehicle systems, software/hardware release lifecycles, and systems engineering Verification and Validation (V&V) methodologies
  • Demonstrated ability to influence and align diverse engineering, product, operations, and leadership teams in fast-paced, ambiguous environments
  • Experience establishing engineering workflows, requirements traceability, and project management frameworks using Jira, Buganizer/TaskFlow, or equivalent systems

We prefer:
  • Direct experience working with L4 autonomous driving systems, commercial ADAS platforms, or robotics product commercialization
  • Experience driving safety concepts or operational safety for consumer-facing vehicles, human-machine interface (HMI) transitions, or decentralized fleet maintenance
  • Hands-on experience with safety case development (Claims-Arguments-Evidence), STPA, HARA, or Probabilistic Risk Assessments (PRA)
  • Familiarity with data modeling, scripting (e.g., Python/SQL), and building automated metrics dashboards to monitor safety program health and risk exposure
  • Experience supporting regulatory briefings, safety waivers, or compliance documentation for emerging transportation technologies

Travel Requirements:
  • This role is expected to travel approximately 5%


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

$241,000-$297,000 USD

About Waymo

Waymo LLC is a self-driving technology development company. It is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google. Waymo develops autonomous driving technology and provides ride-hailing services through its Waymo One program. The company has been testing its self-driving technology on public roads since 2009 and has logged millions of miles of autonomous driving. Waymo has partnerships with several automakers and has been working on developing autonomous trucks for use in logistics.
Learn more about Waymo
Size
2,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2009

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