Senior Program Manager - New Platform Validation Operations

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 Operations exists to deliver the Waymo Driver to the world. We are a global team building and scaling the world's first and leading autonomous fleet and operations platform. From component sourcing to end customer management, we enable and create value for Waymo through scaled and orchestrated deployment of the Waymo Driver. At Waymo, we are dedicated to building a culture that promotes collaboration and celebration. We value our team members' unique backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences and support and encourage all team members to share their ideas to help Waymo better serve the communities in which we operate. In this hybrid role, you will report to a Head of Validation Operations You will: Lead New Product Introduction (NPI) Validation Operations: Drive end-to-end program management for bringing new platform variants online in validation fleets, managing the critical path from vehicle arrival and upfit to public road mapping and testing. Align Planning with Execution: Spearhead weekly operating plans to bridge the gap between monthly product demand forecasts and daily operational execution, adjusting for real-time vehicle online rates and operator constraints. Maximize Fleet Efficiency & Yield: Partner with Regional Validation Managers (RVMs) and product teams to build out dynamic forecasting tools to optimize Operations and Efficiency. Manage Vendor Performance Standardize Executive Reporting: Formulate and automate executive-level progress dashboards to provide visibility into operational readiness and fleet uptime constraints. You have: Operational Strategy & Program Management Expertise: 7-10+ years of experience in Program Management or Technical Program Management, specifically in roles focused on process excellence, logistics, or physical operations. Cross-Functional Leadership: A proven track record of managing complex dependencies and driving alignment across diverse stakeholders (Engineering, Product, Supply Chain, Safety, and Legal) Data-Centric Problem Solving: Exceptional analytical skills with hands-on experience using data-driven metrics to identify process bottlenecks, manage capacity models, and build tracking tools. Ambiguity Tolerance: Comfort working in a fast-paced, rapidly shifting engineering environment with the ability to maintain forward progress despite incomplete information We prefer: NPI & Vehicle Testing Experience: Direct experience launching or validating new automotive or robotic hardware platforms Vendor Operations Management: Familiarity with cost-plus or outcome-based staffing models in outsourced operations. Travel Requirements: 15-30% 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 $190,000 — $234,000 USD