Waymo

Public Relations Lead, Product & Tech

San Francisco, CA, USA Full Time

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 Head of Public Relations.        

You will:     

  • Lead communications strategy to elevate Waymo Product and Engineering/ Tech narratives to external audiences around the world.    
  • Lead a team of communications professionals across Tech, Safety, and Product disciplines.    
  • Build and maintain key relationships with senior reporters, editors, conference organizers, researchers, and other external industry stakeholders.    
  • Collaborate closely as a thought partner and leader alongside key cross functional teams including Safety, Legal, Product, Engineering, Hardware, Marketing, and other internal teams.    
  • Responsible for executive comms from the Product and Engineering orgs, including developing talking points, thought leadership opportunities, FAQs, and presentations.     

You have: 

  • 15+ years of experience in communications or public relations, ideally at a high-growth or technology company.    
  • Experience developing and executing communications strategies across product, business, and rapid response scenarios, with a proven track record in media relations.    
  • Exceptional writing and storytelling skills with a sharp eye for detail and tone.    
  • Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, managing multiple complex projects independently while maintaining a high bar for excellence.    
  • A strategic and resourceful mindset, with the proven ability to transition between high-level planning and tactical execution.    
  • Strong leadership experience, including building and mentoring teams.    

We prefer: 

  • Experience within the technology, automotive, or autonomous vehicle industries (in house or agency).    
  • Direct experience launching new products or entering new markets with a sophisticated communications playbook.    
  • Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field, preferred but not required.    
  • A creative approach to audience engagement, with a history of finding innovative ways to reach both internal and external stakeholders.    

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
$238,000$294,000 USD