About the role

Aplyr's Quick Take

This role is about leading the industrial design strategy for Waymo's autonomous vehicles. You'll be defining the design vision, collaborating with various teams, and ensuring that the product aligns with user needs and brand goals. It's a senior-level individual contributor position with a focus on innovation and design integration.

Good fit

Ideal candidates have extensive experience in industrial design, particularly in tech or automotive sectors, and are comfortable navigating ambiguity. A collaborative mindset and strong communication skills are essential for working with cross-functional teams.

Worth noting

The salary is notably high at $340,000, which reflects the seniority and specialized nature of the role. The hybrid work schedule offers flexibility, but the role requires significant strategic input and leadership collaboration.

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.

Passionate about aesthetics and product innovation, Waymo’s Industrial Design Team is responsible for envisioning the future of mobility and autonomous driving technology. The Design Team develops and applies cohesive design language to the Waymo Driver, delivering an exceptional customer experience with best-in-class product quality.

The Industrial Design Team creates smart and elegant solutions that pave the future of mobility while prioritizing our riders’ needs & safety. We are involved in every step of the engineering and product development process to optimize Waymo’s technology and delight the rider’s journey. The team is a unique fusion of creatives and innovators with the opportunity to pioneer a new industry.

This role follows a hybrid work schedule and you will report to a Head of Industrial Design.

You will:

Define and own the long-term industrial design vision and strategy across multiple, complex product areas, driving alignment on scope and strategy in highly ambiguous environments. Work with external partners to negotiate and co-develop designs
Act as a key strategic partner to leadership across Product, Hardware Engineering, UXR, and Operations to drive decisions on complex user needs and technical requirements
Own, articulate, and evolve the physical product design language for Waymo's hardware, ensuring its strategic alignment with the Waymo brand and user experience goals at an executive level
Own and drive ID design integration into the vehicle program development schedule and process as a point of contact to the ID team. Lead the ID team to execute the program timeline negotiated
Lead and influence CMF (Color, Materials, Finish) and manufacturing strategies, partnering with operations and global suppliers to solve complex, high-scale production challenges
Champion design excellence and mentor other designers, elevating the entire team's craft, process, and strategic thinking

You have:

10+ years of deep, hands-on design experience from working directly within one or more automotive OEM design studios (e.g., Ford, GM, Toyota, VW Group, Rivian, Tesla, etc.)
A proven track record of leading multiple, complex hardware products from ambiguous early concepts to successful mass production
A track record of defining and successfully executing hardware development programs integrating the industrial design work-stream into a larger development schedule
Exceptional 2D and 3D design skills, with mastery of sketching, digital rendering, 3D CAD (e.g., Alias, SolidWorks, Rhino), and rapid prototyping techniques
Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with a proven ability to influence and align senior leadership and executive stakeholders around a design vision
A world-class portfolio of work demonstrating strategic, systems-level design thinking, exceptional problem-solving, and a meticulous attention to detail and craft
A degree in Industrial Design, Transportation Design or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

We prefer:

Experience at multiple automotive OEMs, providing a broad perspective on different design cultures and manufacturing processes
Experience designing for complex hardware systems, robotics, or products with a high degree of technical integration
Proven leadership in creating, implementing, and scaling a physical design language across a global hardware portfolio
Experience managing and leading design teams to successfully launch products not specific to one domain of a vehicle (exterior, interior, etc)
Deep experience and knowledge of high-volume manufacturing processes

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

$268,000—$340,000 USD

Skills & Tags

go rust ai ios data product design

Aplyr's read

Waymo is a leader in autonomous vehicle technology, attracting talent passionate about transforming transportation with innovative self-driving solutions.
Synthesized from recent postings & public sources

What's promising

•Waymo benefits from Alphabet's resources, providing robust support for research and development.
•The company is pioneering in autonomous vehicle technology, setting industry standards.
•Waymo's diverse hiring across roles indicates a comprehensive approach to scaling operations.

What to watch

•Regulatory hurdles could delay widespread adoption of self-driving technology.
•High competition in the autonomous vehicle market may impact Waymo's market share.
•Operational challenges in scaling ride-hailing services could affect growth.

Why Waymo

•Waymo's extensive real-world testing gives it a competitive edge in data-driven development.
•The company's collaboration with Alphabet enhances its technological capabilities.
•Waymo's focus on safety and reliability differentiates it in the autonomous vehicle sector.

Aplyr’s read is generated by AI from public sources. Was it useful?

About Waymo

Waymo

waymo.com

View company

Waymo is a self-driving technology company that aims to make it safe and easy for people and things to get where they’re going. As a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Waymo is at the forefront of autonomous vehicle technology, significantly impacting the future of transportation.