Technical Program Manager, Hardware Modules

The job

LIVE Employer public job feed (private-sector employer) Source: the employer's public careers feed · Data: listed 2026-11-09

Job description

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’s Technical Program Managers and Program Managers are accountable for Waymo’s roadmap execution by providing thoughtful cross-functional planning, clarity, and proactive risk management. In the face of complex technical and operational challenges with no established playbooks to follow, we act with thoughtful urgency, driving conversations, discussions, and outcomes. Our team partners closely with every function of Waymo to structure, own and drive work towards real-world deployments of the Waymo Driver across platforms and geographies.

This role follows a hybrid work schedule and reports to the Technical Program Manager, Hardware.

You will:

• Own end-to-end program management for next gen lidar and other sensing and compute modules (e.g., cameras, telematics) from concept through Proto, EVT, DVT, PVT and handover to operations
• Build and drive detailed, bottoms-up schedules with cross-functional dependencies and long-lead items; identify when work is off track and drive recovery plans
• Own the prototype build plan and build readiness (materials, line and test readiness, quality), publish build reports, and drive issues to closure
• Drive design releases, design reviews (EE/ME/FW, DFM/DFA, DFMEA/PFMEA, EMC, SI/PI, thermal) and phase-gate reviews with Engineering, Reliability, DV, Systems and Vehicle Integration teams
• Manage technical relationships with suppliers and contract manufacturers in partnership with Global Supply Management: SOWs, build schedules, open-issue lists and supplier performance
• Own the program risk register and communicate status, risks and decisions clearly to stakeholders and leadership through weekly updates and program reviews

You have:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Optical, Systems or a related engineering field, or equivalent practical experience
• 4+ years of technical program or project management experience delivering hardware modules (sensors, cameras, electronics or electro-mechanical products)
• Experience taking at least one hardware module through a structured product development process (Proto/EVT → DVT → PVT), with working knowledge of design reviews, DFM/DFA, DFMEA, design verification (DV) and reliability testing
• Experience managing suppliers and contract manufacturers, including SOWs, build coordination and open-issue tracking
• Demonstrated ability to build and own complex schedules, manage risks and drive cross-functional issues to closure using tools such as Jira, Buganizer or Smartsheet
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to concisely summarize technical status and risks for engineers and leadership

We prefer:

• Experience with lidar, camera, radar or other perception sensor modules, including optical/opto-mechanical assembly and calibration
• Experience with automotive Tier 1 or OEM product development and quality processes (APQP, PPAP, DFMEA/PFMEA, DVP&R)
• Hands-on experience designing, building and testing a complete vehicle or robotic system as part of a small multidisciplinary team
• Experience with configuration and change management (CCB) and tracking prototype, engineering-vehicle and production configurations
• Familiarity with costed BOM management, PO tracking and material readiness planning with supply chain teams
• Experience organizing design validation across internal teams and suppliers (e.g., DVP dashboards) and aligning hardware milestones with software/perception vehicle-level testing

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. 

Explore around this job

Field: Engineering, Construction and Energy Sub-niche: Manufacturing and hardware engineering All jobs at Waymo Jobs in California Jobs in Mountain View, CA California state guide

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About the role

This is a — role in the Engineering, Construction and Energy field (Manufacturing and hardware engineering) at Waymo.

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The city

Mountain View, CA is not one of the cities with its own page in our guides, so here is the state: California.

The state economy in brief

California is in the West region (Pacific division) and has 39,287,376 residents (the 1st largest of the 50 states and DC by population), with a median age of 37.9. Its economy produced about $4,438,822 million in the latest four quarters (BEA), 1st among states and DC, equal to $112,983 per resident.

Jobs and the labour market

The unemployment rate was 5.1% in 2026M09, which is 49th lowest of 51 (1st is the lowest). Employers had job openings equal to 3.6% of employment, 37th highest of 51, a measure of how hard it is to hire. The median wage across all occupations is $58,240 a year ($28.00 an hour), 14% above the national median ($58,240 against $50,980).

What people do and what it pays

The occupations with the most jobs in California are Home Health and Personal Care Aides (970,150 jobs, median $34,320); Fast Food and Counter Workers (449,840 jobs, median $42,280); Retail Salespersons (376,460 jobs, median $38,440); Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand (355,500 jobs, median $44,710); Registered Nurses (338,940 jobs, median $140,270). Among occupations with at least 2,000 jobs, the best paid are Airline Pilots, Copilots, and Flight Engineers (median $353,900); Psychiatrists (median $353,500); General Internal Medicine Physicians (median $313,890). Compared with the nation, the state is most specialised in farming, fishing, and forestry (4.1 times the national share of workers) and healthcare support (1.5 times the national share of workers).

Cost of living, taxes and workplace rules

Prices are above the national average in California: the regional price parity is 110.7 against 100 for the whole country (51st lowest of 51). Median gross rent is $2,036 a month and the median household income $99,122, so a year of rent equals 24.6% of income; the median home value is $734,700. The state minimum wage is $16.90 (the higher of state and federal rates applies to most workers). State income tax on wages: Graduated, top rate 13.30%. It is not a right-to-work state, so union contracts can require fees from covered workers. It runs a state paid family and medical leave programme.

People and commuting

27.0% of residents were born abroad and 37.1% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Among workers, 65.7% drive alone, 2.9% use public transit and 17.2% work from home; 19.4% commute 45 minutes or more.

State guide: California →

Where to live

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Career paths

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Construction and field engineering (462) Energy and utilities (625)

Distances

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The employer

Waymo is the employer in this listing. See all its open jobs here →

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Other open jobs at Waymo

Similar jobs

Same sub-niche: Manufacturing and hardware engineering

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FAQ

What is the Technical Program Manager, Hardware Modules job at Waymo?

A private-sector role in engineering, construction and energy (manufacturing and hardware engineering) listed yesterday. The full description is on this page and on the employer's page.

Where is this job?

Mountain View, CA.

How do I apply?

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How much does it pay?

The listing does not publish pay, and we could not match the title to one official occupation.

What is the cost of living there?

See the state or country guide for rent, income and taxes.

How old is this listing?

It was posted on 2026-11-09 (yesterday). Jobs older than 90 days are not shown.

Are there similar jobs?

Yes: browse manufacturing and hardware engineering jobs in California.

Sources and terms

• Job data: Waymo careers page public feed (listing dated 2026-11-09). The job disappears from this site when it disappears from the source.
• Wages and projections: BLS OEWS (May 2025) and Employment Projections 2025–35.
• City and county figures: Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024, BEA, BLS QCEW and LAUS, NASA POWER climatology; distances from Census Gazetteer coordinates.

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Sources

• BLS OEWS (wages and employment by occupation, May 2025)
• BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
• BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics
• BLS JOLTS
• BLS State and Metro Area Employment
• Census Bureau American Community Survey (via Census Reporter)
• BEA GDP by state and Regional Price Parities
• IRS 2026 tax adjustments
• U.S. Department of Labor, minimum wage by state
• Tax Foundation state income tax rates 2026
• USAJOBS
• USCIS
• U.S. Department of State, visas
• NASA POWER climatology
• GeoNames / Census Gazetteer (coordinates)