System Safety Engineer, Strategic Programs & Integration
About this role
Managing complex safety deliverables and aligning high-priority workstreams across autonomous vehicle product launches is the primary challenge for this hire. Waymo needs a System Safety Engineer to lead end-to-end program planning, milestone roadmapping, and OKR definition within the System Safety organization. Reporting to the Head of System Safety, the incoming professional will spearhead safety workstreams for strategic programs across Onboard Software, Systems Engineering, Hardware, Ops Safety, and Product.
Day-to-day responsibilities involve establishing the Safety Baseline and Delta approach for product expansions, tracking readiness criteria across vehicle platforms, and partnering with team leads to standardize safety processes. The person who thrives in this position possesses extensive technical program management or safety engineering experience in safety-critical domains, coupled with the ability to synthesize complex risk assessments into executive summaries for leadership.
What you will do
- Lead end-to-end program planning, milestone roadmapping, and OKR definition across the entire System Safety organization to align safety workstreams with product launches.
- Spearhead System Safety workstreams for new strategic programs across Onboard SW, Systems Engineering, Hardware, Ops Safety, and Product.
- 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 while identifying critical-path bottlenecks.
- Partner with team leads to standardize safety processes and develop automated workflows using Jira and TaskFlow.
- Serve as the primary safety interface to executive program leadership, Product Management, Systems Engineering, and Fleet Operations.
What you need
- Hold a BS or MS in Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field, or possess equivalent practical experience.
- Bring 10 or more years of technical program management or safety engineering experience in safety-critical domains.
- Demonstrate working knowledge of system safety engineering principles, risk management, and industry standards such as ISO 26262, ISO 21448/SOTIF, ISO 31000/31010, or MIL-STD-882.
- Have a proven track record of managing complex, cross-functional technical programs from concept through validation.
- Exhibit a strong understanding of autonomous vehicle systems, software and hardware release lifecycles, and Verification and Validation methodologies.
- Possess the ability to influence and align diverse engineering, product, operations, and leadership teams in fast-paced environments.
Nice to have
- 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, HMI transitions, or decentralized fleet maintenance
- Hands-on experience with safety case development, STPA, HARA, or Probabilistic Risk Assessments
- Familiarity with data modeling, scripting like Python or SQL, and building automated metrics dashboards
- Experience supporting regulatory briefings, safety waivers, or compliance documentation for emerging transportation technologies
Benefits
- Health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance
- Retirement Benefits: 401(k) with company match
- Paid Time Off: 20 days of vacation per year
- Sick Time: 40 hours per year and 5 discretionary days per event
- Maternity Leave and Baby Bonding Leave totaling 28-30 weeks
- 13 paid holidays per year
Skills and tech stack
Questions candidates ask
What is the work model for this role?
This is a hybrid role located in Mountain View, California or Kirkland, Washington. The position is expected to travel approximately 5%.
What is the salary range for this position?
The expected base salary range for this full-time position is $241,000 to $297,000 USD. Actual starting pay is based on job-related factors including exact work location, experience, relevant training, and skill level.
What additional compensation is available beyond base pay?
Waymo employees are eligible to participate in the discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and company benefits program. Specific details are shared during the hiring process.
Who does this role report to?
In this hybrid role, you will report to the Head of System Safety. You will serve as the primary safety interface to executive program leadership and other cross-functional teams.