Public Affairs Manager

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 Waymo’s first European expansion, London represents a significant milestone in global scaling. We’re looking for a strategic ambassador to earn the community trust required to unlock London and the UK. Help us build the public affairs blueprint for Waymo’s international future from the ground up. The Public Affairs team is within the Marketing, Communication and Public Affairs organization at Waymo. In this hybrid role, you will report to a Senior Public Affairs Manager.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Relationship Management: Develop and sustain high-level partnerships with influential charities (e.g., road safety, accessibility) and non-elected community leaders to build long-term trust and secure Waymo’s license to operate across London and the UK.
• Campaign Strategy & Community Organizing: Collaborate with agency partners to develop and implement Waymo’s UK strategy for public affairs campaigns and grassroots organizing, collaborating with cross-functional working groups to align local community interests with Waymo’s launch and scaling milestones.
• Creative Advocacy & Digital Storytelling: Direct the planning and execution of multi-channel digital media campaigns that leverage third-party advocates and authentic narratives to showcase the societal benefits of Waymo’s technology.
• External Representation & Brand Diplomacy: Serve as a public face of Waymo in the UK, advocating for company values at sponsored events, partner meetings, and volunteer initiatives, while providing expert support for local media inquiries.
• High-Impact Programming & Sponsorships: Identify and secure strategic sponsorship and event opportunities that maximize Waymo’s visibility and influence; oversee full-lifecycle execution, from initial selection to on-site logistics and staffing.
• Financial & Operational Oversight: Manage a budget across multiple workstreams, ensuring disciplined resource allocation and measurable ROI for all UK public affairs initiatives.

Qualifications

• Strategic Campaign Leadership: 8+ years of experience in public affairs, community organizing, or external affairs, with a proven track record of leading high-stakes campaigns from inception to measurable impact.
• Digital & Content Strategy: Demonstrated expertise in designing and executing complex digital advocacy campaigns, including setting data-driven KPIs and managing multi-channel execution.
• Deep Regional Expertise: An established professional network and a sophisticated understanding of the UK’s charitable sector, grassroots organizations, and non-elected community influencers, particularly within London.
• Stakeholder Diplomacy: Experience building and maintaining long-term, trust-based relationships with diverse advocacy groups (e.g., accessibility, road safety, or local community councils).
• Budgetary Accountability: Direct experience managing and allocating budgets with fiscal discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

• Industry Context: Previous experience in the transportation, autonomous vehicle, micromobility, or emerging technology sectors navigating first-to-market regulatory and public perception challenges.
• Agency Management: Experience managing external public affairs or creative agencies to scale campaign impact.
• Cross-Functional Fluency: A history of working effectively within a global, matrixed organization, collaborating across multiple cross-functional teams.
• Rapid Scale Experience: Self-starter with experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment where strategy must remain agile and responsive to shifting business needs.

Travel & Field Engagement

This role requires regular regional travel throughout London and the broader UK to represent Waymo at community events, partner meetings, and neighborhood forums. This includes supporting a variety of evening and weekend commitments. Estimated two times a year back to Waymo HQ in the U.S.

Salary Range £134,000—£141,000 GBP

Equal Employment Opportunity

We appreciate your interest in Waymo. Waymo is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, committed to creating a culture of belonging and maintaining a supportive workplace for all employees. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds, and employment decisions are based on a candidate’s qualifications, experience, and alignment with job requirements and business needs. Waymo does not discriminate against, and prohibits harassment of, any applicant or employee based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, age, disability, military status, family status, pregnancy, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable law. Waymo will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal records in accordance with applicable law. Waymo is committed to making sure our hiring process is accessible for all candidates. If you need assistance applying for a role or participating in the interview process due to a disability, please let the recruiting team know or email waymo-candidatesupport@google.com.