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.
Hardware Engineering is a diverse, innovative, and collaborative group of electrical, mechanical, reliability, software and vehicle engineers. We design, build, and perfect the products which are the eyes and ears of Waymo's autonomous driving technology, and integrate those products into vehicle platforms. This role is to take us further into the future of custom vehicle development for optimized customer experiences.
This role follows a hybrid work scheduling and you will report to a Director, Concepts and Pre Program Development.
You will:
- Develop and document human factors, occupant packages, and comfort requirements within the vehicle design space
- Benchmark competitor vehicles to validate target metrics, ensuring Waymo delivers class-leading occupant accommodation, ergonomics, and comfort
- Work with Waymo’s Product, Design, and Attribute Teams to develop occupant layouts and integrate ergonomic and comfort requirements into new vehicle platforms centered around AV and TaaS
- Build, maintain, and utilize ergo bucks and physical hardware mockups to evaluate and validate spatial target concepts
- Develop and run user clinics on the ergo buck to gather customer feedback
You have:
- 5 + years of related experience in the field of automotive human factors and occupant packaging
- Deep knowledge of vehicle comfort and ergonomics, with hands-on experience in both subjective and quantitative evaluation methods
- Understanding of SAE standards and FMVSS/ECE regulations to guide occupant layout creation, spaciousness, and visibility targets
- Experience with RAMSIS, CAVA, and Catia CAD tools to create, integrate and maintain 2D/3D vehicle package layouts and ergonomic evaluations
- Proven ability to establish and negotiate targets and requirements with OEMs, partners, and suppliers
- Ability to navigate ambiguity and find a clear path forward to resolve seemingly conflicting requirements
We prefer:
- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Masters is preferred
- Experience in the future mobility sector, e.g. outside of the traditional OEM/personal car ownership model
- Background working across multiple OEMs, providing a broad perspective on diverse Product Development methodologies
- Experience in occupant packaging and vehicle layout specific to Electric Vehicles (EVs)
- Strong passion for the Autonomous Vehicle (AV) industry and how it is reshaping future mobility
Travel requirements
- Global travel required for on-site OEM engagements (10%)
- Occasional travel to other Waymo locations, suppliers, and service providers on an as-needed basis (10%)
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.
Waymo Los Angeles, California, USA Office
Los Angeles, United States
Similar Jobs
What you need to know about the Los Angeles Tech Scene
Key Facts About Los Angeles Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 375,800; 5.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Snap, Netflix, SpaceX, Disney, Google
- Key Industries: Artificial intelligence, adtech, media, software, game development
- Funding Landscape: $11.6 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (Pitchbook)
- Notable Investors: Strong Ventures, Fifth Wall, Upfront Ventures, Mucker Capital, Kittyhawk Ventures
- Research Centers and Universities: California Institute of Technology, UCLA, University of Southern California, UC Irvine, Pepperdine, California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy, Center for Quantum Science and Engineering
