Industrialization Engineer

Waymo•Mountain View, MI

About The Position

Waymo is seeking an Industrialization Engineer for its Hardware Engineering group. The role leads industrialization of build-to-print automotive autonomous sensors and ECUs—including cameras, radars, lidars, and compute—at external supplier facilities. The engineer oversees the design, installation, and validation of automated and semi-automated assembly lines, and tracks production readiness for new product introduction (NPI) and early production builds. The position ensures supplier processes meet engineering drawings, tolerances, and automotive quality standards. It leads process development and qualification activities, including DFx, PFMEA, Control Plans, MSA, capability studies, audits, and preventive and detective controls. As the primary technical project manager for supplier launches, the engineer manages schedules, milestones, equipment buy-offs, material coordination, PPAP, and start of production while mitigating risks to product performance and quality. The role also collaborates with Procurement and Legal on statements of work, technical specifications, and equipment contracts; manages technical terms, change orders, and supplier capital expenditure; and serves as a technical liaison among Waymo teams and external manufacturing partners. It provides management updates on manufacturing and test development and qualification status, and drives root-cause analysis and corrective actions to improve yield, cycle time, efficiency, and product quality. Domestic and international travel to supplier manufacturing sites is required, approximately 30% during critical launch phases.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Manufacturing, Electrical, Industrial Engineering, or a related field.
At least 10 years of process or manufacturing engineering experience in the automotive industry, including direct experience with automotive sensors, ECUs, or complex electronic assemblies.
Deep understanding of build-to-print manufacturing models, automated assembly processes, sensor testing and calibration, and automotive core tools including APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, SPC, and MSA.
Proven ability to drive Tier 1/Tier 2 suppliers and equipment integrators to meet launch deadlines and quality metrics.
Hands-on experience reviewing, negotiating, and executing technical contracts, SOWs, and capital equipment agreements.
Strong project management skills.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally to supplier manufacturing sites, approximately 30% during critical launch phases.

Nice To Haves

PMP certification.
Hands-on experience with automation, active alignment of optical lenses, precision automated adhesive/TIM dispensing, UV curing, wire bonding, or cleanroom manufacturing (ISO Class 5–7).
Familiarity with ECU end-of-line functional testing, optical target rooms for cameras or LiDAR, or radar RF testing in anechoic chambers.
Six Sigma Green Belt or Black Belt certification.
Experience with statistical analysis software such as Minitab or JMP for supplier yield data.
Basic proficiency in CAD tools such as CATIA or SolidWorks for reviewing engineering prints and supplier DFM feedback.
Deep working knowledge of TS16949, ISO 26262, and ASPICE, including their implications for manufacturing traceability, serialization, and line-side controls.

Responsibilities

Lead industrialization of build-to-print automotive autonomous sensors and ECUs at external supplier facilities.
Oversee the design, installation, and validation of automated and semi-automated assembly lines.
Track PCBA and FATP production-line readiness for NPI and early production builds, and resolve technical questions from suppliers.
Ensure supplier manufacturing processes adhere to engineering drawings, tolerances, and automotive quality standards.
Drive completion of DFx, PFMEAs, Control Plans, MSA, and capability studies (Cp/Cpk).
Enforce structured equipment and station development using an FMEA approach.
Support ILQC audits and drive preventive and detective controls at external suppliers.
Manage supplier launch schedules, milestones, equipment buy-offs (FAT/SAT), PPAP, and start of production.
Coordinate material supply and ensure contract manufacturers have current BOMs and component specifications.
Mitigate process-development and qualification risks to product performance and quality requirements.
Collaborate with Procurement and Legal on SOWs, technical specifications, and equipment contracts; negotiate technical terms, manage change orders, and track supplier Capex spend.
Serve as the technical liaison among internal R&D, Quality, Purchasing, and external manufacturing partners.
Coordinate cross-functional support to debug and resolve manufacturing-line qualification issues.
Ensure compliance with defined requirements and manage changes proposed by Waymo or suppliers.
Provide management updates on manufacturing process and test-development and qualification status.
Identify supplier-line bottlenecks, yield issues, and cycle-time constraints; lead root-cause analysis and corrective actions.
Capture lessons learned and ensure action items are completed.
Evaluate product and component changes and implement them appropriately while mitigating production and equipment-process risks.