System Disruption Manager

Waymo•Tempe, AZ

12d•$159,000 - $196,000

About The Position

Waymo is hiring a System Disruption Manager for Waymo Operations, the global team responsible for building and scaling its autonomous fleet and operations platform. The role leads real-time responses to cross-functional operational disruptions, serving as Incident Commander and making system-level decisions under critical time constraints. It also drives incident learning and improvement through thorough retrospectives, accurate documentation, follow-up tracking, and executive-level communications. The position participates in a global 24/7, follow-the-sun incident response capability. The expected base salary range for this full-time position across U.S. locations is $159,000–$196,000. Actual starting pay depends on job-related factors, including location, experience, training, education, and skill level. Employees are also eligible to participate in Waymo’s discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements.

Requirements

At least 7 years of professional experience serving as an Incident Commander or lead responder for high-severity, cross-functional operational incidents in a complex engineering or logistics environment.
Technical understanding of complex engineering systems and ability to lead incident response, root cause analysis, and remediation for live operational incidents.
Exceptional cross-functional leadership and ability to build alignment among stakeholders such as Engineering, Legal, and Operations during critical events.
Ability to remain calm and decisive under pressure, coordinate response efforts, and make sound judgments in rapidly evolving, high-stakes situations.
Experience briefing senior executives and leadership in real time on complex incidents, clearly and concisely communicating technical details, impact, and proposed resolutions across communication channels.
Exceptional attention to detail and experience documenting incident timelines, contributing factors, and post-incident analysis.
Willingness and operational capability to participate in a 24/7 on-call rotation and cover shifts as part of a global follow-the-sun incident response capability.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Emergency Management, Business, Operations, Law, or a related discipline.
Experience leading crisis and incident response as an Incident Commander in a global organization covering AMER, EMEA, and APAC operations.
Ability to interact effectively with or report to external stakeholders, including law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and legal counsel, during sensitive or high-profile incidents.
Experience in a highly regulated industry such as Automotive, Maritime, or Aviation, or a similar sector.
Certifications or alignment with incident management frameworks or best practices such as NIMS/ICS, ITIL Incident Management, or similar.
Experience with event mapping initiatives to improve incident action planning, align response-team actions, and promote stakeholder coordination.

Responsibilities

Lead as Incident Commander during cross-functional disruptions, coordinating real-time response efforts and making system-level decisions within critical timeframes.
Manage and prioritize escalations, ensuring appropriate stakeholder representation—including Legal, Operations, Safety, Policy, and Communications—throughout the incident lifecycle.
Build cross-functional partnerships to understand stakeholder concerns during incidents and communicate outcomes and learning opportunities after incidents.
Collaborate with global Operations teams to provide real-time incident response support and guidance and maintain 24/7 coverage.
Lead retrospectives for high-severity events, document timelines, identify root causes, and track actionable follow-ups through implementation.
Deliver executive-level communications on active incidents and present analyses of outcomes, trends, and strategic learnings from past events.