System Disruption Manager

Waymo•Tempe, AZ

11d

About The Position

The System Disruption Manager leads real-time response to cross-functional operational disruptions, serving as Incident Commander and coordinating stakeholders to safely and efficiently resolve critical events. The role requires decisive system-level decisions under tight timeframes, including responding to critical events in under five minutes, and managing escalations with appropriate representation from Legal, Operations, Safety, Policy, and Communications. The manager builds cross-functional partnerships, supports global Operations teams in maintaining 24/7 incident-response coverage, and drives continuous improvement through incident retrospectives, root-cause analysis, documentation, and follow-up tracking. The role also delivers executive-level updates during active incidents and presents analysis of incident outcomes, trends, and strategic learnings. This is a full-time position. The expected base salary range across U.S. locations is $159,000–$196,000. Employees are also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, equity incentive plan, and company benefits, subject to eligibility requirements.

Requirements

At least 7 years of professional incident-management experience 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 to guide incident response, root-cause analysis, and remediation for live operational incidents.
Ability to build alignment among diverse stakeholders, including 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 leaders 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 analyses.
Willingness and operational capability to participate in a 24/7 on-call rotation and cover shifts as part of a global follow-the-sun response capability.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in Emergency Management, Business, Operations, Law, or a related discipline.
Experience leading incident response as an Incident Commander in a global organization covering AMER, EMEA, and APAC operations.
Experience interacting with or reporting 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, with familiarity with safety-critical systems, compliance frameworks, and complex operational procedures.
Certifications or alignment with incident-management frameworks 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

Serve as Incident Commander during cross-functional disruptions, directing real-time response and making system-level decisions within critical timeframes.
Coordinate multiple cross-functional stakeholders to resolve events safely and efficiently.
Manage and prioritize escalations, ensuring relevant stakeholder representation throughout the incident lifecycle.
Build partnerships across functions to understand stakeholder concerns and communicate post-incident outcomes and learning opportunities to a global audience.
Support global Operations teams with real-time incident-response guidance to maintain 24/7 coverage.
Lead retrospectives for all high-severity events, documenting timelines, identifying root causes, and tracking actionable follow-ups through implementation.
Provide executive-level communications on active incidents and present analyses of outcomes, trends, and strategic learnings.