Community Engagement Manager

As a member of the Public Affairs team, you will be at the forefront of bringing autonomous driving technology to the public. Our focus is implementing advocacy, grassroots, and grasstops campaigns to drive acceptance and adoption of our life-saving technology. We work directly with key third party groups and influencers to educate the public on the safety benefits of Waymo's fully autonomous driving technology. Internally, our efforts support the innovative work of engineering, product, safety, and external engagement teams.

In this hybrid role, you will report to the Chief Marketing Officer.

You will:

• Architect community strategies: Develop and execute local engagement plans in a variety of urban markets to ensure both Waymo and our local infrastructure projects are understood and supported.
• Closely partner with a variety of cross-functional internal teams and local consultants for both strategic planning and tactical execution.
• Mitigate friction: Proactively identify potential community pain points-such as construction noise or traffic-and implement creative solutions to maintain neighborhood understanding and harmony.
• Manage multi-channel outreach: Manage a variety of engagements - including potentially door-knocking campaigns, town halls, digital updates, and "coffee chats" - to keep residents informed and heard.
• Translate complexity: Turn technical infrastructure jargon into clear, relatable stories about how Waymo serves, partners with, and invests in local communities.
• Community liaison: Serve as a liaison between Waymo and key neighborhood stakeholders, including non-profits and small business owners.

You have:

• Ground game experience: At least 5 years in public affairs, community organizing, or local government relations.
• Exceptional emotional intelligence: The ability to remain calm and empathetic in high-pressure situations.
• Project management excellence: Experience managing multiple simultaneous projects across different time zones, city jurisdictions, and with the input of several cross-functional internal teams.
• Stellar communication skills: Exceptional writing and public speaking skills, with an ability to tailor your message to everyone from a city councilor to a local shopkeeper.
• Ability to travel: A willingness to travel to be physically present in the neighborhoods where the work is happening.

We prefer:

• Autonomous Vehicle (AV) or mobility background: Prior experience in the mobility, transit, or logistics sectors, particularly helping communities navigate the transition to new technologies.
• Local urban experience: Specific experience working with diverse urban demographics and a deep understanding of the unique social and political fabrics of major metro areas.
• Crisis & issues management: A proven track record of managing active neighborhood friction, such as construction mitigation, zoning disputes, or high-profile public feedback sessions.
• Crisis communication tools: Proficiency with CRM tools (like Salesforce or StakeTracker) and digital engagement platforms to track community sentiment and manage outreach data.
• Creative storytelling: Experience using visual aids, maps, or digital media to simplify complex infrastructure projects for a non-technical audience.
• Established local networks: Existing relationships with urban planning groups, accessibility advocates, or business improvement districts (BIDs).
• Multilingual capabilities: Fluency in a second language (e.g., Spanish or Cantonese) to ensure inclusive outreach in linguistically diverse neighborhoods.

Travel requirements (if applicable):

• This role requires up to 30% travel to be physically present in the neighborhoods and markets where our we are opening infrastructure to support our growth.