Technical Program Manager, ML Developer Experience and Infrastructure Reliability

Waymo's Technical Program Managers and Program Managers are accountable for Waymo's roadmap execution by providing thoughtful cross-functional planning, clarity, and proactive risk management. In the face of complex technical and operational challenges with no established playbooks to follow, we act with thoughtful urgency, driving conversations, discussions, and outcomes. Our team partners closely with every function of Waymo to structure, own and drive work towards real-world deployments of the Waymo Driver across platforms and geographies.

In this hybrid role, you will report to a Technical Program Management Director.

You will:

• Drive the "Golden Path" for ML: Lead cross-functional execution to define and invest in a simplified "golden path" for ML development for Onboard and Foundation Model (WaymoFM) development, targeting the reduction of friction and low reliability in the "inner loop"
• Manage Reliability Operations: Ensure smooth day-to-day operations of the reliability triage ecosystem, keeping queues healthy through interaction with rotation members and driving automation of queue management
• Program Implementation for Infra Stability: Drive "contract-based reliability" programs across Onboard domains to stabilize infrastructure and move beyond reactive "whack-a-mole" investment cycles
• Bridge ML and Infra: Facilitate communication and alignment between ML research, infrastructure foundations, and onboard teams to resolve blockers in core workflows like root-causing brittle pipelines
• Strategic Roadmap Tracking: Contribute to strategic planning and track project progress, risks, and KPIs related to ML developer productivity and infrastructure reliability for leadership reporting
• Resolve Systemic Blockers: Proactively identify and resolve roadblocks in the ML development cycle, such as data fragmentation and complex tooling that currently hinders developer velocity

You have:

• Technical Education: A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field
• TPM Experience: 5+ years of experience as a Technical Program Manager in a software engineering or large-scale infrastructure environment
• ML/Reliability Track Record: Proven track record of managing complex technical projects involving machine learning infrastructure, developer experience (DevX), or site reliability engineering (SRE)
• Program Ownership: Experience owning and driving programs end-to-end, including managing timelines, risks, and dependencies across multiple senior stakeholders
• Analytical Problem Solving: Strong analytical and technical judgment skills, with the ability to use data to diagnose and solve systemic engineering bottlenecks
• Communication Mastery: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to convey complex technical concepts to both researchers and infrastructure engineers

We prefer:

• Advanced ML Operations: Experience with ML observability, root-causing production pipelines, and automating large-scale offline inference or model training experiments
• Large-Scale Data Management: Background in managing multi-petabyte scale datasets, data validation frameworks, or unified data management solutions
• Reliability Frameworks: Familiarity with contract-based reliability models, SLO management for autonomous systems, or reliability triage ecosystems
• Developer Platforms: Experience building or managing "golden path" developer platforms or developer tooling that simplifies complex, fragmented tech stacks
• Advanced Degree: Master's degree or PhD in a related technical field
• Autonomous Domain Knowledge: Experience with simulation environments for autonomous systems, model validation strategies, or onboard/offboard infrastructure dependencies