Engineering & Hardware Category Manager

Job description

Waymo's Procurement and Vendor Enablement Office (PVEO) is the strategic engine behind our rapid commercial scaling. We don't just buy services; we design the workforce architecture that powers the Waymo Driver. In this senior leadership role, you will lead the Enterprise Outsourcing & Services vertical. You will partner with Executives across Engineering, Operations, and Corporate functions to define the "Future of Work" at Waymo—determining how we leverage the global external ecosystem to scale our Mapping, Labeling, Engineering, and Corporate capabilities.

You will:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive procurement strategy for Engineering Services and R&D Hardware, balancing cost optimization with speed-to-market for prototypes and technical development.
• Proactively manage a high-volume pipeline of outsourced engineering workforce contracts; lead negotiations for mission-critical engineering design firms to secure favorable long-term commercial and IP terms.
• Structure and negotiate complex Statements of Work (SOWs) and Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) agreements for hardware development to ensure successful project delivery and ROI.
• Optimize Joint Design Manufacturing (JDM) and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) relationships for R&D components, ensuring competitive pricing and seamless fulfillment logistics for hardware iterations.
• Act as the trusted advisor to Engineering and Hardware leadership; lead complex "make vs. buy" analyses and influence technical requirements to drive commercial value and mitigate supply chain risk.
• Partner with Legal (IP/Security) to ensure all engineering services and hardware agreements meet Waymo’s rigorous intellectual property protection and cybersecurity standards.

You have:

• 7+ years of strategic procurement experience, with at least 4+ years dedicated to Engineering Services, R&D, or Hardware sourcing.
• Deep expertise in outsourced engineering models (managed services, staff augmentation, fixed-bid) and experience negotiating with Tier 1 engineering service providers.
• Proven ability to draft and negotiate complex commercial contracts, including MSAs, NREs, JDM/ODM agreements, and highly technical Professional Services SOWs.
• Experience managing R&D hardware lifecycles (EVT, DVT, PVT) and negotiating with custom component manufacturers and prototyping houses.
• Strong financial acumen with the ability to present TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) analysis to Finance and Hardware Engineering leadership.
• Ability to operate in a high-velocity environment, managing multiple concurrent high-priority sourcing events for unreleased technologies.

We prefer:

• Experience in a hyper-growth Tech, Autonomous Vehicle (AV), or automotive manufacturing environment.
• Engineering background or profound understanding of hardware development and systems engineering principles.
• Experience using Ariba P2P, e-sourcing, and Spend Analysis tools.

Travel:

• Estimated 10-15% (Vendor QBRs, supplier audits, & HQ visits as needed).