Planning Manager (Validation)

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the world's most trusted driver. Since its start as the Google Self-Driving Car Project in 2009, Waymo has focused on building the Waymo Driver—The World's Most Experienced Driver™—to improve access to mobility while saving thousands of lives now lost to traffic crashes. The Waymo Driver powers Waymo’s fully autonomous ride-hail service and can also be applied to a range of vehicle platforms and product use cases. The Waymo Driver has provided over ten million rider-only trips, enabled by its experience autonomously driving over 100 million miles on public roads and tens of billions in simulation across 15+ U.S. states.

The Validation Operations Planning team owns the end-to-end process of demand planning for all testing & validation needs with Product and Engineering stakeholders, developing resource plans to meet those needs, and partnering with operational teams to deliver, track, and manage execution against aligned plans. 

This role follows a hybrid work schedule and reports to the Supply and Demand Planning Manager.

You will:

Own the testing & validation demand and supply plans and processes for your domain, working with key stakeholders to define objectives, priorities, requirements, and supply needs

Drive comprehensive planning cycles with key stakeholders, understanding every working nuance of your domain to optimize operations across all intersecting areas of planning, product, and execution

Build and manage models to accurately forecast, answer "what-if" scenarios, and extract operational insights that can only be gleaned through rigorous planning processes

Lead cross-functional initiatives to transform operating models and drive efficiencies across teams involved in testing & validation

Uplevel core planning software and methodologies, applying expertise in planning software and spreadsheet-driven models to ensure accurate forecasting and alignment with corporate financial strategy

You have:

Experience owning end-to-end planning cycles and acting as a strategic, cross-functional partner to stakeholders and leadership

Demonstrated strong business judgement, communication skills, and ability to distill complex data and analysis to develop and advocate for your own positions and recommendations to cross-functional partners and leaders

Deep, hands-on expertise in navigating and building models within enterprise planning platforms and spreadsheets, including using data tools (SQL) 

A proven track record of acting as an advocate and leader to drive cross-functional strategy, cost-down initiatives, and efficiency optimizations

Bachelor's degree in Economics, Industrial Engineering, Finance, Business Analytics, Mathematics, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience

5+ years of relevant professional experience in planning / supply chain, strategic operations, financial planning, management consulting, or an analytical business function

We prefer:

Master's degree (MBA preferred) in Finance, Economics, Operations Research, or a related discipline

8+ years of strategic execution within high-velocity environments such as management consulting, private equity, investment banking, or hyper-growth tech

Direct experience in resource planning and management for staff and/or vehicles

Experience and technical knowledge of forecasting methodologies and forecast accuracy measurement 

Demonstrated success operating within a highly matrixed organization, expertly driving alignment, negotiating priorities, and ensuring unified execution across operations, product, finance, and corporate strategy 

Experience using Anaplan for demand and supply planning processes (planning software tool) 

Travel requirements:

Occasional (every 1-2 quarters) team offsites; market/site visits more frequently as necessary.

The expected base salary range for this full-time position across US locations is listed below. Actual starting pay will be based on job-related factors, including exact work location, experience, relevant training and education, and skill level. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for the role location or, if the role can be performed remote, the specific salary range for your preferred location, during the hiring process. 

Waymo employees are also eligible to participate in Waymo’s discretionary annual bonus program, equity incentive plan, and generous Company benefits program, subject to eligibility requirements. 

Salary Range $159,000 — $196,000 USD