Applied Research Scientist, Multi-Modal Perception (PhD New Grad)

<div class="content-intro"><p>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.</p></div><p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><em>On the Waymo Marketing team, you will help to connect people with the magic and impact of Waymo's autonomous driving technology. Our team has the unique opportunity to not only grow Waymo's brand from the ground up, but to also build societal acceptance for autonomous driving technology for the first time in history. We build thoughtful marketing strategy, positioning, messaging and creative assets to deliver messages that matter to our audience, communicated through anything from video content, to social media interactions, to immersive physical experiences. We also shape Waymo's go-to-market initiatives, helping to transform Waymo into a thriving business with a growing user base.&nbsp;</em></p> <p data-pm-slice="1 1 []"><em>In this hybrid role, you will report into our Brand Marketing &amp; Operations Lead.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>You will:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Lead the overarching global social media strategy by owning Waymo’s brand expression, scaling our content ecosystem and channel architecture to capture an audience of millions across US and expansion markets.</li> <li>Serve as the lead across all social touchpoints to ensure a premium, consistent voice while advising C-suite executives and senior leadership on real-time social listening and narrative strategies.</li> <li>Establish data-driven analytics framework, deploying predictive social listening to capitalize on cultural trends and quantify business impact.</li> <li>Act as a creative catalyst for the brand, pioneering thumb-stopping, social-first content that weave Waymo into mainstream culture.</li> <li>Design and oversee an agile, 24/7 global community management and crisis mitigation framework, implementing best practices to safely navigate complex public relations and regulatory landscapes.</li> <li>Recruit, scale, and mentor a high-performing, multi-disciplinary social media organization while managing agency partnerships, production vendors, and the social marketing budget.</li> </ul> <p><strong>You have:</strong></p> <ul> <li>A BA/BS degree or equivalent practical experience in Marketing, Communications, Journalism, or a related field.</li> <li>At least 15 years of leadership experience in marketing &amp; communications, preferably managing global social content, enterprise-level social footprints in-house for an iconic technology, mobility, or consumer brand.</li> <li>A robust portfolio of bold, award-winning social-first campaigns that demonstrate strategic, unconventional risk-taking and an innate understanding of viral mechanics.</li> <li>Proven success directly leading teams and managing scaled global agency models to ensure seamless 24/7 coverage and triage.</li> <li>Expert-level understanding of global social platforms, and regional nuances by country/region (i.e. Instagram, Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads, and X.)</li> <li>Direct experience developing and managing executive thought leadership programs, ghostwriting for C-suite leaders, and securing buy-in from senior corporate stakeholders for high-stakes digital campaigns.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>We prefer</strong></p> <ul> <li>Experience leading social media within a high-growth and highly regulated emerging technology sector.</li> <li>Experience adapting a central brand voice to fit international markets, respecting localized cultural nuances, vernacular, and regulatory restrictions.</li> <li>Direct experience leading social response and real-time community containment during high-visibility national news cycles, regulatory shifts, or corporate crises.</li> <li>Experience embedding AI workflows and generative tools into your workflow to automate large-scale community moderation, enhance predictive social listening, and streamline deep-dive sentiment reporting.</li> <li>Expert knowledge of enterprise-level social listening, publishing, and clean-room analytics infrastructure like Sprinklr, Sprout Social, or Brandwatch.</li> <li>A strong understanding of how organic social media, community building, and creator whitelisting loop back into growth marketing engines to drive organic app downloads.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Travel:&nbsp;</strong></p> <ul> <li>10% or as needed (productions, or managing local teams)</li> </ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description"><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">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.&nbsp;</span></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">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.&nbsp;</span></p></div><div class="title">Salary Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$249,000</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$307,000 USD</span></div></div></div>