Strategic Sourcing Manager - Contract Manufacturing & Compute
About this role
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.
Waymo's Supply Chain and Manufacturing teams are making the technology of the future a reality. We handle all production processes and supplier development strategies: from contracts and purchasing, to designs for improved manufacturing, through quality control and delivery. We collaborate actively with Waymo engineering teams as well as external suppliers and partners to make sure everything is built to spec and delivered on time to meet the rising demands of our business.
You will:
- Develop CM & Compute Sourcing Strategy: Design and execute multi-year sourcing strategies for Tier 1 Contract Manufacturers (JDM/Hybrid/ODM) supporting complex compute hardware, custom server platforms, high-speed interconnects/connectors, and select off-the-shelf (OTS) silicon in Mixed Signal / Analog spaces.
- Lead Complex Commercial Negotiations: Drive all commercial aspects of CM engagements, including MVA, SMT/FATP line rates, labor, cycle/lead times, test and assembly costs, tooling/test capex amortization, and yield/scrap sharing models.
- Drive Commercial & Strategic Contracts: Partner closely with Legal to draft, negotiate, and execute key manufacturing and supply agreements (MSAs, MPAs, HSAs, SOWs, SLAs, LTAs), securing favorable commercial, operational, and strategic terms for Waymo.
- Own Integrated Sub-Tier Commodities: Lead commercial relationships, master pricing, and supply assurance for key compute commodities, with emphasis on connectors and off-the-shelf active silicon, eliminating margin stacking across the Tier 1 supply chain.
- Drive Cost Modeling & Total Cost of Ownership (TCO): Build open-book, bottoms-up should-cost models for PCBA and box-build assemblies. Lead continuous cost-reduction programs and annual productivity workflows..
- Partner Cross-Functionally with Engineering & AME: Act as the single commercial focal point between Compute Hardware Engineering, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (AME), Quality/SDE, and Material Planning to guide overall Compute module strategic direction, DFM/DFT decisions, factory footprint selection, and NPI build execution.
You have:
- 10+ years of strategic sourcing, global supply management (GSM), or commodity management experience with Tier 1 Contract Manufacturers and complex compute/electronic systems.
- Deep expertise in manufacturing cost dissection (SMT/FATP line costing, cost per placement, assembly touch-times, test overhead, tooling amortization, and yield curves).
- Demonstrated track record negotiating and executing Master Manufacturing Agreements (MMAs/MSAs), SOWs, and complex liability/warranty terms.
- Hands-on sourcing experience with electronic sub-tier commodities (connectors, cabling, passives, or OTS silicon).
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Supply Chain, Operations, or equivalent practical experience.
- Exceptional commercial negotiation, executive presentation, and spreadsheet financial modeling skills
We prefer:
- Prior work experience as a CM/Compute GSM at leading hardware/OEM firms (e.g., Apple, Google, Meta, Tesla, Amazon/Zoox, NVIDIA, Cisco) or senior commercial roles at Tier 1 EMS/ODMs (e.g., Foxconn, Quanta, Flex, Jabil, Celestica).
- Deep technical understanding of high-speed digital compute architectures, server PCBA manufacturing, and automotive reliability standards (IATF 16949, AEC-Q100).
- Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering (MSEE) and/or MBA.
- Direct experience managing CM manufacturing sites and executive supplier engagements across North America, Taiwan, and Southeast Asia.
Travel Requirements:
- 20% domestic and international travel.
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.
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