Your space-enabled career begins here

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company with the mission to be the 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 One, a fully autonomous ride-hailing service, and can also be applied to a range of vehicle platforms and product use cases. The Waymo Driver has provided over one million rider-only trips, enabled by its experience autonomously driving tens of millions of miles on public roads and tens of billions in simulation across 13+ U.S. states.

The Waymo Policy and Government Affairs team has a front seat in this exciting moment in the evolution of autonomous driving technology, transportation and tech policy. Successful navigation of the policy landscape is critically important to deploying and scaling our business. Our team works directly with policymakers and third party groups at the national, state and local levels to help advance transportation policy, educate on the safety benefits of the technology, and advance consumer awareness and acceptance. Internally, our efforts support the innovative work of engineering, product, strategy, and partnerships teams, and we work closely with highly-skilled legal and safety experts.

In this hybrid role, you will report into our Head of International Policy & Government Affairs.

You will:

• Lead Waymo's government affairs initiatives in Japan and key APAC countries, facilitating the deployment of autonomous driving technology in accordance with global objectives.
• Advocate for policies, legislation, and regulations that advance the safe testing and commercialization of autonomous driving technologies.
• Cultivate and maintain robust relationships with policymakers, regulators, industry leaders, think tanks, and advocacy groups throughout the region.
• Collaborate with external organizations, coalitions, and interest groups to enhance advocacy efforts and align key policy priorities.
• Represent Waymo in policy discussions, industry associations, conferences, and public forums.
• Identify emerging trends and policy opportunities across the APAC region, providing strategic insights to internal teams.

You have:

• 12+ years of experience in policy and government affairs within Japan and the broader APAC region, particularly within technology or other regulated industries.
• Proven ability to develop and execute sophisticated policy strategies and adeptly navigate complex regulatory landscapes specific to Japan and APAC.
• Native-level Japanese proficiency and business-level English, essential for clear and impactful communication with diverse executive, technical, and non-technical audiences.
• Direct experience working with or within Japan's national and local government regulatory processes.
• Exceptional advocacy and negotiation skills, with a demonstrated track record of concisely presenting and influencing outcomes on complex issues.
• Highly effective operating across diverse time zones, countries, and cultures, including willingness to travel to the US and throughout APAC as required.

We prefer:

• Prior personnel management experience (preferred, but not strictly required for initial role).
• Previous employment within Japanese national or local government ministries (e.g., MLIT, METI, NPA, MOFA).
• Extensive government advocacy networks and substantial policy experience across the broader Asia Pacific region.
• Deep automotive and/or technology policy and regulatory expertise.
• Advanced degree (Master's or Juris Doctor).