Jobs / United States / Waymo LLC
Staff Hardware Reliability Engineer
Waymo LLC · 🇺🇸 Mountain View, California, USA
Sponsorship verdict
Sponsorship possible
One solid signal, not two — worth applying, and worth asking about sponsorship early.
- Employer is on a government sponsor recordThe US Department of Labor certified 290 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 87 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
- The posting doesn’t mention sponsorshipSilence isn’t a refusal — ask the recruiter before investing much time.
- No salary bar for this routeH-1B has no fixed salary bar: the employer must pay at least the prevailing wage for the role and area. Cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level. Source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/12/29/2025-23853/weighted-selection-process-for-registrants-and-petitioners-seeking-to-file-cap-subject-h-1b, rules effective 2026-02-27.
- What Waymo LLC paid sponsored hires in similar roles5 certified filings for “Silicon Design Engineer” (Computer Hardware Engineers) in CA: $200k–$212k, median $205k. Most were filed at wage level II (50%) — 2 lottery entries, ≈31% projected selection odds for cap-subject employers. Source: US Department of Labor LCA disclosure data (Oct 2025 – Jun 2026).
- Confirmed live todayWhen a source last listed this job as open.
US H-1B: cap-subject employers enter a lottery weighted by wage level — Level I gets 1 entry, Level IV gets 4 (DHS projected selection odds ≈15% at Level I to ≈61% at Level IV). Universities and non-profit research employers are cap-exempt. The $100,000 fee for new petitions from abroad is currently blocked by a court order (appeal pending).
A verdict summarises public evidence; it is not legal advice and never a guarantee — the employer and the immigration authority decide. Sign in to factor in where you can already work.
Or apply yourself on the official page →
Sponsor Radar — Waymo LLC
The US Department of Labor certified 290 H-1B/E-3 labor condition applications for this employer between Oct 2025 and Jun 2026 (latest Jun 2026) — the step every H-1B hire needs first. USCIS also records 87 H-1B approvals in FY2023. Source: LCA disclosure data (US Department of Labor (OFLC)).
Past sponsorship or register membership never guarantees sponsorship for this vacancy or for you. Full Sponsor Radar for Waymo LLC →
About the 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. This role will report to a Manager of Hardware Reliability Engineering. You will: • Lead the reliability program for a Waymo hardware product area (e.g. LiDAR) across its full lifecycle from early development and prototyping, through EVT - DVT - PVT - production ramp and field deployment • Define and improve reliability processes, including risk analyses (DFMEA, FTA), design verification, test and failure analysis, and cross-functional optimizations • Work closely with US-based and international CMs, ODMs and Tier-1s to develop reliability test and validation programs that meet Waymo’s standards of reliability • Develop, communicate, and maintain long-term reliability roadmaps and strategies for your product area. Work collaboratively with TPMs to build reliability schedules and take responsibility for all deliverables while updating senior engineering leadership • Provide technical evaluations and strategic recommendations on designs, processes, materials and vendor selection to teams within the Waymo Engineering, and navigate complex vendor relationships • Manage program-level risks related to complex, multi-dimensional reliability issues and play a key role in mitigate those risks You have: • Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Material Science, or Physics • 10 years of experience in end to end management of reliability programs for complex electromechanical systems • Experience in delivering on the reliability of 1-2 generations of products, from concept & prototyping, to production ramp and field deployment. • Experience in managing the DFMEA or other risk analysis process across a product line. • Extensive experience developing comprehensive reliability test plans, resolving complex failure analyses, and leading root-cause resolution across functions. • Strong technical background in the mechanics of materials and physics of failure for electronics and sensors. We prefer: • PhD Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Material Science, or Physics • 15 years of experience, as a manager, directing the reliability program at CMs, ODMs or international vendors and suppliers for electronic components and sub-systems • Experience in OEM automotive, Tier-1 suppliers, autonomous vehicle or sensor domain reliability • Experience in managing a reliability test lab with thermal, vibration and environmental test equipment • Product development and launch experience across multiple independent, high-volume hardware product categories. • Strong mentorship skills with a track record of driving technical leadership within a team 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 em