Head of US Public Policy

Wayve • Sunnyvale, CA

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

Wayve is hiring a Senior Public Policy Lead to own our US public policy program. This person will be the senior Wayve policy representative for state and federal engagement, with an initial focus on California. This new leader will also support the design and execution of an adaptable multi-state engagement that supports Wayve’s evolving commercial strategy. You will define and deliver regulatory wins that enable testing, pilots and commercialization, while partnering closely with Commercial, Product, Engineering, Safety and Legal to support Wayve’s GTM in the US.

Requirements

• Location & language: Flexible in US but CA preferred. Fluent English; excellent written and oral communications.
• 8+ years of professional experience in public policy, government affairs, regulatory affairs, or external affairs — with senior/leadership experience and a record of delivering U.S. federal and state policy outcomes.
• Deep knowledge of the U.S. federal regulatory landscape for transportation and emerging mobility, and of California’s regulatory and political environment (DMV, CARB, CPUC, state legislature).
• Demonstrated success influencing national and state policy outcomes through direct engagement with federal agencies, Congressional staff, state agencies, governors’ offices and local governments.
• Strong technical literacy in autonomous vehicles, AI, data and safety — comfortable working with engineering teams and translating technical issues for non-technical audiences.
• Track record designing and running multi-state engagement programs that can be scaled up/down and reallocated quickly as commercial strategy changes

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with international automotive regulatory fora e.g. UNECE
• Knowledge of Type Approval and/or other international automotive regulation

Responsibilities

• Develop and own Wayve’s US public policy strategy, developing a multi-state playbook, ensuring seamless alignment with global policy objectives and commercial goals.
• Build and lead the U.S. public policy function.
• Lead Wayve’s engagement with federal agencies (e.g., USDOT, NHTSA, EPA where relevant), Congressional offices, federal rulemaking and agency consultations, and national standards bodies.
• Advocate for regulatory approaches, guidance and funding that enable safe AV testing and deployment at scale.
• Own engagement with California state agencies (e.g., DMV, CPUC and relevant state agencies), governors’ offices, state legislators and city/municipal agencies.
• Establish ROI and build coalitions with industry partners, trade associations, think tanks, academic institutions and civil society to accelerate constructive, risk-based policy outcomes.
• Draft and deliver regulatory submissions, technical briefings, testimony, consultation responses and policy whitepapers tailored for U.S. federal and state audiences with support from our agency.
• Develop U.S.-facing policy communications and thought leadership to raise Wayve’s profile and shape public debate.
• Prepare and coach senior spokespeople for Congressional hearings, agency briefings and public testimony as needed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed