The Role
Leads Waabi’s earned media, executive communications, internal communications, thought leadership, and communications agency relationship. Develops accurate narratives across technology, logistics, transportation, and business media; supports executive visibility; maintains external messaging guardrails; and builds the foundation for a future communications team.
Summary Generated by Built In
Waabi, founded by AI visionary Raquel Urtasun, is the leader in Physical AI. With a world-class team, we're unlocking the next era of autonomous transportation with technology that's powering commercial autonomous trucks and robotaxis. Waabi is backed by and partners with world leaders in AI, automotive, logistics, and deep tech.
With offices in Toronto, San Francisco, Dallas, and Pittsburgh, Waabi is growing quickly and looking for diverse, innovative and collaborative candidates who want to impact the world in a positive way. To learn more visit: www.waabi.ai
About the Role
We're looking for a Director of Communications to build and run Waabi's earned media and executive communications function. You'll be the person landing meaningful coverage of Waabi across logistics, technology, and business media — shaping how the market understands a company building AI for the physical world, not just another autonomous trucking company. You'll partner closely with our Director of Marketing on blog posts, thought leadership, and executive communications, and you'll manage our communications agency day to day. As the team grows, this role has a clear path to building and leading a communications team.
You will…
- Own relationships with reporters and editors across logistics, technology, and business media; pitch, place, and manage stories that land accurate, positive coverage of Waabi and its partners and customers.
- Ensure every external story reinforces Waabi's core narrative — grounded in proof, not hype — and helps position Waabi against the right set of peers rather than being pigeonholed as just another AV company.
- Partner with the Director of Marketing and IR to draft executive communications, speaking materials, and talking points that carry a consistent voice across founder and leadership visibility moments.
- Partner with the Director of Marketing to craft compelling blog posts and thought leadership content across logistics, transportation, technology, safety and policy that reflect Waabi's credibility without overselling it.
- Manage our communications agency's day-to-day work — briefing, reviewing output, and holding the relationship accountable to results, not just activity.
- Maintain and enforce guardrails on what's cleared for external use — proof points, terminology, and claims — so communications stay accurate as the company scales.
- Own internal communications strategy in partnership with the Head of People and CEO's Chief of Staff, building the foundation a future internal comms lead will inherit.
- As volume and scope grow, build the case for and eventually lead a small communications team.
What Success Looks Like:
In your first 6–12 months, you will have:
- Established a consistent narrative and message discipline across press, blog, and executive communications, with a clear point of view on what's cleared for external use.
- Landed a growing cadence of accurate, positive placements across logistics, technology, and business media that build durable third-party credibility.
- Shipped executive communications and thought leadership content, in partnership with the Director of Marketing, that strengthens leadership's external voice.
- Brought clear direction and accountability to the communications agency relationship, with measurable improvement in output quality or placement rate.
Qualifications:
- 10+ years in communications, PR, or media relations, with a track record of landing coverage in technology, business, or industrial/logistics trade press
- Proven ability to translate deep technical or scientific work into a compelling, accurate story for both trade and mainstream business media
- Experience managing an external communications or PR agency, including briefing, review, and performance accountability
- Experience supporting executive communications — speeches, talking points, bylines, or media training
- Excellent writer, capable of shaping thought leadership and blog content in partnership with product marketing
- Strong message discipline — comfortable maintaining clearance guardrails on claims, terminology, and proof points as a company's public narrative matures
- Comfortable operating in a small team, hands-on environment with the expectation of building toward leading a team over time
Bonus/nice to have:
- Experience communicating for a deep-tech, AI, or robotics company transitioning to commercial scale, especially one whose story needs to be actively repositioned against a specific peer set
- Existing relationships with reporters covering logistics, supply chain, transportation technology, or AI
- Experience with a company navigating a narrative shift (e.g., from a narrower category into a broader one)
- Experience in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or physical AI specifically
- Experience building a communications function or team from the ground up
- Open-minded and collaborative team player with the willingness to help others.
- Passionate about self-driving technologies, solving hard problems, and creating innovative solutions.
The US hourly range for this role is: $165,000 - $255,000 USD in addition to competitive perks & benefits. Waabi US Inc.’s yearly salary ranges are determined based on several factors in accordance with the Company’s compensation practices. Note: The Company provides additional compensation for employees in this role, including equity incentive awards and an annual performance bonus.
Perks/Benefits:
- Competitive compensation and equity awards.
- Health and Wellness benefits encompassing Medical, Dental and Vision coverage (for full-time employees only).
- Unlimited Vacation.
- Flexible hours and Work from Home support.
- Daily drinks, snacks and catered meals (when in office).
- Regularly scheduled team building activities and social events both on-site, off-site & virtually.
- As we grow, this list continues to evolve!
Waabi is a technology start-up building technologies to transform the way the world moves. Join our talented team to be a part of the future and to make an impact!
Waabi is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a supportive, inclusive, and accessible workplace for all our employees. We seek applicants of all backgrounds and identities, across race, color, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, age, citizenship, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military or veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or parental status, caregiver status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. We make workplace accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities as required by applicable law. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process please let our recruiting team know.
Skills Required
- 10+ years of experience in communications, public relations, or media relations
- Track record of securing coverage in technology, business, or industrial/logistics trade press
- Ability to translate technical or scientific work into compelling, accurate stories for trade and mainstream business media
- Experience managing an external communications or PR agency
- Experience supporting executive communications, including speeches, talking points, bylines, or media training
- Excellent writing skills and ability to shape thought leadership and blog content
- Strong message discipline and ability to maintain clearance guardrails on claims, terminology, and proof points
- Ability to work hands-on in a small-team environment and build toward leading a team
- Experience communicating for a deep-tech, AI, or robotics company transitioning to commercial scale
- Existing relationships with reporters covering logistics, supply chain, transportation technology, or AI
- Experience managing a company narrative shift or repositioning against a specific peer set
- Experience in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or physical AI
- Experience building a communications function or team from the ground up
- Open-minded, collaborative team-player mindset
- Passion for self-driving technologies, hard technical problems, and innovative solutions
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The Company
What We Do
Waabi, founded by AI pioneer and visionary Raquel Urtasun, is an AI company building the next generation of self-driving technology. With a world class team and an innovative approach that unleashes the power of AI to “drive” safely in the real world, Waabi is bringing the promise of self-driving closer to commercialization than ever before. Waabi is backed by best-in-class investors across the technology, logistics and the Canadian innovation ecosystem, including Khosla Ventures, Uber, 8VC, Radical Ventures, OMERS Ventures and BDC Capital’s Women in Technology Venture Fund. To learn more visit: waabi.ai Press: [email protected] Business: [email protected]
