Autonomous Vehicle Operations Lead

About the role

This role is for a leader who will run the day-to-day operations of autonomous vehicle and robotaxi fleets across testing programs, commercial autonomous ride-hailing services, and new city rollouts in Europe. You will be the main operational point of ownership within the depot, keeping vehicles safe, ready for service, and prepared for deployment.

You will work with Safety Operators, Depot Specialists, Senior Technicians, and SDS Specialists to maintain fleet availability, support scale-up activities, and help deliver strong operational performance. The position suits someone with a background in fleet operations, mobility services, automotive operations, logistics, or transportation who thrives in a fast-moving, technology-focused setting.

Fleet operations

• Direct daily operations for autonomous vehicle and robotaxi fleets across one or more depot sites.
• Keep vehicles prepared for testing, commercial service, and autonomous ride-hailing activity.
• Track fleet use, vehicle availability, charging plans, and readiness status.
• Manage dispatch and vehicle return routines to improve fleet efficiency.
• Reduce downtime through structured planning and close coordination.

Depot operations

• Take charge of activities inside the robotaxi depot to ensure they are safe, orderly, and efficient.
• Organize the work of Depot Specialists, Safety Operators, Senior Technicians, and SDS Specialists.
• Make sure vehicles meet cleanliness, charging, inspection, and maintenance requirements before they go out.
• Help set up depots and prepare operations for new city launches and fleet growth.

Team leadership

• Hire, onboard, train, and supervise operational staff.
• Build shift rotas that support round-the-clock fleet operations.
• Carry out performance reviews and coaching discussions.
• Encourage a workplace culture built on safety, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure team members follow operating procedures and safety expectations.

Stakeholder management

• Serve as the main operational contact for internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate daily work with engineering, product, technical, and fleet management teams.
• Prepare operational updates, KPI dashboards, and performance summaries.
• Flag risks early and help build mitigation plans.
• Support customer visits, audits, and operational review meetings.

Operational excellence

• Track key metrics such as fleet availability, vehicle uptime, dispatch efficiency, depot productivity, and overall operational quality.
• Spot improvement opportunities that reduce delays and strengthen fleet performance.
• Create and roll out standard operating procedures for autonomous vehicle operations.
• Contribute to continuous improvement during fleet expansion and commercial deployment.

Health, safety, and compliance

• Ensure work is carried out in line with company policies, local rules, and operational procedures.
• Promote a strong safety mindset across all teams.
• Make sure incidents are investigated, recorded, and closed out properly.
• Maintain compliance with health and safety requirements for fleet and depot operations.

Requirements

Essential

• At least 5 years of experience in fleet operations, automotive operations, transportation, logistics, mobility services, or a similar environment.
• Background leading operational or technical teams.
• Experience with shift-based work or 24/7 operations.
• Strong leadership and people management capability.
• Good organisational and planning skills.
• Experience tracking KPIs and operational performance.
• Strong communication and stakeholder coordination skills.
• Fluency in English.

Preferred

• Exposure to autonomous vehicles, robotaxi fleets, ADAS programs, or automotive testing.
• Experience in electric vehicle fleet operations.
• Previous involvement in launching new sites or depots.
• Familiarity with fleet management systems and operational reporting tools.
• Additional European languages may be beneficial depending on project location.

What we are looking for

The ideal candidate combines strong operational discipline with leadership ability and a genuine interest in emerging mobility technology. You should be comfortable coordinating people, vehicles, depots, and processes while keeping safety, efficiency, and customer satisfaction at a high standard. Success in this role means staying effective in changing environments and helping autonomous fleets expand into new cities and markets.

Whether the work supports pilot deployments or fully commercial robotaxi services, you will help ensure that each vehicle, each shift, and each team member contributes to a dependable autonomous mobility operation.

What we offer

• The chance to lead large-scale autonomous vehicle and robotaxi fleet operations across Europe.
• Exposure to advanced self-driving technologies and commercial autonomous ride-hailing services.
• A leadership role supporting new city launches, depot setup, and fleet expansion.
• Close collaboration with engineering, product, and operations teams building the future of autonomous transport.
• Long-term career growth in fleet management, autonomous mobility, and robotaxi operations.
• International projects connected to leading autonomous vehicle programs.
• Thorough onboarding and ongoing professional development.

Additional information

The hiring process may involve artificial intelligence tools to help review applications, scan resumes, assess answers, and identify possible inconsistencies or verification signals using the information provided. These tools support the recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are made by people. If you want more information about how your data is handled, you can contact the company.