Head of Operations

Nuro•Mountain View, CA

16h

About The Position

As Head of Operations, you will lead a team responsible for supporting the development and global rollout of Nuro’s autonomous driving technology. This scope includes managing hundreds of team members across six operational functions: operations strategy, commercial launch/geographic expansion, in-vehicle operations, remote assistance, closed course testing, and operations safety. The operations org plays a critical role in both R&D efforts and commercial deployment, and you will lead it. Today we operate in three cities. Over the coming months and years, that footprint will expand significantly, across multiple geographies, time zones, vehicle platforms, partners, and operational environments. You will help build the plan that gets us there and the team that executes it, with a mix of full-time employees and contractors who each bring different requirements, different site conditions, and different challenges. The core deliverables: Execute real-world, mission-critical R&D activities in service of developing and deploying Nuro’s autonomy systems, at scale, safely, and at low cost. Collaborate with internal Nuro stakeholders and external partners to prepare for and launch commercial driverless operations. Launch operations in new markets in the US and aboard. That means building analytically disciplined teams, safety-first operating norms, and scalable onboarding and training programs across a geographically distributed population, all while staying tightly connected to the technical and commercial roadmap Nuro’s operations are built to serve.

Requirements

10+ years in operations or management consulting, with at least five of those in direct leadership roles, managing managers and scaling large, geographically distributed teams.
Proven track record building and scaling field operations in complex, high-volume environments, whether fleet, logistics, supply chain, or general management
Experience running 24/7 shift operations across multiple sites, time zones, and workforce types, including blended FTE and contractor populations
Deeply analytical, you make decisions based on data, pull insight from operational metrics, and communicate tradeoffs clearly to technical audiences
Hands-on and site-present, you understand that good operations leadership requires direct observation, not just dashboards
Strong track record building training, onboarding, and quality programs that produce consistent performance at scale
Comfortable with ambiguity and able to build structure in fast-moving, resource-constrained environments
Prior P&L ownership with demonstrated accountability for cost, efficiency, and growth outcomes

Nice To Haves

Experience in safety-critical industries: automotive, aviation, space, energy, or regulated manufacturing
Experience with vehicle fleet operations at scale, whether AV test programs, commercial trucking, ride-hail, or last-mile delivery
Familiarity with AV test operations, specifically, including safety driver programs, tele-operation, or remote monitoring infrastructure
Enough technical fluency in software development to have a substantive conversation with engineers about data quality, coverage, and how operational miles translate to software performance
Experience designing or managing programs where operational output, miles driven, routes covered, and conditions captured, directly fed a technical or data roadmap

Responsibilities

Set strategic direction and own outcomes across all operations, including capacity, cost, quality, and safety
Define KPIs for each function and hold the team accountable against them
Work with technical leadership to define the mileage and data collection program across R&D, mapping, and production vehicle fleets, balancing data quality, operational efficiency, and cost
Build and scale the operations organization across multiple operating domains, geographies, vehicle platforms, and regulatory environments
Develop the systems, processes, and training programs that allow a distributed, mixed FTE/contractor workforce to operate consistently and safely
Travel regularly to operational sites to understand local conditions, identify opportunities, and stay connected to the realities your team faces daily
Partner closely with Engineering, Hardware, Commercial Partnerships, Policy, and People to align operational priorities with Nuro's broader technical and commercial roadmap
Set the cultural tone for the operations organization, modeling the safety-first, analytically rigorous standards you expect from the team