Operations Lead - SDS Trucking

Applied Intuition•Mountain View, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Applied Intuition is seeking an Operations Lead, SDS Trucking to bring our SDS on-road commercial trucking platform into real-world operation. In this role, you will own the end-to-end operational execution of SDS-enabled trucking programs, from site and fleet readiness to vehicle integration, on-road testing, validation, and ongoing operational feedback. You will be responsible for translating advanced autonomy and ADAS capabilities into safe, compliant, and scalable commercial truck operations, working closely with OEM partners, regulators, and Applied’s engineering teams. This role sits at the intersection of technology, safety, fleet operations, and customer delivery, and is critical to enabling customers to progress from development testing toward sustained on-road commercial deployment.

Requirements

Commercial Vehicle or Autonomy Program Experience Hands-on experience leading on-road testing or deployment programs for commercial vehicles, ADAS, or autonomy, ideally involving heavy-duty trucks or complex fleet operations.
Operational Leadership Proven ability to stand up, scale, and manage multi-site operational programs, balancing safety, speed, cost, and technical rigor in high-stakes environments.
Technical and Operational Fluency Comfort working with autonomy and ADAS systems, understanding how software, hardware, vehicles, and operations come together to enable safe on-road execution.
Cross-Functional Leadership Strong communicator and decision-maker who can align engineering, product, safety, legal, OEM partners, and operations teams toward shared outcomes.
Safety-First Mindset Demonstrated experience building and enforcing safety processes for on-road operations, including driver procedures, incident management, and continuous improvement.

Nice To Haves

Experience with autonomous or SDS-enabled commercial trucking programs.
Background working directly with truck OEMs, commercial fleet operators, or Tier-1 suppliers.
Familiarity with on-road validation strategies, simulation-to-road workflows, or fleet telemetry.
Understanding of functional safety, regulatory frameworks, and permitting for on-road commercial vehicles.
Experience scaling vehicle programs across multiple countries or regulatory environments.

Responsibilities

Lead SDS Trucking Deployments Own operational readiness for SDS on-road trucking programs, including vehicle build readiness, instrumentation, fleet configuration, site setup, and daily execution across customer programs.
Operationalize On-Road Validation Define and run real-world testing and validation workflows for commercial trucks, including route planning, mileage targets, operational KPIs, data quality standards, and feedback loops to engineering and product teams.
Drive OEM and Partner Execution Serve as the primary operational interface with truck OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers, test partners, and internal stakeholders to align timelines, scope, and execution against program milestones.
Ensure Safety and Regulatory Compliance Implement and enforce safety processes, driver/operator procedures, and incident response frameworks appropriate for on-road commercial trucking, ensuring alignment with regulatory, customer, and internal requirements.
Scale Global Trucking Operations Build repeatable, scalable playbooks for SDS trucking operations that can be deployed across regions, vehicle platforms, and customer programs, accounting for local regulations, infrastructure, and operational constraints.