Operations Manager, Autonomous Safety

DoorDash•San Francisco, CA

2d•$136,000 - $200,000

About The Position

As Manager of Operational Safety, you will lead the team responsible for safety systems, incident response, and SOP governance for DoorDash's autonomous robot operations. You will set strategy, build and develop a team of safety specialists, and partner with engineering and product leadership to ensure safety is embedded into every phase of development. This is a senior leadership role at the intersection of operational rigor and autonomy. The role owns the design, governance, and continuous improvement of standard operating procedures; safety analytics and reporting; critical incident triage and resolution; and cross-functional safety programs. It also represents safety externally with regulators, partners, and customers as needed. The successful candidate will have substantial experience in operations or safety, including team leadership and experience building safety or operational systems in regulated or safety-critical environments. The role includes participation in an on-call rotation, with prompt responses to on-call events on nights and weekends. The national base pay range is $136,000–$200,000 USD, with pay localized by work location and determined by job-related factors. Compensation also includes opportunities for equity grants. DoorDash offers a comprehensive benefits package to regular employees, including retirement matching, paid parental leave, wellness and commuter benefits, paid time off, paid sick leave, health coverage, paid holidays, disability and life insurance, family-forming assistance, and mental health support.

Requirements

At least 7 years of experience in operations, safety, or a related field; autonomy or robotics experience is strongly preferred.
At least 2 years managing or leading teams, with a track record of developing talent and building high-performing functions.
Proven experience designing and scaling safety or operational systems in a regulated or safety-critical environment.
Executive presence and ability to influence senior stakeholders and clearly present complex risk data.
Strong analytical mindset and comfort with ambiguity and fast-changing priorities.
Availability to participate in an on-call rotation and respond to events on nights and weekends.

Nice To Haves

Deep familiarity with safety management systems (SMS), ISO 45001, or equivalent frameworks.
Track record designing, developing, and deploying comprehensive training programs and instructional materials.
Experience with autonomous systems, robotics deployment, or fleet operations at scale.
Proficiency in Google Workspace, Jira, and SQL.

Responsibilities

Hire, develop, and manage operations safety specialists across remote and on-site functions.
Set strategy for standard operating procedures, own their design and governance, and continuously improve them while driving compliance across Labs programs.
Establish operational safety metrics and KPIs, and present trends, risks, and recommendations to senior leadership.
Oversee critical incident triage and resolution, ensuring rigorous and timely root cause analysis and corrective actions.
Partner with engineering, product, legal, and field operations to integrate safety into product design, launches, and scale.
Represent safety with regulators, partners, and customers on safety standards and compliance as needed.
Participate in the on-call rotation and respond promptly and rigorously to on-call events, including nights and weekends.