Senior Director, Hardware & Vehicle Development

DoorDash USA•San Francisco, CA

2d•$320,000 - $400,000

About The Position

DoorDash Labs is seeking a Senior Director of Hardware and Vehicle Development to oversee the entire hardware lifecycle for their autonomous delivery robots. This includes product engineering, volume manufacturing, and field service. The role involves leading the selection of a contract manufacturing partner, developing a hiring plan, and scaling the hardware organization to achieve robot profitability and global expansion by 2030. The successful candidate will own the hardware roadmap, make key decisions, and be accountable for outcomes in a fast-paced environment.

Requirements

15+ years of experience in hardware, automotive, or a closely related field
At least 4-5 years leading a hardware organization at the senior director or VP level
Experience taking a hardware program from early development through volume manufacturing
Experience building something from scratch where new approaches had to be developed
Track record of building high-performing teams and bringing exceptional people with you
Experience selecting and managing contract manufacturers
Comfortable operating in a fast-moving environment with aggressive timelines
Ability to identify which processes add value and which ones to skip

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end hardware: lead engineering, manufacturing, and field service for our autonomous robot platform, with direct accountability for hitting scale milestones
Build the team: shape the hardware organization from the ground up, with the authority and budget to bring in exceptional talent — including people from your own network
Partner across the company: work closely with autonomy, product, and operations teams to translate system requirements into hardware decisions and manufacturing reality
Drive profitability: lead the shift from proving the technology to reducing cost and improving efficiency, with robot-level profitability as a near-term goal
Operate with real ownership: set the roadmap, make the calls, and be accountable for outcomes in a program that is moving fast and has visible impact