Senior Operations Specialist, Engineering Testing

DoorDash USA•Oakland, CA

2d•$28 - $42

About The Position

We're looking for an experienced technical operator to lead live testing, deployment, and operational validation of cutting-edge autonomous technologies. This role sits at the intersection of engineering and operations, helping ensure new capabilities are safely deployed, thoroughly evaluated, and translated into actionable engineering feedback.

Requirements

2+ years of experience, or a demonstrated strong background, in autonomous vehicle, robotics, or complex systems testing within a live operational environment.
Demonstrated ability to exercise sound technical judgment, troubleshoot complex system behaviors, and make informed decisions in dynamic, real-world scenarios.
Experience partnering closely with engineering teams to investigate issues, communicate technical findings, and influence product improvements.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly document findings and present technical recommendations to cross-functional stakeholders.
Experience using tools such as Linux, GitHub, Jira, Jenkins, or similar platforms to investigate issues, analyze system behavior, and track work through resolution.
Demonstrated ownership, leadership, and the ability to mentor junior team members while driving operational excellence.
Comfort working in ambiguous environments where processes are evolving and continuous improvement is expected.

Responsibilities

Lead and oversee live testing across transport, deployment, and safety validation.
Partner closely with hardware, software, and business operations teams to validate new product capabilities while providing guidance and mentorship to junior team members.
Conduct and document complex tests for autonomous technologies, evaluating robot behavior, identifying issues, and validating new features and requirements. Provide actionable technical feedback to engineering teams based on test outcomes.
Exercise technical judgment during live testing by evaluating robot behavior, assessing operational risk, distinguishing expected behavior from product defects, and determining when engineering escalation or additional validation is required.
Develop and implement testing processes, protocols, and checklists that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of new products.
Utilize internal tools to analyze logs, investigate issues, document findings, and track issues through resolution. Mentor junior team members in structured debugging and documentation practices.
Conduct detailed analyses and generate comprehensive reports that identify trends, summarize findings, and provide strategic recommendations to engineering and operations partners.