Senior Vendor Manager

Serve Robotics•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

At Serve Robotics, we’re reimagining how things move in cities. Our personable sidewalk robot is our vision for the future. It’s designed to take deliveries away from congested streets, make deliveries available to more people, and benefit local businesses. The Serve fleet has been delighting merchants, customers, and pedestrians along the way in Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas, Atlanta and Chicago while doing commercial deliveries. We’re looking for talented individuals who will grow robotic deliveries from surprising novelty to efficient ubiquity. Who We Are We are tech industry veterans in software, hardware, and design who are pooling our skills to build the future we want to live in. We are solving real-world problems leveraging robotics, machine learning and computer vision, among other disciplines, with a mindful eye towards the end-to-end user experience. Our team is agile, diverse, and driven. We believe that the best way to solve complicated dynamic problems is collaboratively and respectfully. JOB OVERVIEW The Senior Vendor Manager, Remote Operations oversees vendor performance and operational quality for Serve Robotics’ remote operations program. This role is responsible for managing vendor relationships, improving safety and operational processes, and ensuring high-quality remote support for Serve’s autonomous delivery fleet. The Senior Vendor Manager partners cross-functionally with engineering, product, QA, and operations teams to drive operational excellence and continuous improvement.

Requirements

6+ years of experience in operations, vendor management, or service delivery within a data-driven environment.
Demonstrated experience managing third-party vendors and driving operational accountability.
Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Google Sheets, Jira, ThoughtSpot, or similar analytics tools.
Experience designing and improving operational processes using data and stakeholder input.
Strong communication skills with the ability to present insights and recommendations to diverse stakeholders.
Ability to work occasional evenings, weekends, or holidays based on operational needs.
Ability to travel quarterly to vendor locations.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Analytics, or a related field.
Experience supporting remote operations or autonomous systems.
Experience working with distributed teams or third-party operational vendors.
Experience in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or last-mile logistics environments.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary operational point of contact for third-party remote operations vendors, ensuring alignment with performance expectations, operational standards, and contractual requirements.
Own vendor performance outcomes by monitoring operational KPIs (incident response times, quality scores, escalation rates, and SLA adherence) and driving corrective actions with vendor partners to improve reliability and safety.
Oversee the remote safety incident process including root cause analysis, documentation quality, escalation coordination, and resolution tracking.
Manage and support the Vendor Support team, providing guidance, performance management, and operational direction.
Own recurring performance reporting for remote operations using data tools such as ThoughtSpot, translating operational data into insights and actionable recommendations.
Analyze operational data including Jira ticket trends to identify patterns in incidents, operator performance, and system issues.
Design and maintain standard operating procedures related to operator performance, safety workflows, and quality assurance.
Partner with cross-functional teams to identify and implement improvements to tools, workflows, and operational processes.
Ensure operational process updates follow established change management practices and maintain accurate documentation.
Collaborate with engineering, product, QA, and operations teams to improve remote operations systems, training programs, and vendor support capabilities.
Establish and track key performance indicators for vendor-supported remote operations, including safety metrics, response times, quality scores, and operational uptime.