Tactical Development Operations Lead

Aurora•Dallas, TX

10d•$83,000 - $120,500•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a highly experienced and mission-driven night shift leader based in Palmer, Texas, with as-needed travel across testing locations to provide direct, night-to-night leadership for our Tactical Development (TACT DEV) Operators. This role is critical to the success of our off-site and travel-based development testing. Because the TACT DEV team travels 90% of the time, this leader acts as the "anchor," ensuring that geographically dispersed operators remain synchronized with Aurora’s development goals, safety protocols, and company culture. The ideal candidate thrives in a high-tempo environment and is passionate about building a cohesive, high-performing team culture among individuals who rarely spend time in the same physical space. This position requires exceptional leadership, a safety-first focus, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment, requiring strong coordination with stakeholders across operations, software, and hardware.

Requirements

3+ years of experience in dispatch, fleet operations, or a related high-tempo scheduling environment.
1-2+ years of leadership experience (e.g., Lead, Shift Lead, or Associate Manager) with a proven ability to motivate remote or distributed teams.
Exceptional critical thinking and the ability to make command decisions and take initiative.
Strong judgment and the ability to make "command decisions" when field teams face immediate blockers.
Conflict management and resolution experience.
Flexibility for day, night, and/or weekend work, not always planned far in advance.
Ability to participate in on-call response and incident management

Nice To Haves

Experience specifically managing traveling, team members with Commercial Driver licensing, or remote technical workforces.
Experience managing in a commercial operations workforce.
Background in robotics, autonomous vehicles, or complex logistics.
Experience coordinating across multiple geographies and distinct stakeholder groups.
A CDL license

Responsibilities

Serve as the Team Lead for development testing, executing daily deployment plans to ensure scheduled timelines are met and performing in-field tasks alongside the team to maintain operational momentum.
Develop a deep understanding of Aurora’s testing requirements and software/hardware development goals to serve as the first line of support for operators, answering questions on complex test plans and ensuring data collection aligns with engineering needs.
Remove road-blocks in scheduling and availability by coordinating with Maintenance and Fleet Ops cross functional stakeholders on asset availability.
Maintain a willingness to travel heavily through connecting with your team in the field across a variety of working environments.
Step into the vehicle as an operator SME to support our onboarding and remedial training practices, while maintaining a first-hand understanding of the required in-field workflow.
Provide emergency coverage to prevent testing gaps, including supporting truck start-up/shut-down, troubleshooting, and in-vehicle testing support such as Vehicle Release Testing and Aurora Tooling Tests.
Build and maintain a positive, unified team culture for a 90% travel workforce, developing creative ways to keep remote operators engaged and aligned with Aurora’s mission.
Oversee the specialized requirements of a CDL-holding workforce, including monitoring Hours of Service (HOS), leading Driver Monitoring System (DMS) coaching, and facilitating internal safety event reviews.
Facilitate daily handoffs and status updates between the field team and stakeholders in Engineering and Operations, ensuring all technical documentation and data are delivered accurately and on time.
Oversee and audit technical execution of field activities to ensure strict adherence to global SOPs and safety protocols.
Provide regular, informal feedback and structured performance coaching to operators, fostering a growth mindset and driving high accountability.
Support the field team during emergent situations, providing calm and decisive guidance during operational hurdles or scheduling adjustments.