US - Technical Operations Manager

Wayve • Sunnyvale, CA

21h • Hybrid

About The Position

Wayve’s Technical Operations function bridges Science, Product, Engineering, and Operations. It translates technical strategies into field operations and supports the transition from research and development activities to commercial delivery. The team leads testing and demonstration programs across global operations, maintaining feedback loops between field and development teams to support Wayve’s development as a delivery-grade autonomous vehicle organization.

The Technical Operations Manager coordinates technical programs and on-road activities, leads testing and demonstration programs, and turns high-level strategies into practical test plans. The role partners with Fleet Operations, Systems, Enablement, and model development teams to support safe, feasible, and consistent testing; improve operations using fleet data; and develop new experimental approaches. The position is full-time and based in Sunnyvale, California, with a hybrid working model and international travel of up to 30%.

Requirements

• Demonstrable experience in technical program management or operations at the intersection of R&D, product development, and field testing in a high-complexity environment.
• A track record of managing programs, demonstrations, or operations that require close coordination between technical development and operational teams.
• Deep experience with test planning, operational readiness frameworks, and structured field-to-development feedback loops.
• Strong facilitation and stakeholder management skills, including leading cross-functional workshops and coordinating technical and operational teams.
• Ability to influence remote and international teams in fast-paced technology environments.
• Excellent written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including experience preparing technical documentation, SOPs, and stakeholder presentations.
• Ability to travel internationally up to 30% of the time.
• Strong problem-solving skills and comfort working in rapidly evolving, ambiguous environments.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in autonomous vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems, or field robotics operations.
• Exposure to automotive testing protocols, validation frameworks, or OEM partnership programs.
• Experience supporting scaling in distributed global teams with complex technical dependencies.
• Data analysis and performance tracking skills, including working with dashboards and quantifying operational improvements.
• Comfort with project management tools such as Confluence, Asana, Jira, or equivalents, and implementing operational tracking systems.
• Background in process improvement, such as Lean or Six Sigma, or operational excellence frameworks.
• Familiarity with vehicle commissioning, fleet management, or automotive safety protocols.

Responsibilities

• Bridge Science, Product, Engineering, and Operations to align technical programs with on-road activities.
• Lead testing and demonstration programs across global operations, including roadshows, customer programs, and on-road validation.
• Coordinate structured feedback between field operations and development teams to support iteration and technical advancement.
• Convert high-level strategies and program plans into actionable on-road operations in partnership with Fleet Operations leadership.
• Coordinate and lead internal and external testing and validation programs, maintaining high safety standards and capturing mission-critical feedback.
• Support operational readiness, including consistent experiment design, vehicle availability, and process quality across testing programs.
• Collaborate with Systems and Enablement teams to use fleet metrics and data for process improvement and operational refinement.
• Build partnerships with model development teams to maximize the value of data, tests, and operational feedback.
• Explore and drive new experimental methods and evaluation approaches, supporting innovation and operational insights.
• Facilitate cross-functional alignment and two-way feedback between development teams and field operations.

Benefits

• Meaningful equity package.
• Relocation support and visa sponsorship where applicable.
• Hybrid working and core hours.
• Learning and development budgets and support for training, conferences, and growth.
• Comprehensive benefits including health insurance, dental coverage, enhanced maternity and paternity leave, retirement or pension where applicable, access to therapists, wellbeing partnerships, and team socials.
• Opportunity to work hands-on in vehicle workshops and labs.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed