Senior Manager, Autonomy Operations

Who We Are Nuro is a self-driving technology company on a mission to make autonomy accessible to all. Founded in 2016, Nuro is building the world’s most scalable driver, combining cutting-edge AI with automotive-grade hardware. Nuro licenses its core technology, the Nuro Driver™, to support a wide range of applications, from robotaxis and commercial fleets to personally owned vehicles. With technology proven over years of self-driving deployments, Nuro gives the automakers and mobility platforms a clear path to AVs at commercial scale, empowering a safer, richer, and more connected future. About the Team The Autonomy Operations organization is responsible for bringing Nuro’s technology safely from lab to road. The Autonomy Operations team is at the heart of Nuro’s mission, partnering across engineering, testing, and field operations to ensure that every deployment, process, and decision reflects Nuro’s commitment to safety. As the Senior Manager of the Bay Area, you’ll lead the team responsible for data collection and validation critical to Autonomy Development and commercial partnerships. About the Role We are seeking a Senior Operations Manager to spearhead our on-road testing and mission execution in the Bay Area. The on-road team plays a pivotal role in driving the success of Nuro’s hardware, software, and commercialization objectives. As the on-site leader, you will be instrumental in overseeing our data collection, validation, pilot rollouts, and vehicle platforms. You will manage a large, multi-layered team and help promote operational excellence while maintaining a high safety standard. This role is critical and requires extensive experience in team leadership, management, strategic planning, customer focus, technical proficiency, and effective execution. About the Work Oversee autonomous vehicle operations, managers, and field personnel, ensuring paramount safety, performance, and efficiency across all daily missions. Set clear expectations and manage performance for a multi-layered team, providing dedicated coaching and mentorship to first-line supervisors and managers. Serve as the primary escalation point, advocating for your team and collaborating effectively across Hardware, Software, Autonomy, Product, Legal, and senior leadership. Drive strategy, OKRs, and organizational design, aligning complex mission workflows and resource allocation with Nuro’s overarching company objectives. Foster a culture of safety, inclusion, accountability, and continuous improvement, ensuring workflows are executed to a high standard and information is effectively disseminated. Demonstrate strong judgment, independently solving complex cross-functional problems and making critical decisions on mission priorities. Build scalable systems and processes, identifying opportunities to address operational bottlenecks analytically through Continuous Improvement projects. Directly oversee fleet and resource coordination, ensuring the effective execution of weekly plans and the agile reallocation of resources. Provide technical leadership and direction, upholding operational excellence and promoting a performance-driven, transparent culture through exemplary leadership. Respond to and appropriately escalate emergency and troubleshooting situations with composure, following high-priority issues through to full resolution. Collaborate with and provide feedback to various teams on new vehicle integration, testing, software development, and partner demonstrations. Lead strategic planning to ensure the development, achievement, and tracking of key performance indicators (KPIs). About You Experienced Lead of Leaders: 7+ years of experience in operations management, with a proven track record of managing managers and overseeing large-scale, 24/7 organizations in high-stakes environments like AV, robotics, or complex logistics. Comfortable Navigating Ambiguity: Thrive in "gray areas" and can maintain momentum despite shifting priorities or incomplete information. Possess the confidence to make sound decisions and provide clear direction to the team in an ever-evolving R&D environment. Rapid Learner: Have a high capacity to learn and adapt, quickly mastering new technical systems, operational tools, and industry-specific concepts to lead effectively in a cutting-edge field. Strategic Thinker & Tactical Executor: Can pivot seamlessly between high-level organizational design and the "boots on the ground" reality of daily mission execution. Data-Driven Problem Solver: Have a track record of using data and analytical tools to identify operational bottlenecks and implement Continuous Improvement (CI) projects that drive efficiency. Exceptional Crisis Manager: Remain composed in high-pressure situations, able to lead a team through emergency response, troubleshooting, and rapid resolution of technical or operational issues. Master of Cross-Functional Influence: An expert communicator who can bridge the gap between technical engineering teams and field operations, advocating for the team's needs while supporting broader company goals. Champion of Safety & Culture: Have an unwavering commitment to safety and a proven ability to foster an inclusive, performance-driven culture built on accountability and transparency. Process Architect: Don't just follow workflows; but build them. Have experience creating scalable systems and the documentation necessary to support a growing organization. Bonus Points Experience in the Autonomous Vehicle industry and are deeply familiar with the technical details of AV systems Familiarity and professional experience in machine learning Have experience working at the intersection of hardware and software At Nuro, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. For this position, the reasonably expected base pay range is between $132,300 and $198,450 for the level at which this job has been scoped. Your base pay will depend on several factors, including your experience, qualifications, education, location, and skills. In the event that you are considered for a different level, a higher or lower pay range would apply. This position is also eligible for an annual performance bonus, equity, and a competitive benefits package. At Nuro, we celebrate differences and are committed to a diverse workplace that fosters inclusion and psychological safety for all employees. Nuro is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and expressly prohibits any form of workplace discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics. #LI-DNP