Head of Fleet Operations (UK)

EngineersOfAI; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Wayve in London leads the deployment of our UK on-road ADAS testing strategy, translating strategic plans into actionable, safe, and efficient operations. You will oversee Fleet Operations, managing Shift Leads and coordinating across SW, HW, Product, and global teams to maintain alignment with company objectives.

You will drive performance metrics, optimize resources, and ensure 24/7 readiness with strong leadership in a fast-paced, safety-critical environment.

Qualifications

• Proven operational management experience in automotive testing or similar safety-critical field.
• Ability to translate strategy into practical operating plans.
• Experience leading diverse, shift-based teams and contractors.
• Experience in resource planning across fleet and personnel.
• Strong stakeholder management across technical and leadership teams.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end deployment of our on-road ADAS testing strategy in the UK, converting strategic milestones into detailed tactical plans.
• Deliver key testing outputs and on-road performance metrics, holding the team accountable to targets.
• Optimise resource allocation, balancing fleet availability with team schedules to maximise productivity.
• Directly manage and allocate work across a team including operational Shift Leads, with clear roles and accountability.
• Continuously adjust operational plans as customer needs, technology, and strategic priorities evolve.
• Act as the connective tissue between strategic planning and on-the-ground execution.
• Drive continuous improvement in testing procedures, safety protocols, and team performance.
• Own on-road risk for the UK geo, acting as the primary escalation point for incident management and safety-critical decisions.

Skills

Operational management

Strategic thinking

People leadership

Resource planning

Stakeholder management

Communication

Adaptability

Job description

About us

Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology. Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems.

Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward. Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving.
In our fast-paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future.

At Wayve, your contributions matter. We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact.

Make Wayve the experience that defines your career!

The role

As Head of Fleet Operations (UK), you'll own the end-to-end translation of our customer-focused on-road testing strategy into tactical, executable plans — running UK Fleet Operations like a General Manager would run a business unit. You'll be the one accountable for safe, efficient, and high-performing on-road operations across London and the wider UK.

Day-to-day, you'll lead deployment of all UK on-road testing, coordinating Shift Leads to keep operators running across two shifts spanning 0630–2330, seven days a week (this is not a weekend or shift-pattern role, but you'll need to be comfortable managing people who work that pattern). You'll partner closely with our Systems & Enablement Division — Fleet Servicing and Maintenance, Field Engineering, Operational Safety, Training, Systems and Insights, and Quality Assurance — to keep testing running smoothly, and you'll work directly with SW, HW, and Product teams to make sure our UK testing strategy stays aligned with company objectives.

Key responsibilities:

• Own the end-to-end deployment of our on-road ADAS testing strategy in the UK, converting strategic milestones into detailed tactical plans.
• Deliver key testing outputs and on-road performance metrics, holding the team accountable to targets.
• Optimise resource allocation, balancing fleet availability with team schedules to maximise productivity.
• Directly manage and allocate work across a team including operational Shift Leads, with clear roles and accountability.
• Continuously adjust operational plans as customer needs, technology, and strategic priorities evolve.
• Act as the connective tissue between strategic planning and on-the-ground execution.
• Drive continuous improvement in testing procedures, safety protocols, and team performance.
• Own on-road risk for the UK geo, acting as the primary escalation point for incident management and safety-critical decisions.
• Partner with the other Heads of Geo (US, UK, DE, JP) to align on global operating standards.

About you

You'll thrive in this role if you've run complex, safety-critical, round-the-clock operations before and want full ownership of a market. We’re looking for:

Essential:

• Proven operational management experience, ideally in automotive testing, tech, or a comparably fast-moving, safety-critical field.
• Strong strategic thinking — you can turn high-level strategy into practical, executable operating plans.
• Excellent people leadership, including experience managing diverse and/or shift-based teams, and a mixed workforce of contractors and full-time employees.
• Track record in resource planning and allocation across both fleet and personnel.
• Sharp communication and stakeholder management skills — you’ll work across SW, HW, Product, and global Fleet Ops leadership.
• Comfort with ambiguity and a fast-changing environment, including on-call responsibility for incident management.
• Based in or willing to relocate to London, with the expectation of being in-person the large majority of the time.