Autonomous Vehicle Operator

Transdev North America, Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 43,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation: 1 week minimum

Sick Days: 5 Days

Holidays: 6 Days

401(k) Retirement Plan

Medical, Dental & Vision

Life Insurance

Short-term Disability

Voluntary Long-term Disability

Job summary

Transdev North America, Inc. is seeking Autonomous Mobility & Fleet Specialists to safely operate and evaluate self-driving vehicles, provide ride-hail services, and perform roadside recovery. You will be trained across multiple functions and deployed as needed, with a strict safety standard guiding all activities.

Strong situational awareness, communication skills, and flexibility to work varied shifts are essential for success in this dynamic role.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of experience driving on public roads; additional experience preferred.
• High School Diploma or GED; four-year college degree preferred in related field.
• Preferred: 6 months of autonomous vehicle testing, specialist experience, or fleet deployment operations.

Responsibilities

• Operate and evaluate self-driving vehicles in autonomous and manual modes.
• Provide ride-hail services to the public and perform safe roadside recovery.
• Maintain safety, professionalism, and high situational awareness at all times.
• Coordinate with support teams and document field observations and issues.
• Assist as a spotter and manage asset security and access.

Skills

Touchscreen devices

Typing 40 wpm

Clear communication

Multitasking / Adaptability

Driving skills/awareness

Schedule flexibility

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

GSuite apps

Android devices

Job description

Overview

Our team has developed a strong culture of safety, professionalism, and personal responsibility. Transdev's Autonomous Mobility & Fleet Specialists are critical to the success of delivering safe autonomous driving systems to our customers, enabling a revolutionary mobility experience.

This dynamic role encompasses autonomous vehicle operations, fleet logistics, and field recovery. If hired into this position, you will be trained across multiple functions and may be deployed in any of these capacities depending on operational needs. You will be responsible for operating and evaluating self-driving vehicles, providing ride-hail services to the general public, and executing safe roadside recovery operations.

It is important to maintain a high level of professionalism and responsibility when critiquing a new operator’s driving abilities. Safety is our #1 responsibility. Level 2 Operators are expected to uphold this standard in all situations.

Pay Rate: $31.00 - $35.00

Transdev is Proud to Offer

• Vacation: Minimum of (1) week.
• Sick Days: 5 Days
• Holidays: 6 Days
• Other standard benefits:
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Medical, Dental & Vision
• Life Insurance
• Short-term Disability
• Voluntary Long-term Disability

***The above listed benefits are the corporate office policy. Benefits vary by location

Key Responsibilities

• Maintain Transdev's high standard of safety, situational awareness, and professionalism inside and outside of the vehicle at all times.
• Consistently demonstrate superior situational awareness, a deep understanding of the proprietary technology in your care, and a proactive willingness to constantly adjust to rapid changes in the operational environment.
• Safely operate and evaluate vehicles in both autonomous and manual modes, demonstrating proficiency in manual transmission driving, across defined routes, undefined routes, and closed-course facilities under various environmental conditions.
• Monitor multiple software systems and onboard data recording computers with constant focus.
• Provide concise, clear, and accurate verbal and written feedback, daily reports, and documentation regarding vehicle operations, software releases, and recurring bugs.
• Ride comfortably as a passenger in an autonomous vehicle where the operator may have little to no control over the vehicle's operations.
• Coordinate vehicle batch setups prior to shift arrivals, ensuring the fleet is clean and fully prepared for daily missions.
• Follow established diagnostic guides to troubleshoot driver support modules (including laptops, mobile devices, and monitoring cameras), and communicate clearly with technical support for escalation.
• Assist as a spotter to guide vehicle movements inside and outside of depots, parking spots, and remote locations.
• Oversee asset security processes, including managing vehicle keys, accounting for data disks, and ensuring only badged personnel access vehicle areas and remote sites.
• Safely operate a non-autonomous vehicle to monitor driverless vehicle locations in the field and respond quickly to recovery or rescue situations.
• Execute safe vehicle recovery operations, including parking defensively behind a driverless vehicle, setting up scene protection, disengaging autonomous software, and driving the car to a safe location.
• Deliver exceptional customer service and roadside assistance to passengers of a driverless vehicle, helping them safely disembark, board a rescue vehicle, and travel to their destination.
• Act as a polite, professional representative and point of contact for the public, client guests, security, and facilities staff at remote operational sites.
• Work flexibly, either individually or in small teams, and adapt quickly to shifting operational demands, modified schedules, or new technologies.
• All other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

• Minimum of 3 years of experience driving on public roads. Additional experience is preferred.
• High School Diploma or GED required. Four-year college degree (preferred) in a related field like industrial or applied sciences.
• Preferred Experience: 6 months of autonomous vehicle testing, specialist experience, or fleet deployment operations.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs)

• Technical Proficiency: Skilled in using touchscreen smartphones (Android preferred) and laptop computers, including GSuite applications (Gmail, Sheets, Docs, Chats/Hangouts).
• Typing Speed: Ability to type at least 40 adjusted words per minute.
• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills to clearly and concisely describe technical observations, elevate issues across teams, and document complex field scenarios professionally.
• Adaptability & Judgment: Proven ability to multitask across multiple technologies (including but not limited to communication devices and vehicle status systems), react quickly to simultaneous scenarios, and demonstrate sound judgment in fast-paced, high-stress environments.
• Driving Skills: Exceptional situational awareness and the ability to parallel park with minimal assistance.
• Schedule Flexibility & Travel: Must be highly adaptable to fluid schedules, with the ability to work a variety of assigned shifts—including early mornings, evenings, overnights, and weekends. Sh