Global Head of Robot Operations & Strategy

DoorDash USA; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 173,000 - 255,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

DoorDash is seeking a visionary Head of Central Robot Operations to scale autonomous delivery operations globally. Lead the operating model, governance, and mapping, analytics, and program management functions across markets, hubs, and fleets to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient robot operations at scale.

You will guide cross-functional teams, set SLAs, and partner with Engineering, Product, Safety, Legal, and Market Operations to drive rapid, high-quality market launches while maintaining

Qualifications

• 15+ years of leadership experience in operations, robotics, autonomous vehicles, logistics, aviation, mobility, or other large-scale operational environments.
• Demonstrated success building and leading complex, cross-functional operations organizations.
• Experience managing multiple operational domains such as fleet operations, command centers, infrastructure, mapping, analytics, program management, or expansion.
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to translate ambiguity into scalable operating models.
• Experience operating 24/7 mission-critical operations with measurable service-level commitments.
• Proven ability to build executive operating mechanisms, governance models, and performance management systems.
• Strong analytical skills with experience leveraging SQL, BI tools, dashboards, forecasting, and operational metrics to drive decisions.
• Exceptional communication and executive presence with experience influencing senior leaders and external stakeholders.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Computer Science, Business, or a related field.

Responsibilities

• Define the long-term operating model, organizational structure, and roadmap for Central Robot Operations.
• Build scalable mechanisms, operating standards, and governance that enable reliable robot operations across all markets.
• Lead a high-performing organization spanning operations, analytics, expansion, mapping, infrastructure, and program management.
• Lead the 24/7 Remote Assistance organization responsible for supporting autonomous robots requiring human intervention.
• Define response-time SLAs, workforce planning, staffing models, scheduling, and escalation protocols.
• Develop monitoring, telemetry, and operational dashboards that provide real-time visibility into fleet health.
• Partner with Engineering and Product to analyze intervention data, eliminate recurring failure modes, and continuously reduce human intervention rates.
• Own the operational lifecycle of geospatial assets including HD maps, geofences, routing data, and points of interest.
• Establish mapping quality standards, QA mechanisms, refresh cycles, and operational readiness processes for new launches.
• Balance mapping accuracy with launch velocity while managing internal and external mapping partners.
• Develop the playbook for launching new cities, campuses, and operating zones.
• Lead market assessment, regulatory readiness, operational planning, and launch governance.
• Build repeatable launch mechanisms that enable rapid, high-quality expansion across multiple geographies.
• Coordinate cross-functional readiness reviews prior to every market launch.
• Lead strategy and execution for hubs, depots, charging infrastructure, parking locations, maintenance facilities, and operational footprint.
• Drive capacity planning, infrastructure utilization, vendor management, and cost optimization.
• Ensure operational infrastructure scales ahead of demand while maintaining service reliability.
• Build the planning, analytics, governance, and reporting engine for Robot Operations.
• Define KPIs, operating metrics, executive dashboards, forecasting models, and business review mechanisms.
• Lead annual planning, OKRs, operational reviews, and cross-functional governance rhythms.
• Translate operational data into strategic recommendations for executive leadership.
• Partner with Public Policy and Legal teams to support permits, regulatory engagement, compliance initiatives, and government relationships.
• Lead operational readiness for demonstrations involving customers, regulators, investors, media, and strategic partners.
• Represent Operations during executive briefings and external engagements.
• Build and lead the Program Management Office (PMO) for Robot Operations.
• Drive execution across multiple cross-functional workstreams through disciplined planning, dependency management, risk mitigation, and governance.
• Establish operating cadences including weekly reviews, launch readiness reviews, retrospectives, and executive reporting.
• Develop standardized playbooks, SOPs, operating mechanisms, and continuous improvement programs across all Central Operations functions.
• Partner closely with Safety, Engineering, Product, and Market Operations to improve fleet availability, productivity, customer experience, and unit economics.
• Foster a culture of operational excellence, ownership, innovation, and customer obsession.

Skills

Leadership

Robotics operations

Cross-functional leadership

Operational governance

SQL/BI dashboards

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, Computer Science, Business, or a related field

Tools

GIS

Telemetry systems

Operational dashboards

Dashboards

Job description

DoorDash is seeking a visionary Head of Central Robot Operations to scale autonomous delivery operations globally. Lead the operating model, governance, and mapping, analytics, and program management functions across markets, hubs, and fleets to ensure safe, reliable, and efficient robot operations at scale.

You will guide cross-functional teams, set SLAs, and partner with Engineering, Product, Safety, Legal, and Market Operations to drive rapid, high-quality market launches while maintaining