Market Manager

Socket.dev; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

8Fleet is building its Detroit operation from the ground up. As Market Manager you will secure the footprint, outfit the facility and lot, recruit partners, and hire the operations team to launch the market and bring it to scale.

From go‑live onward you own day‑to‑day fleet operations, driver supply, and the market’s financial performance. This hands‑on role blends operations, data, and leadership to take Detroit from first cohort to a thriving, self‑sustaining market.

Qualifications

• 4+ years in operations management, business consulting, or a comparable operating role with ownership of business goals.
• 2+ years managing people directly, including hiring, coaching, and developing your team.
• Experience opening a new market or site and leading it through early operations.
• Comfort with building analysis from data and acting on insights.
• Strong communication across diverse audiences and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Secure and outfit Detroit's operating footprint — facility and lot space, equipment, and on-site workflows.
• Build the local vendor bench: maintenance/repair partners, cleaning, towing, and fueling/charging.
• Partner with central teams on licensing, registration, and regulatory requirements in Michigan.
• Get the first vehicles delivered, registered, inspected, and road-ready.
• Recruit, onboard, and activate Detroit's first cohort of drivers and scale to a repeatable supply process.
• Hire, onboard, and train the local operations team you will lead.
• Document what works to accelerate Detroit's launch for the next market.
• Own day-to-day fleet operations: driver scheduling, dispatch, vehicle availability, and performance.
• Own maintenance and repair program, keeping utilization high and downtime low.
• Grow the market by expanding driver supply, fleet size, and service area; develop a growth plan.
• Build and manage the market's operating budget and report performance to leadership.
• Set and track KPIs that carry Detroit from launch through scale.
• Ensure compliance with Michigan and City of Detroit requirements and 8Fleet policy.

Skills

Operations management

People management

Data analysis

Strategic planning

Education

BA/BS or equivalent

Job description

About 8Fleet:

8Fleet is a Los Angeles–based technology and logistics company building the operational infrastructure behind modern rideshare fleets, both autonomous and non-autonomous. We operate in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Atlanta, and Miami.

Detroit is next, and we're hiring the person who will open it.

About the Role:

This is a new market. On day one there is no fleet in Detroit, no facility, and no local team. This role builds all three.

As Market Manager, you own Detroit end to end: you launch it, you run it, and you grow it.

Before go-live that means securing the physical footprint, building the local vendor bench, getting the first vehicles road-ready, activating the first cohort of drivers, and hiring the operations team you'll lead. After go-live it means owning day-to-day operations, the market's financial performance, and the plan that takes Detroit from a first cohort of drivers to a fully scaled market.

This is an operating job, not a planning one. You'll be in the lot, in the data, and in the details. Detroit will launch non-autonomous; autonomous operations are a possibility as the market matures, not part of the role at launch.

We're looking for someone who has done this before — who has opened something that didn't exist and carried it through its messy first months — and who wants to do it again with real ownership and real support behind them.

What You'll Own:

Launching the Market:

• Secure and outfit Detroit's operating footprint — facility and lot space, equipment, and on-site workflows
• Build the local vendor bench: maintenance and repair partners, cleaning, towing, and fueling or charging
• Partner with central teams on the licensing, registration, and regulatory requirements needed to operate in Michigan
• Get the first vehicles delivered, registered, inspected, and road-ready
• Recruit, onboard, and activate Detroit's first cohort of drivers, then convert that into a repeatable supply process
• Hire, onboard, and train the local operations team you'll lead
• Document what works, so Detroit's launch makes the next market's faster

Running & Growing the Market:

• Own day-to-day fleet operations: driver scheduling across 24-hour shift coverage, dispatch, vehicle availability, and performance monitoring
• Own the maintenance and repair program, keeping utilization high and downtime low
• Partner with the Growth team on driver recruiting, onboarding, and retention as supply scales
• Support and train drivers on safety, platform best practices, and rider experience
• Manage, coach, and develop the local operations team, adding headcount as volume grows
• Grow the market: scale driver supply and fleet size, expand shift coverage and service area, and identify where the next increment of demand comes from
• Build the market's growth plan and make the case for the investment it needs

Owning the Numbers:

• Own Detroit's operating and financial metrics — utilization, revenue and cost per vehicle, driver retention, and contribution margin
• Analyze market performance to find profitability and efficiency gaps, then close them
• Build and manage the market's operating budget and report performance to company leadership on a regular cadence
• Set and track the KPIs that carry Detroit from launch through scale

Safety & Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with Michigan and City of Detroit requirements, applicable safety standards, and 8Fleet policy
• Run regular safety audits and drive corrective action
• Surface operational and regulatory risk early, with a recommendation attached

What You'll Bring:

• 4+ years in operations management, business consulting, or a comparable operating role, including ownership of business goals and the processes behind them
• 2+ years managing people directly, including hiring, coaching, and developing your own team
• Direct experience opening something that didn't previously exist — a new market, site, facility, branch, region, or line of business — and running it through its first operating months
• A track record of deciding and moving with incomplete information
• Genuine comfort with data: you build the analysis yourself, draw the insight, and act on it
• Strong communication across a wide range of audiences — drivers, hourly teams, vendors, city officials, and company leadership
• BA/BS or equivalent practical operating experience
• Based in Detroit, or willing to relocate ahead of launch. This role is on-site in market.
• Willingness to work the hours a 24-hour operation demands, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends, particularly through launch
• Valid driver's license and a clean driving record

Nice to Have:

• Experience in rideshare, last-mile delivery, car rental, vehicle leasing, or another vehicle-heavy operation
• Experience operating on or alongside Uber, Lyft, or similar platforms
• Founder or early-employee experience
• Familiarity with the Detroit metro market — its vendor landscape, labor market, and geography

Compensation:

Base salary range: $120,000–$130,000

This role is also eligible for an annual performance bonus and a stock option grant.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

8Fleet is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity on our team. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, age, marital status, military or veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

If you need a reasonable accommodation at any point in the application or interview process, please let us know and we'll work with you.

Disclaimer:

This job description describes the general nature of the role and is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, or requirements. It may be updated at any time.