Senior Associate, New Verticals - Central Strategy & Operations

DoorDash, Inc.; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 87,000 - 128,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) plan with employer matching

16 weeks of paid parental leave

wellness benefits

commuter benefits match

paid time off and paid sick leave

medical, dental, and vision benefits

11 paid holidays

disability and basic life insurance

family‑forming assistance

mental health program

Job summary

DoorDash is seeking a Senior Associate in Central Strategy & Operations in the Chicago area to help shape delivery efficiency using data, analytics and cross‑functional collaboration.

You will own end‑to‑end efficiency drivers, design new systems, and partner with Product, Engineering, Analytics, and Finance to translate insights into measurable improvements. Hybrid work options available.

Qualifications

• 2-4+ years of professional experience in strategy, product operations or business operations.
• BS/BA degree in Analytics, Economics, Business or related field.
• Proficiency in data analysis and translating data into insights; experience with SQL or Excel modeling.

Responsibilities

• Build operational experiments and test product features with product & engineering.
• Analyze data to quantify impact on efficiency and customer experience.
• Own and deliver on improving key selection metrics.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Analytics, and Finance.
• Design and optimize new systems and workflows to improve logistics efficiency.

Skills

Analytical mindset

SQL querying

Excel modeling

Education

BS/BA in Analytics, Economics, Business or related field

Tools

Excel

Job description

About the Team

Our New Verticals Strategy & Operations team is re-inventing the way consumers think about grocery, convenience, alcohol and retail delivery through both our first‑party and third‑party operations businesses. DashMarts are our first‑party offering designed to provide on‑demand deliveries by selling household essentials, groceries, brand‑name favorites, local favorites and so much more. The end to end DashMart experience is powered through DoorDash. Third‑party partnerships enable us to offer on‑demand deliveries from both SMB and enterprise merchants across grocery, convenience alcohol and retail storefronts. The merchants own the inventory, we fulfill and deliver them! Our Central Operations team is the heartbeat of the New Verticals Strategy & Operations team that enables us to power a robust logistic platform through a high‑quality, speedy and efficient network - for both DashMarts and third party partners.

About the Role

We’re looking to hire a few Senior Associates within our Central Strategy & Operations that will help shape our strategy around delivery efficiency, leveraging both operational and product levers to build logistics systems and frameworks. This role sits at the intersection of strategy, analytics, and execution, with end‑to‑end ownership of key efficiency drivers and their impact on our business. Partnering cross‑functionally with Product, Engineering, Analytics, and Finance, you will translate complex data into actionable insights and initiatives that improve efficiency, elevate the customer experience, and strengthen our bottom line. You will play a critical role in designing new systems, optimizing existing operations, and ensuring we continuously improve as we grow. We operate in a hybrid model - you will spend some time in your home office, in person via off‑sites and on‑site in DashMarts as well. You will report into an Associate Manager on the role. You’re excited about this opportunity because you will… Build. You’ll have your fingerprints all over DoorDash’s next big business. You’ll do whatever it takes to launch, get 1% better every day, and scale something completely new. This means everything from high‑level strategy to nitty‑gritty operational details. Test & implement. You will identify operational gaps, identify product features and test/scale those product builds in partnership with product & engineering. Experiment. You’ll transform strategies into operational experiments that create measurable and actionable outcomes, informing your larger initiative implementation plans. Analyze. You’ll assess the operational and financial impacts of your decisions, and iterate based on data. Strategize. You will own and deliver on improving key selection metrics. Lead and collaborate. You’ll work with a cross‑functional team, including local operations, engineering, and product.

We’re excited about you because…

You solve problems from first principles. You’re excited to solve problems in innovative ways, and you resist “this is how it’s always been done” thinking.You are a self‑starter. You don’t wait for others to point you at a problem. You are innately curious and take initiative to truth seek and investigate opportunities. You’re equally comfortable operating at 10,000 feet and 1 foot. You don’t hesitate to get in the weeds and operate at the lowest level of detail, but you’re just as comfortable thinking long‑term and inspiring a team. No job is beneath you. You’re unafraid of ambiguity. Rapid change and learning is exciting to you, and you thrive in ambiguous, startup environments You’re analytical. You let data win arguments, and you’re comfortable pulling your own data in SQL or modeling in Excel.

Candidate Profile

You have 2-4+ years of professional experience. Ideally you have experience in strategy, product operations or business operations roles. You have completed your BS/BA Degree preferably in Analytics, Economics, Business or a related field. We expect this position to be filled by 10-21-2026.

Compensation

The successful candidate’s starting pay will fall within the pay range listed below and is determined based on job‑related factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. Base salary is localized according to an employee’s work location. Ranges are market‑dependent and may be modified in the future. In addition to base salary, the compensation for this role includes opportunities for equity grants. Talk to your recruiter for more information. The national base pay range for this position within the United States, including Illinois and Colorado. $87,000 - $128,000 USD

Benefits

• 401(k) plan with employer matching
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave
• wellness benefits
• commuter benefits match
• paid time off and paid sick leave in compliance with applicable laws (e.g. Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act)
• medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 11 paid holidays
• disability and basic life insurance
• family‑forming assistance
• a mental health program, among others

To learn more about our benefits, visit our careers page here.

See below for paid time off details:

For salaried roles: flexible paid time off/vacation, plus 80 hours of paid sick time per year.

For hourly roles: vacation accrued at about 1 hour for every 25.97 hours worked (e.g. about 6.7 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 3.4 hours/month if working 20 hours/week), and paid sick time accrued at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (e.g. about 5.8 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 2.9 hours/month if working 20 hours/week).

About DoorDash

At DoorDash, our mission to empower local economies shapes how our team members move quickly, learn, and reiterate in order to make impactful decisions that display empathy for our range of users—from Dashers to merchant partners to consumers. We are a technology and logistics company that started by enabling door‑to‑door delivery, and we are looking for team members who can help us go from a company that is known as the place you order food to a company that people turn to for any and all goods. DoorDash is growing rapidly and changing constantly, which gives our team members the opportunity to share their unique perspectives, solve new challenges, and own their careers. We're committed to supporting employees’ happiness, healthiness, and overall well‑being by providing comprehensive benefits and perks including premium healthcare, wellness expense reimbursement, paid parental leave and more.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We’re committed to growing and empowering a more inclusive community within our company, industry, and cities. That’s why we hire and cultivate diverse teams of people from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that true innovation happens when everyone has room at the table and the tools, resources, and opportunity to excel.

Statement of Non‑Discrimination: In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination or harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination and harassment based on “protected categories,” we also strive to prevent other subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (i.e., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our office. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at DoorDash. We value a diverse workforce – people who identify as women, non‑binary or gender non‑conforming, LGBTQIA+, American Indian or Native Alaskan, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, differently‑abled, caretakers and parents, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Thank you to the Level Playing Field Institute for this statement of non‑discrimination.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the applicable regulation.

Accommodation

If you need any accommodations, please inform your recruiting contact upon initial connection.