Sr. Manager, Market Operations

gatikaiinc; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Gatik is seeking a Sr. Manager, Market Operations in Phoenix, AZ to lead and scale our regional autonomous freight operations. You will run the local depot, coordinate fleet performance, safety compliance, and vendor relations while guiding a multidisciplinary site leadership team in a fast-paced R&D environment.

You will drive continuous improvement, ensure SLA delivery, manage driver workforce, and work with municipal authorities to expand our middle-mile network across North America.

Qualifications

• 6-10+ years of operational leadership in freight logistics, depot operations, or autonomous transportation.
• Experience managing multi-disciplinary teams across fleet, safety, customer service, and field technicians.
• Deep expertise in middle-mile/last-mile freight flows and yard management.
• Strong mechanical understanding of commercial vehicle systems and maintenance processes.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily depot operations, route alignment, fleet turnaround, and SLA adherence.
• Lead fleet maintenance coordination with the Fleet Manager and cross-functional teams for rapid repairs and upgrades.
• Manage driver workforce, scheduling, shift leadership, and safety training.
• Ensure safety, compliance with DOT/FMCSA/IFTA regulations and incident response readiness.
• Drive market expansion by launching depots and new routes with scalable processes.

Skills

Operational leadership

Freight logistics

Team leadership

Vendor management

Education

Bachelor's degree (logistics/engineering/business)

Tools

YMS (yard management system)

Job description

Who we are

Gatik, the leader in autonomous middle-mile logistics, is revolutionizing the B2B supply chain with its autonomous transportation-as-a-service (ATaaS) solution and prioritizing safe, consistent deliveries while streamlining freight movement by reducing congestion. The company focuses on short-haul, B2B logistics for Fortune 500 retailers and in 2021 launched the world's first fully driverless commercial transportation service with Walmart. Gatik's Class 3-7 autonomous trucks are commercially deployed across major markets, including Texas, Arkansas, and Ontario, Canada, driving innovation in freight transportation.

The company's proprietary Level 4 autonomous technology, Gatik Carrier™, is custom-built to transport freight safely and efficiently between pick-up and drop-off locations on the middle mile. With robust capabilities in both highway and urban environments, Gatik Carrier™ serves as an all-encompassing solution that integrates advanced software and hardware powering the fleet, facilitating effortless integration into customers' logistics operations.

About the role

The Sr. Manager, Market Operations is the market end-to-end operational leader responsible for building, operating, and scaling Gatik's market presence in an assigned region. Reporting directly to the Director, Market Operations, you serve as the primary site lead with overall accountability for local fleet performance, depot and yard logistics, fueling infrastructure / practices, safety compliance, customer SLA delivery, driver management, and third-party vendor operations.

This is a multi-faceted hybrid role bridging hands-on operational leadership with strategic regional growth. You will lead a multidisciplinary site leadership team, managing live commercial autonomous freight routes while operating in a dynamic, tech-forward R&D environment. As Gatik expands its autonomous network across North America, you will refine, test, and execute the local operating playbook-ensuring fleet reliability and uptime, efficiency, uncompromising safety, adherence and scalable market growth without a linear increase in overhead.

This role is onsite 5 days a week at our Phoenix, AZ office!

What you'll do

• Depot, Freight & Yard Logistics: Oversee daily facility operations, layout optimization, yard traffic, and infrastructure safety. Direct inbound/outbound staging, route alignment, and schedules to meet customer SLAs. Manage fueling routines, schedules, and protocols while continuously optimizing vehicle turnaround times to minimize yard dwell time and maximize active route hours.
• Fleet Maintenance & R&D Integration: Partner with the local Fleet Manager to oversee medium- and heavy-duty vehicle maintenance, major repairs, lifecycle management, and vendor relationships. Collaborate closely with AV Engineering, Hardware, and Product teams on field testing, sensor calibrations, software/hardware upgrades, and diagnostic troubleshooting. Act as the primary bridge between local technicians and central engineering to expedite return-to-service cycles.
• Driver Workforce & Shift Leadership: Lead the recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, and performance management of safety drivers, field operators, and yard technicians. Drive shift excellence through clear handover protocols, labor/overtime management, and high accountability across all shifts. Ensure ongoing driver recertification on new AV software releases, emergency protocols, and local route hazards.
• Safety, Compliance & Risk Management: Champion a safety-first culture by enforcing strict adherence to Gatik's Safety Management System (SMS) and PPE policies. Ensure total compliance with DOT, FMCSA, IFTA, vehicle registrations, DVIRs, HOS, and local fuel storage/permitting regulations. Direct immediate incident response, vehicle recovery operations, root-cause investigations, and regulatory reporting in coordination with Safety and Compliance leadership.
• Market Expansion & Scalable Growth: Execute Gatik's Market Launch Playbook to set up new depots, customer hubs, and expansion routes using Leader Standard Work (LSW). Support commercial growth by evaluating route feasibility and building strong relationships with local municipal authorities, landlords, and regional partners. Continuously identify operational bottlenecks to drive efficiency and scale route volume sustainably without proportional headcount or cost growth.

What we're looking for

• 6-10+ years of operational leadership in freight logistics, depot operations, commercial fleet management, autonomous transportation, or high-velocity logistics hubs.
• Proven track record directly managing multi-disciplinary teams (fleet, safety, customer service, field technicians, shift supervisors).
• Deep expertise in middle-mile/last-mile freight flows, yard management systems, dock staging, and fleet fueling infrastructure.
• Solid mechanical understanding of commercial vehicle systems (brakes, powertrains, electrical systems, PM) with comfort o