Operations Manager, AV Deployment

At Lyft, our purpose is to serve and connect. We aim to achieve this by cultivating a work environment where all team members belong and have the opportunity to thrive.  Flexdrive is a subsidiary of Lyft that works together with Lyft teams to realize our shared mission.

About Flexdrive

At Flexdrive, we're at the forefront of revolutionizing transportation by building the operational backbone for autonomous vehicle (AV) fleets. As a leader in fleet management, we're leveraging our expertise to enter the AV space, forming strategic partnerships with cutting-edge technology providers. We're looking for a hands-on leader to help us pioneer this new chapter, starting with our first AV depot in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Director, Field Operations, Flexdrive is seeking an experienced and highly analytical Operations Manager, AV Deployment to be the founding operational leader for our new AV depot in Nashville, TN. This pivotal role is more than just management—it's about building a critical new business capability from the ground up. You will be responsible for creating the strategic framework, overseeing the physical deployment of our depot, and ensuring the seamless functioning of our AV support infrastructure in close partnership with our AV technology partners.

This role is for a leader with a unique blend of strategic foresight, project management excellence, and deep operational knowledge within the AV or complex fleet management space. If you thrive in ambiguous, build-from-scratch environments and possess the business acumen to drive efficiency and scalability, enabling our AV operations to thrive, we encourage you to apply.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Depot Deployment:

• Market Operations Leadership: Oversee all aspects of AV operations in the Nashville market, managing overall strategy, operating systems, fleet availability, and team performance to meet demand targets and utilization goals.
• Depot Launch & Operations: Lead the end-to-end deployment of our new AV depot while establishing efficient 24/7 operations that ensure AVs are consistently ready for deployment, monitoring fleet uptime and availability through management dashboards.
• Safety-First System Design: Design and optimize operational systems with safety and compliance at the core—from depot layout and vehicle flow (charging, cleaning, maintenance, staging) to incident response protocols that meet or exceed partner and regulatory standards.
• Training Excellence: Develop and execute comprehensive training programs ensuring all team members are proficient in AV operations, safety protocols, and partner-specific requirements, establishing a culture of continuous learning and quality execution.

Operational Excellence & Management:

• Daily Fleet Management: Serve as the primary operational leader managing depot performance, fleet readiness, and vehicle availability while ensuring strict adherence to safety protocols and partner compliance standards.
• Incident Response & Resolution: Lead incident response management, establishing clear escalation procedures, coordinating with vendor support (fleet engineers, technicians, roadside assistance), and managing accident workflows to minimize downtime and ensure safety.
• Process & Compliance Implementation: Design and continuously refine SOPs and SLAs that embed safety and quality standards into every operational touchpoint, ensuring all activities meet regulatory requirements and partner specifications.
• Performance Monitoring & Optimization: Track KPIs for depot operations (vehicle uptime, turnaround time, fleet utilization, safety metrics) while managing shift coordination, task assignments, and workflow optimization to meet availability targets.

Stakeholder & Partner Collaboration:

• Team Development & Staffing: Build and lead the depot team, managing shift schedules, coordinating workflows across functions, and fostering a safety-first culture while supporting recruitment and onboarding of AV operators and technicians.
• Partner Integration: Maintain strong relationships with AV technology partners, ensuring seamless integration of their operational and safety requirements while coordinating vendor support services critical to fleet health.
• Regulatory & Compliance Leadership: Champion safety and compliance across all operations, ensuring adherence to local, state, and federal AV regulations while maintaining detailed documentation for audits and continuous improvement.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Leverage analytics to optimize fleet performance, predict maintenance needs, identify safety trends, and build business cases for operational improvements and market expansion.

Experience:

• 5+ years of progressive experience in program or operational leadership, with a strong understanding of autonomous vehicle (AV) operational lifecycles and complex fleet management.
• Proven track record of building and launching new operational sites or programs from the ground up, including physical infrastructure development.
• Demonstrated expertise in safety management and regulatory compliance within transportation, automotive, or similar regulated industries.
• Experience managing incident response and coordinating multi-vendor support in complex operational environments.
• Exceptional leadership in training design and execution, with ability to build high-performing teams in safety-critical operations.
• Strong business acumen and a highly analytical, data-driven mindset, capable of developing strategic operational plans, building business cases, and leveraging data to drive efficiency and profitability.
• Demonstrated leadership ability in fast-paced, ambiguous environments, with excellent communication and interpersonal skills to drive cross-functional initiatives and lead on-site operations.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business, Operations Management, or a related field.

Benefits:

• Great medical, dental, and vision insurance options
• Mental health benefits
• Family building benefits
• In addition to 12 observed holidays, salaried team members have unlimited paid time off, hourly team members have 15 days paid time off
• 401(k) plan to help save for your future
• 18 weeks of paid parental leave. Biological, adoptive, and foster parents are all eligible
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Lyft Pink - Lyft team members get an exclusive opportunity to test new benefits of our Ridership Program

Lyft is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to an inclusive and diverse workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.  

This role is on-site at a Lyft Flexdrive hub or office location full time. #Onsite

The expected range of pay for this position in Nashville is [$108,240 - $135,300]. Salary ranges are dependent on a variety of factors, including qualifications, experience and geographic location. Range is not inclusive of potential equity offering, bonus or benefits. Your recruiter can share more information about the salary range specific to your working location and other factors during the hiring process.