Staff Program Manager, Operations

Motional's Las Vegas office is located less than 10 miles from the Las Vegas strip at 730 E Pilot Road and is home to one of the largest fleets of self-driving vehicles. The city's grid system of roads and being one of America's "smart cities" allows for extensive research and development testing.

Mission Summary:

The Staff Program Manager, Operations is a strategic partner to the Vice President of Operations—driving cross-functional alignment, operational excellence, and execution across a rapidly scaling organization. This leader will partner with senior stakeholders in Test Engineering, Safety, Test Operations,Vehicle Engineering, Autonomy, and Infrastructure to translate strategic objectives into actionable programs that enable commercialization readiness and world-class operational performance.

The ideal candidate combines strategic acumen with hands-on execution, thrives in complex environments, and excels at building structure, visibility, and momentum across diverse teams and initiatives.

This role is hybrid, ideally based in our Las Vegas office. Candidates in other locations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

What you'll be doing:

• Serve as a trusted advisor and operational partner to the VP of Operations, helping execute the long-term strategic business plan for commercialization.
• Partner closely with senior leaders across Test Engineering, Safety, Test Operations, Autonomy, and Infrastructure to align organizational priorities and drive critical initiatives.
• Develop roadmaps to bridge alignment with Operations and Engineering
• Facilitate executive decision-making through data-driven reporting, structured governance, and clear communication of program progress, risks, and interdependencies.
• Define, track, and deliver key operational programs with measurable outcomes aligned to company OKRs and company milestones.
• Anticipate risks and dependencies, proactively remove roadblocks, and ensure high-impact initiatives are executed with discipline and accountability.
• Maintain a strong operational pulse on daily execution—anticipating needs, resolving conflicts, and escalating critical issues to leadership when required.
• Lead cross-functional efforts to design and optimize tools, processes, and playbooks that scale Operations for efficiency, repeatability, and safety.
• Support process design, documentation, and continuous improvement across test, fleet, and service operations.
• Develop and maintain reports, dashboards, and performance metrics to enable informed decision-making and track operational KPIs.
• Oversee real-time resource allocation to support robotaxi fleet operations
• Act as the connective tissue between technical, operational, and executive teams to ensure alignment, transparency, and timely delivery of commitments.
• Partner with Technical Program Management, Finance, HR, and Product to ensure resource alignment and effective scaling of organizational capabilities.
• Communicate status, risks, and mitigation strategies clearly to executives and stakeholders.

What we're looking for:

• 8+ years of program or operations management experience in high-growth, complex technical environments (autonomous systems, robotics, Aviation, Military, or automotive preferred).
• Proven success driving strategic initiatives from concept through execution across multiple business functions.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to make data-driven decisions.
• Exceptional communication, stakeholder management, and cross-functional leadership capabilities.
• Experience building and scaling teams and processes across multiple locations.
• Proficiency with program management and visualization tools (e.g., Smartsheet, Asana, Jira, Tableau, or similar).
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations, or related field; advanced degree preferred.

Preferred:

• Demonstrated ability to thrive in ambiguity, balancing strategic planning with tactical execution.
• Experience supporting commercialization or large-scale operational rollouts.
• Passion for safety, technology, and operational excellence.
• High integrity, adaptability, and emotional intelligence when working across executive and technical teams.

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors including but not limited to specific skills, experience and expertise, role location, certifications, licenses, and business needs. The estimated compensation range listed in this job posting reflects base salary only. This role may include additional forms of compensation such as a bonus or company equity. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process. 

Candidates for certain positions are eligible to participate in Motional's benefits program. Motional's benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, vision, 401k with a company match, health saving accounts, life insurance, pet insurance, and more.

Motional is a driverless technology company making autonomous vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. We're driven by something more.

Our journey is always people first.

We aren't just developing driverless cars; we're creating safer roadways, more equitable transportation options, and making our communities better places to live, work, and connect. Our team is made up of engineers, researchers, innovators, dreamers and doers, who are creating a technology with the potential to transform the way we move.

Higher purpose, greater impact.

We're creating first-of-its-kind technology that will transform transportation. To do so successfully, we must design for everyone in our cities and on our roads. We believe in building a great place to work through a progressive, global culture that is diverse, inclusive, and ensures people feel valued at every level of the organization. Diversity helps us to see the world differently; it's not only good for our business, it's the right thing to do.  

Scale up, not starting up.

Our team is behind some of the industry's largest leaps forward, including the first fully-autonomous cross-country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and operation of the world's longest-standing public robotaxi fleet. We're driven to scale; we're moving towards commercialization of our technology, and we need team members who are ready to embrace change and challenges.

Formed as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, Motional is fundamentally changing how people move through their lives. Headquartered in Boston, Motional has operations in the U.S and Asia. For more information, visit  and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Motional AD Inc. is an EOE. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To comply with Federal Law, we participate in E-Verify. All newly-hired employees are queried through this electronic system established by the DHS and the SSA to verify their identity and employment eligibility.