Director, Commercial 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 Director of Commercial Operations is a critical senior management team member and is responsible for the safe and reliable operation of Motional’s commercial fleet and supporting commercial partners. Reporting to the Senior Director of Operations, the Director of Commercial Operations is expected to develop and maintain an excellent level of operating performance through increased reliability and close working relationships with cross-functional stakeholders. This role requires extensive operational experience to ensure that the efficient deployment of the commercial autonomous vehicle (AV) Fleet is safe, reliable and accessible. The Director will be responsible for achieving improved efficiencies by implementing new tools and technologies, while also ensuring that any cost-efficiency plans are driven by Motional’s core values and commitment to a driverless vehicle future.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Fleet Performance & Operational Excellence:

• Own end-to-end commercial fleet performance across all active markets, including safety, reliability, utilization, and service delivery metrics.
• Establish and drive KPIs such as fleet availability, autonomous miles, incident rates, MTTR (mean time to resolution), and SLA adherence.
• Translate operational data into actionable insights to continuously improve fleet efficiency, uptime, and customer experience.
  
  

Multi-Market Operations Leadership:

• Lead and standardize operations across multiple geographies, ensuring consistency in execution while adapting to local Operational Design Domains (ODDs).
• Develop scalable operating models that support expansion of fully driverless deployments.
• Ensure operational readiness for new market launches, including staffing models, infrastructure, and regulatory alignment.
  
  

Command Center & Incident Management Oversight:

• Provide executive oversight of real-time fleet command and control functions, including incident response, escalation protocols, and non-nominal event management.
• Ensure robust incident command structures are in place to rapidly contain risk and maintain public trust during high-severity events.
• Drive post-incident review processes to identify root causes and implement systemic corrective actions.
  
  

Cross-Functional Integration:

• Serve as the senior operational liaison across Engineering, Safety, Product, Mapping, and Commercial teams.
• Align fleet operations with system capabilities, product roadmap, and safety frameworks to ensure cohesive execution.
• Partner with Commercial and Business Development teams to support partner success and contractual performance obligations.
  
  

Field Operations & Resource Optimization:

• Oversee field support strategy, including On-Road Response Specialists (ORS), third-party vendors, and dispatch operations.
• Optimize resource allocation models to balance response time, cost efficiency, and service coverage.
• Ensure field operations meet defined SLAs and are equipped to support both driver-assisted and driverless operations.
  
  

Technology, Tooling & Process Innovation:

• Identify, implement, and scale operational tools, automation, and technologies that improve fleet performance and reduce manual intervention.
• Partner with Engineering and Product teams to define system requirements that enhance operational visibility and control.
• Champion data-driven decision-making frameworks across all levels of fleet operations.
  
  

Cost Efficiency & Financial Stewardship:

• Develop and manage operational budgets with a focus on cost efficiency, scalability, and ROI.
• Identify cost reduction opportunities without compromising safety, reliability, or customer experience.
• Ensure financial discipline aligns with company values and long-term driverless strategy.
  
  

Regulatory, Safety & External Stakeholder Engagement:

• Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal regulatory requirements governing AV operations.
• Act as a senior representative with city officials, regulators, and first responders to maintain strong external relationships.
• Uphold and reinforce a safety-first culture across all operational functions.
  
  

Leadership & Organizational Development:

• Build, lead, and develop high-performing operations teams, including managers and frontline leadership.
• Establish clear accountability structures, performance management frameworks, and leadership development pathways.
• Foster a culture of urgency, ownership, and continuous improvement aligned with company values.

What We’re Looking For:

• Bachelor’s degree required (Operations, Marketing, Business, Engineering, Logistics); equivalent practical experience a plus.
• 10+ years of experience in operations leadership within mission-critical, real-time environments (autonomous systems, aviation, logistics, defense, or large-scale mobility operations).
• 5+ years in a senior leadership role (Director and above) with responsibility for multi-site or multi-market operations.
• Experience managing third-party vendors and commercial partnerships with performance-based contracts.
• Proven track record of owning and improving complex operational systems at scale, including safety, reliability, and cost performance.
• Demonstrated expertise in incident management, command-and-control structures, and operational risk mitigation.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets, cost optimization initiatives, and resource planning.
• Experience leading cross-functional organizations and influencing Engineering, Product, and Commercial stakeholders.
• Deep analytical capability with experience leveraging data to drive operational improvements and strategic decisions.
• Exceptional communication and executive presence, with the ability to operate effectively in high-pressure environments.
• Ability to support a 24/7 operational model, including on-call escalation leadership.
  
  

Bonus Points (not required):

• Experience in autonomous vehicles, driverless systems, or mobility platforms.
• Background in air traffic control systems, military command-and-control, emergency management, or network operations centers.
• Experience scaling driverless or highly automated systems in real-world environments.
• Familiarity with ODD frameworks, geospatial operations, and real-time routing systems.
• Experience with fleet management platforms, telematics, and real-time operational analytics tools
• Proven success in launching new markets or expanding operations in regulated environments.
• Experience managing field operations or dispatch logistics, including SLA performance oversight.
• Track record of process standardization and operational scalability in high-growth environments.
• Background in safety operations, emergency response, or reliability engineering.
  
  

Physical Demands & Working Environment:

• This role requires the ability to interface with both office and field environments.
• The employee is occasionally required to remain stationary at times for up to 50% of working time
• Operate and use office equipment.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.