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.
Flexdrive builds the operational backbone for the future of mobility. As a leader in fleet management and a Lyft subsidiary, we're extending our expertise into autonomous vehicle (AV) infrastructure — managing the physical operations that keep AV fleets safe, available, and performing at scale. Our Nashville depot is the first proof point in a multi-market expansion, and we're building the leadership team to sustain and scale it.
Reporting to the Director, Field Operations, Flexdrive is seeking a Senior Manager, AV Operations to lead a portfolio of AV markets. This role sits between the Director and the Operations Managers — translating strategic direction into field execution, developing the Operations Manager layer, and ensuring operational performance is consistent, safe, and scalable across markets.
This is a role for a senior operational leader who leads from the front — running a multi-market program with precision, holding a high bar across a team of managers, and owning the AV Partner relationship at a program level. The operational framework, safety programs, and partner protocols are established, and this leader's first job is executing within them at a high standard. As we scale, this role will also take on program-building scope — translating operational experience into repeatable systems and supporting new market readiness. You will be accountable for fleet readiness, team performance, safety compliance, and the operational health of every market in your portfolio.
Responsibilities:
Multi-Market Operational Leadership
- Portfolio Performance Ownership: Deliver consistent fleet readiness and demand targets across a portfolio of markets — holding Operations Managers accountable to outcomes, aligning team execution to organizational goals, and acting quickly to close performance gaps before they compound.
- Operational Standards & Consistency: Drive adherence to established SOPs, safety standards, and partner compliance requirements across all markets — ensuring consistent, high-quality execution and elevating performance through your Operations Manager team.
- Safety-First Leadership: Set and model a non-negotiable safety standard across all markets. Ensure incident response protocols are executed correctly at every site, escalations are handled with rigor, and safety documentation meets partner and regulatory requirements.
- Operational Continuity: Sustain 24/7 operational continuity across markets — identifying systemic risks before they become outages, ensuring Operations Managers have the resources and clarity to perform, and maintaining alignment between field execution and broader organizational objectives.
People Leadership & Team Development
- Team Development & Accountability: Develop and lead a team of Operations Managers — setting shared OKRs, providing regular coaching and feedback, and building the management depth needed to sustain high performance and drive continuous improvement across the portfolio.
- Workforce Capability & Culture: Foster a high-performing, safety-first culture across all markets — ensuring teams are fully trained, certified, and equipped for success. Champion continuous learning and create consistent opportunities for career development at every level of the team.
- Talent Pipeline & Org Readiness: Identify and develop high-potential talent within the workforce, ensuring each market maintains a strong internal pipeline. Partner with the Director on hiring, org structure, and leadership readiness as the portfolio evolves.
Partner & Stakeholder Collaboration
- AV Partner Program-Level Relationship: Own the AV Partner relationship at a program level — representing Flexdrive's operational performance in partner reviews, serving as the primary escalation point above market-level coordination, and ensuring compliance with partner requirements across all markets.
- Cross-Functional Alignment: Connect cross-functional teams — Safety, Training, Compliance, and FP&A — around shared operational goals. Advocate for field realities in planning and investment decisions, and ensure field operations are supported by the right resources, processes, and tooling.
- Regulatory & Audit Compliance: Ensure all markets maintain full compliance with local, state, and federal AV regulations. Own audit readiness across the portfolio and ensure documentation standards are upheld at every site.
- Vendor Oversight & Escalation: Serve as the strategic bridge between internal stakeholders, third-party service partners, and local depot leadership. While Operations Managers own daily floor execution, you will provide high-level oversight, resolve complex escalations, and ensure workflows consistently hit program SLAs.
Performance, Reporting & Continuous Improvement
- Metrics & Reporting Frameworks: Develop and own operational reporting across markets — building the metrics and reporting frameworks needed to monitor fleet performance, surface trends, and drive data-backed accountability through your Operations Manager team.
- Process Improvement & Efficiency: Lead cross-functional initiatives that drive process improvements and enhance operational efficiency across the portfolio. Identify systemic gaps, translate findings into actionable solutions, and ensure Operations Managers execute against them.
- Market Expansion Readiness: As new markets are added to the portfolio, ensure launch readiness by preparing Operations Managers and field teams with the training, certification, and operational playbooks needed to perform from day one.
Experience
- 8+ years of progressive operational leadership, with demonstrated experience managing multi-site or multi-market operations in a safety-critical environment.
- Proven track record leading managers — developing, coaching, and holding accountable a team of operational leaders across geographically distributed sites.
- Experience in AV, fleet, transportation, logistics, or a similarly regulated operational environment, with deep familiarity with safety management systems, high-voltage (HV) EV environments, strict chain-of-custody compliance for sensitive hardware, and regulatory compliance requirements.
- Demonstrated ownership mindset — experience setting OKRs, leading programmatic initiatives with a high degree of autonomy, and driving accountability through effective delegation across a team of managers.
- Data fluency — experience building performance metrics and reporting frameworks, interpreting operational trends, and using data to drive decisions and team accountability at scale.
- Excellent communication and leadership presence, with the ability to tailor communication for a broad range of audiences — from field teams to senior leadership, cross-functional partners, and external technology partners.
Benefits:
- Great medical, dental, and vision insurance options with additional programs available when enrolled
- Mental health benefits
- Family building benefits
- Child care and pet benefits
- 401(k) plan with company match to help save for your future
- In addition to 12 observed holidays, salaried team members have discretionary paid time off, hourly team members have 15 days paid time off
- 18 weeks of paid parental leave. Biological, adoptive, and foster parents are all eligible
- Subsidized commuter benefits
- Monthly Lyft credits and complimentary Lyft Pink membership
Note: For this role, candidates must reside in states registered for Flexdrive Services LLC.
Flexdrive highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. This role will be in-office on a hybrid schedule — Team Members will be expected to work in the office at least 3 days per week, including on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Flexdrive considers working in the office at least 3 days per week to be an essential function of this hybrid role. Additionally, hybrid roles have the flexibility to work from anywhere for up to 4 weeks per year. #Hybrid
Flexdrive highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. This role will be in-office on a hybrid schedule following the establishment of a Lyft Flexdrive hub or office in Nashville — Team Members will be expected to work in the office 3 days per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Flexdrive considers working in the office at least 3 days per week to be an essential function of this hybrid role. Additionally, hybrid roles have the flexibility to work from anywhere for up to 4 weeks per year. #Hybrid
The expected base pay range for this position in the Nashville area is $127,920 - $159,900, not inclusive of potential equity offering, bonus or benefits. Salary ranges are dependent on a variety of factors, including qualifications, experience and geographic location. Your recruiter can share more information about the salary range specific to your working location and other factors during the hiring process.
Flexdrive is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to an inclusive workplace that fosters belonging. 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, age, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law. Flexdrive also strives for a healthy and safe workplace and strictly prohibits harassment of any kind. Flexdrive will also consider employment for qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable federal, state and local law.
