--- title: 'Technical Operations Manager at Wayve' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/technical-operations-manager-wayve-sunnyvale-nghb2pxmtt78' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-09' --- # Technical Operations Manager at Wayve - **Company:** Wayve - **Location:** Sunnyvale, CA - **Posted:** 2026-05-12 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-09 - **Apply:** https://wayve.firststage.co/jobs?gh_jid=8546579002 ## Job description ## About us Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology.  Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems. Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward.  Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving. In our fast-paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future. At Wayve, your contributions matter.  We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact. Make Wayve the experience that defines your career! ## The role We're looking for a Technical Operations Manager to join Wayve's Technical Operations function, acting as the critical bridge between Science, Product, Engineering, and Operations. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in dynamic, high-growth environments and has proven experience translating complex technical strategies into actionable field operations. You'll lead critical testing and demonstration programs across our global operations—spanning roadshow campaigns, customer-specific programs, and on-road validation activities—working cross-functionally to ensure structured feedback loops between field operations and development teams. This role is key to our transformation from an R&D-focused operation to a world-class, delivery-grade commercial AV organization that can execute seamlessly with customers and partners. Key responsibilities: - Technical and Operations Enablement: Convert high-level program plans into clear, actionable on-road plans in partnership with Fleet Operations leadership, ensuring alignment on scheduling, safety, and operational feasibility across diverse testing requirements. - Testing and Validation: Lead execution across internal-facing  and external-facing programs, coordinating between technical teams and operations to ensure seamless testing and validation execution while maintaining safety protocols and capturing valuable feedback. - Cross-Functional Alignment: Act as the connective tissue between model developers, researchers, product teams, and operations, ensuring two-way visibility and structured feedback loops that drive faster iteration on features, releases, and model performance. - Operational Readiness: Collaborate closely with Fleet Operations to maintain consistent experiment design, vehicle availability, and process quality across testing programs, ensuring repeatable, high-quality delivery at scale. - Continuous Improvement: Partner with Systems and Enablement teams to leverage fleet data, systems, and metrics for collaborative problem-solving and refinement of testing processes and internal tooling, quantifying improvements in operational performance. - Innovation in Testing & Evaluation: Proactively brainstorm and explore new experimental methods (e.g., adversarial route selection, edge case testing concepts), fostering a culture of curiosity and bold experimentation to uncover insights that drive novel breakthroughs. - Technical Collaboration: Build strong partnerships with model development teams, combining strategic thinking with practical operational expertise to maximize the value of every test, dataset, and feedback loop in support of commercial objectives. ## About you In order to set you up for success as a Technical Operations Manager at Wayve, we’re looking for the following skills and experience. Essential - Demonstrable' experience in technical program management or operations roles at the intersection of R&D, product development, and field testing in high-complexity environments (e.g., autonomous systems, robotics, aerospace, or advanced mobility). - Proven track record of managing programs, demonstrations, or operations that require tight coordination between technical development teams and operational execution. - Deep experience with test planning, operational readiness frameworks, and structured feedback loops between field operations and technical development teams. - Strong facilitation and stakeholder management skills: able to lead cross-functional workshops and coordinate between Engineering, Science, Product, and Operations teams effectively. - Proven ability to influence across teams and functions, including remote and international stakeholders in fast-paced technology environments. - Strong written, verbal, and visual communication skills with experience creating technical documentation, SOPs, and stakeholder presentations. - Ability to travel internationally up to 30% of the time to support on-site program coordination across testing regions. - Strong problem-solving skills and comfort working in ambiguous, rapidly evolving environments with competing priorities. Desirable - Experience in autonomous vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems, or field robotics operations. - Exposure to automotive testing protocols, validation frameworks, or OEM partnership programs. - Experience supporting scaling in global, distributed teams with complex technical dependencies. - Experience with data analysis and performance tracking; able to build or interpret dashboards, identify operational bottlenecks, and quantify program improvements. - Comfortable with project management tools such as Confluence, Asana/Jira, or equivalent, and experience implementing operational tracking systems. - Background in process improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma) or operational excellence frameworks. - Familiarity with vehicle commissioning processes, fleet management systems, or automotive safety protocols. This role is a full-time role based in Sunnyvale, CA (hybrid) and the reasonably estimated salary for this role ranges from $171,000 to $229,000, plus a competitive equity package. Actual compensation is based on the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience. Wayve is committed to creating an inclusive interview experience. If you require any accommodations or adjustments to participate fully in our interview process, please let us know. We understand that everyone has a unique set of skills and experiences and that not everyone will meet all of the requirements listed above. If you’re passionate about self-driving cars and think you have what it takes to make a positive impact on the world, we encourage you to apply. At Wayve we're committed to creating a diverse, fair and respectful culture that is inclusive of everyone based on their unique skills and perspectives, and regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy or related condition  (including breastfeeding) or any other basis as protected by applicable law. For more information visit [Careers at Wayve.](https://wayve.ai/careers/) To learn more about what drives us, visit [Values at Wayve](https://wayve.ai/careers/) For US candidates only, please visit [E-Verify Notice](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N46n3iN0AG8EPEO-hCanyyv7hzz8KgT_/view?usp=sharing) and [Participation and Right to Work](https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/employment/RightToWork.pdf) DISCLAIMER: We will not ask about marriage or pregnancy, care responsibilities or disabilities in any of our job adverts or interviews. However, we do look to capture information about care responsibilities, and disabilities among other diversity information as part of an optional DEI Monitoring form to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring process and ensure that the process is inclusive and non-discriminatory. ## About Wayve ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Wayve is building a general-purpose, embodied AI driving intelligence that learns from data and scales across vehicles, geographies, and applications. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series C) - **Headquarters**: London, United Kingdom - **Founded**: 2017 - **Founders**: Alex Kendall (Co-founder & CEO) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Autonomous Vehicle Technology / Embodied AI - **Target customers**: B2B — Automakers (OEMs), logistics partners, and mobility networks (e.g., Uber) - **Mission or purpose statement**: To reimagine autonomous mobility with embodied intelligence, aiming to make mobility safer, smarter, and more accessible for everyone. ## Products & Services - **[Wayve AI Driver]**: A mapless, vehicle-agnostic, end-to-end AI software platform that runs entirely on onboard vehicle compute and native sensors. It delivers all levels of autonomy, from hands-off and eyes-off driving to robotaxis. The system is designed to be sensor and hardware-agnostic, scalable to new roads and cities without HD maps, and learns to drive using data. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total funding of **$2.8B** across 4 rounds (as of May 2026). Estimated annual revenue of **$1.6B** (LinkedIn estimate, likely based on total funding and growth trajectory, not public filings). - **Notable Investors/Partners**: SoftBank Group (lead, Series C), NVIDIA, Microsoft, Uber. Partners include Ocado Group, Asda, DPD, and world-class automakers. - **Growth Signals**: - Raised a $1.05B Series C in May 2024. - Uber invested to put future Wayve-powered vehicles on the Uber network globally. - First and only AV company to test a single global AI Driver model across **500+ cities** in Europe, North America, and Japan. - Headcount grew **84.0% YoY** to approximately 718 employees. - Operates in 23 countries. - Opened a second office in Mountain View, California. - Introduced breakthrough AI models GAIA-1 and LINGO-1 for generative AI in driving. ## Competitive Advantages - **End-to-end AI approach**: Unlike many competitors using rule-based or modular approaches, Wayve uses a single, deep learning-based model that learns to drive from data. - **Mapless technology**: Does not require expensive, high-definition (HD) maps, allowing rapid scaling to new cities and roads. - **Vehicle-agnostic**: Software can be integrated into any vehicle type (cars, delivery vans, etc.) with any sensor suite, making it a platform for multiple OEMs. - **Data-driven safety**: The AI learns from data and is designed to handle unexpected and unseen situations, with a focus on "deep world understanding." - **Strong strategic partnerships**: Backed by tech giants (NVIDIA, Microsoft) and a mobility leader (Uber), providing both capital and go-to-market channels. ## Strategic Focus - **Deploying Embodied AI at scale**: Moving from R&D to commercial products for automakers and logistics partners. - **Global expansion**: Testing and deploying the AI Driver across diverse geographies (Europe, North America, Japan) to build a robust, generalizable driving intelligence. - **Productizing for OEMs**: Developing the first Embodied AI product for production vehicles, led by President Erez Dagan (ex-Mobileye). - **Last-mile delivery**: Commercial partnerships with Ocado Group, Asda, and DPD to trial AV technology on urban delivery routes. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-driven**: Work on one of the hardest technological problems of our time — building safe, scalable autonomous mobility. - **Innovative environment**: Pioneering end-to-end deep learning and embodied AI, with opportunities to work on groundbreaking research and products (GAIA-1, LINGO-1). - **Culture**: Values include "Aim high. Stay humble," "Back each other to deliver impact," and "Humanity is core." Emphasis on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). - **Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)**: Active communities including Black Excellence Network, Women Who Code, Neurodivergents at Wayve, and Wayve Veterans Network. - **Benefits**: Competitive compensation (cash + equity), private healthcare, mental health resources (Spill), learning & development budgets, paid time off, and social clubs. - **Work environment**: Hybrid/office setup with HQ in London and offices in Mountain View, CA, and Israel. - **Growth opportunities**: Rapidly scaling company (84% headcount growth YoY) with 113 active job postings, offering significant career development. ## Sources 1. [wayve.ai](https://wayve.ai/) 2. [wayve.ai/careers](https://wayve.ai/careers/) 3. [wayve.ai/company](https://wayve.ai/company/) 4. [wayve.ai/company/leadership-team](https://wayve.ai/company/leadership-team/) 5. [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/wayve-technologies) ## Other roles at Wayve - [Senior Software Engineer, Data & Orchestration](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-data-orchestration-wayve-london-xzcw9t13pxsm) — London, United Kingdom - [Software Engineer - Runtime Platform, Robot Software](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-runtime-platform-robot-software-wayve-sunnyvale-mf65mrmdsfxc) — Sunnyvale, CA - [Senior Software Engineer - OS, Robot Software](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-os-robot-software-wayve-sunnyvale-k4jjc7de8a7b) — Sunnyvale, CA - [Technical Lead Manager, Synthetic Data](https://feeny.ai/job/technical-lead-manager-synthetic-data-wayve-london-sf9kmbwyhn88) — London, United Kingdom - [Model Release Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/model-release-engineer-wayve-london-m0amtfx1bh2c) — London, United Kingdom - [Engineering Manager, SRE – AV Fleet, Japan](https://feeny.ai/job/engineering-manager-sre-av-fleet-japan-wayve-japan-0k1wf1y4xv1a) — Japan - [Lead Technical Program Manager, Quality & Compliance](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-technical-program-manager-quality-compliance-wayve-london-tpz844vsbfm5) — London, United Kingdom - [Lead Technical Program Manager, AI Platform](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-technical-program-manager-ai-platform-wayve-london-jn1a2agqrv3m) — London, United Kingdom - [Director, Technical Program Management — Driver Out](https://feeny.ai/job/director-technical-program-management-driver-out-wayve-sunnyvale-r0h7tkhv6ytr) — Sunnyvale, CA - [Staff Robotics Engineer, Localisation](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-robotics-engineer-localisation-wayve-london-kd1vtvyczvs9) — London, United Kingdom