Head of Fleet Operations (UK) in London

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.

The role involves owning the end-to-end translation of our customer-focused on-road testing strategy into tactical, executable plans — running UK Fleet Operations like a General Manager would run a business unit. You'll be accountable for safe, efficient, and high-performing on-road operations across London and the wider UK. Day-to-day, you'll lead deployment of all UK on-road testing, coordinating Shift Leads to keep operators running across two shifts spanning 0630–2330, seven days a week. You'll partner closely with our Systems & Enablement Division — Fleet Servicing and Maintenance, Field Engineering, Operational Safety, Training, Systems and Insights, and Quality Assurance — to keep testing running smoothly, and you'll work directly with SW, HW, and Product teams to ensure our UK testing strategy stays aligned with company objectives.

Key responsibilities:

• Own the end-to-end deployment of our on-road ADAS testing strategy in the UK, converting strategic milestones into detailed tactical plans.
• Deliver key testing outputs and on-road performance metrics, holding the team accountable to targets.
• Optimise resource allocation, balancing fleet availability with team schedules to maximise productivity.
• Directly manage and allocate work across a team including operational Shift Leads, with clear roles and accountability.
• Continuously adjust operational plans as customer needs, technology, and strategic priorities evolve.
• Act as the connective tissue between strategic planning and on-the-ground execution.
• Drive continuous improvement in testing procedures, safety protocols, and team performance.
• Own on-road risk for the UK geo, acting as the primary escalation point for incident management and safety-critical decisions.
• Partner with the other Heads of Geo (US, UK, DE, JP) to align on global operating standards.

About you:

You'll thrive in this role if you've run complex, safety-critical, round-the-clock operations before and want full ownership of a market. We're looking for:

• Essential: Proven operational management experience, ideally in automotive testing, tech, or a comparably fast-moving, safety-critical field.
• Strong strategic thinking — you can turn high-level strategy into practical, executable operating plans.
• Excellent people leadership, including experience managing diverse and/or shift-based teams, and a mixed workforce of contractors and full-time employees.
• Track record in resource planning and allocation across both fleet and personnel.
• Sharp communication and stakeholder management skills — you'll work across SW, HW, Product, and global Fleet Ops leadership.
• Comfort with ambiguity and a fast-changing environment, including on-call responsibility for incident management.
• Based in or willing to relocate to London, with the expectation of being in-person the large majority of the time.
• 5+ years managing large teams and/or an advanced degree in management or equivalent.

• Desirable: Familiarity with ADAS technology and on-road testing requirements.
• Experience working with staffing agencies or managing a blended contractor/FTE workforce.

This is a full-time role based in our office in London. This role is Monday to Friday, overseeing a division that operates seven days a week. It will include on-call responsibilities at times.