Head of Data Operations

About the Role:

The Data Operations organization is responsible for ensuring a high throughput of quality data critical to the development and validation of our Self Driving System. As the Head of Data Operations, you will oversee and scale multiple pivotal functional areas, including Mapping Operations, Labeling Operations, Triage Operations, and other future data centric operational teams as the company expands. In this leadership role, you will manage metrics driven internal teams as well as external vendors responsible for delivering high-fidelity maps, annotated sensor data, and accurate triage analysis. You will partner closely with Product, Autonomy, and Systems Engineering teams to identify and define cross-functional requirements, ensuring efficient tooling and automation to streamline workflows across all your verticals. This is a highly impactful leadership role essential to the ongoing development, validation, and deployment of our Autonomy System, requiring broad collaboration across Stack.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and Scale: Direct the Data Operations organization within Product Development, encompassing Mapping, Labeling, Triage, and future operational teams.
• Collaborate on Strategy: Partner with key stakeholders across the organization to define, standardize, and continually refine data ontologies, operator policies, and data specifications.
• Optimize Workflows: Ensure efficient workflows and policies are established to deliver a high volume of quality data (labels, maps, and triage annotations) that meet complex customer needs on a continuous basis.
• Manage Vendor Relationships: Oversee all aspects of strategic vendor relationships and partner organizations responsible for ground truth labeling, map generation, and operational tasks, including contract negotiation, budget management, training, and policy adherence.
• Drive Automation: Partner with internal tooling and infrastructure teams to define requirements for next-generation tooling and automation to reduce manual operational overhead.
• Data Driven Improvement: Utilize data analytics to identify opportunities for continuous improvement in operational workflows, throughput, and quality control processes.

Qualifications: 

• 10+ years of Operations Management or related experience, with a track record of leading data centric organizations.
• Significant leadership experience directing multi-disciplinary teams responsible for data annotation, mapping operations, triage, or related functions.
• Demonstrated expertise in managing globally distributed workforce vendors and establishing robust BPO strategies.
• Proven ability to architect, implement, and scale complex, heavily data-driven operational workflows.
• Strong data analysis acumen, including experience conceptualizing, building, and reporting on organizational-level business metrics.
• Prior experience working in an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) or Robotics company is strongly preferred, but not required.
• Deep functional understanding of ML training for Perception models, HD mapping concepts, data infrastructure, and visualization tooling.

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