Head of Fleet Operations (UK)
Wayve · London, England
Before the detail, here's the challenge you'd help us solve.
We build the embodied intelligence that moves real vehicles safely, and the ecosystem a billion machines will run on in the future. Very few people in AI can say this. Every role here, whatever the team, plugs into that.
Here’s what this particular role covers.
THE ROLE
As Head of Fleet Operations (UK), you'll own 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 the one 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 (this is not a weekend or shift-pattern role, but you'll need to be comfortable managing people who work that pattern). 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 make sure 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.
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A quick, honest note before you apply.
Wayve is not a mature, fully-structured place with the playbook already written. Much of how we work is still being written, and if you join, you’ll help write it. That suits people who want real ownership more than people who need a settled structure from day one.
If that sounds like the kind of problem you want to spend your time on, we’d really like to hear from you.