Manager, Head of Central Operations - Drone

Lead Central Operations for DoorDash Drone Programs

About the Team

DoorDash Labs is an independent team within DoorDash. We explore robotics and automation to transform last-mile logistics in the long term. If you have a passion for applying autonomous technologies in a service used by millions of people, then we want to talk to you!

About the Role

We are hiring for a role which offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of last mile logistics by:

• Overseeing all operations across drone programs with a focus on reliability, safety, and cost efficiency.

• Building scalable playbooks, SOPs, and readiness standards that support consistent quality across markets.

• Creating systems for performance measurement and continuous improvement using data-driven insights.

• Partnering with Product, Engineering, and Data Science to develop tools and automation that improve operational visibility and reduce manual processes.

• Leading cross-functional alignment on launch readiness, compliance, and process improvement.

• Traveling up to 20% of the time

This is a hybrid role based in the Bay Area. Regular in-person collaboration with cross-functional partners is required to shape product direction, test workflows, and accelerate decision-making.

You’re excited about this opportunity because you will…

• Lead a high-performing team of local and central operators

• Design and maintain the end-to-end operating model for drone delivery, including site readiness, staffing, and daily execution.

• Shape how we define, evaluate, and expand new service areas to ensure strong operational performance

• Support launch readiness across key locations, enabling seamless day-to-day operations

• Stay close to the consumer experience to ensure we are building the right product to attract and retain customers at scale

We’re Excited About You Because…

• You Use Data to Drive Action: You're confident in SQL and use data to diagnose problems, prioritize work, and guide decisions

• You Build for Scale: You don’t just patch issues—you think about how things should work at 10x the volume

• You’re Curious About Autonomy: You’re excited about new technologies and want to help shape how they’re used in the real world

• You Lead with Clarity: You’ve led cross-functional groups or coached teams and know how to align others and drive strong execution

• You Move Fast—and Bring Others With You: You’re action-oriented, collaborative, and know how to keep cross-functional partners in sync

• You Understand the Airspace—or Want To: You’re interested in how drone delivery fits into real-world regulations and logistics, now and in the future.

Compensation

The successful candidate’s starting pay will fall within the pay range listed below and is determined based on job-related factors including, but not limited to, skills, experience, qualifications, work location, and market conditions. Base salary is localized according to an employee’s work location. Ranges are market-dependent and may be modified in the future.

In addition to base salary, the compensation for this role includes opportunities for equity grants. Talk to your recruiter for more information.

DoorDash cares about you and your overall well-being. That’s why we offer a comprehensive benefits package to all regular employees, which includes a 401(k) plan with employer matching, 16 weeks of paid parental leave, wellness benefits, commuter benefits match, paid time off and paid sick leave in compliance with applicable laws (e.g. Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act). DoorDash also offers medical, dental, and vision benefits, 11 paid holidays, disability and basic life insurance, family-forming assistance, and a mental health program, among others.

• For salaried roles: flexible paid time off/vacation, plus 80 hours of paid sick time per year.

• For hourly roles: vacation accrued at about 1 hour for every 25.97 hours worked (e.g. about 6.7 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 3.4 hours/month if working 20 hours/week), and paid sick time accrued at 1 hour for every 30 hours worked (e.g. about 5.8 hours/month if working 40 hours/week; about 2.9 hours/month if working 20 hours/week).

The national base pay range for this position within the United States, including Illinois and Colorado: $136,000—$200,000 USD

About DoorDash

At DoorDash, our mission to empower local economies shapes how our team members move quickly, learn, and reiterate in order to make impactful decisions that display empathy for our range of users—from Dashers to merchant partners to consumers. We are a technology and logistics company that started with door-to-door delivery, and we are looking for team members who can help us go from a company that is known for delivering food to a company that people turn to for any and all goods.
DoorDash is growing rapidly and changing constantly, which gives our team members the opportunity to share their unique perspectives, solve new challenges, and own their careers. We're committed to supporting employees’ happiness, healthiness, and overall well-being by providing comprehensive benefits and perks including premium healthcare, wellness expense reimbursement, paid parental leave and more.