Strategy & Business Development Operations Lead - Autonomous Vehicle Fleet Operations

VW. Two letters. Endless opportunities. A bright future.

Innovation. Sophistication. Optimization. This is our Passion.

Worldwide, the Volkswagen Group has a long tradition of dramatic innovations. The Volkswagen Group with its headquarters in Wolfsburg is one of the world's leading automobile manufacturers and the largest carmaker in Europe. The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN. Here in the US, we are blending German engineering with American ingenuity.

As ADMT, we develop and realize fully autonomous mobility and transportation services. Our mission is to make mobility-and transportation-as-a-service safe, accessible and most attractive for society. For that, we cover the entire ground from strategy and business development, software development and end-2-end integration, fleet operations to next-generation self-driving systems. Being the driver in Volkswagen Group initiative for mobility solutions, we are an integral part of Volkswagen Group's future success.

Role Summary

This role is within the Volkswagen Group of America's Autonomous Driving Mobility & Transport (ADMT) business unit. The ADMT Strategy & Commercial Operations Lead is responsible for designing and scaling commercial operations of L4 autonomous vehicles in the U.S. market.

This position will work closely with the team responsible for preparing & executing ADMT's strategy to manage and support commercial operations for large scale fleets. You will develop and execute plans for real estate facilities & infrastructure, operations & logistics, fleet service & maintenance, and customer support.

Candidate must have excellent planning, analytical, organizational and project management skills, and can build strong collaborative relationships with executives and key stakeholders.

Role Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

• Design commercial fleet management & operations GTM and scaling plans for initial Austin launch and follow-on U.S. markets, evaluating various alternatives and recommending potential solutions.

• Present ongoing US commercial fleet operations strategy, business development, and project execution updates in leadership reviews (e.g. committee, steering reviews).

• Drive alignment and support for commercial fleet management & operations across key functions including engineering, product, operations, and program management.

• Lead development of strategic analyses and cross-functional recommendations with thorough evaluation of alternatives, risk management, financial impact, and roadmaps required to implement.

• Support regular business reviews with detailed budget development and long-range planning.

• Drive leadership buy-in and influence key planning decisions for infrastructure, fleet monitoring, service & maintenance, and operations & logistics activities.

Business Development: Operations

• Design clear operational concepts, requirements, and detailed roadmaps, evaluate internal and external solutions, and execute to deliver successful & timely results.

• Manage business development across real-estate acquisition & infrastructure build-out, after-sales service & maintenance, and labor solutions for field operations & customer support activities.

• Oversee development of operational and financial models to inform key decisions and manage projects for business development and/or supporting partner commercial negotiations.

Market Intelligence

• Maintain up-to-date market insights on key industry players & ecosystem and develop best practices in responding to threats, opportunities, changes, and trends.

Other

• Mentor and guide team members to support executing on key project initiatives and accomplish team OKRs.

Years of Relevant Experience:

8-10+ years of relevant industrial operations, logistics, or operations strategy experience with focus on real estate acquisition, infrastructure build-out, and facilities/operations design & planning. Candidate should possess increasing scope and responsibility in complex construction project management, specializing in industrial operations and R&D with total projects exceeding 1M sq ft.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Economics, Business, Finance, Engineering, or other quantitative field of study with a history of comparable qualification

• MBA or Masters in quantitative field is a plus

Required Skills:

• Proven experience in managing simultaneous large complex projects, facilitating and driving high-performing teams

• Ability to influence, manage, and execute new strategic initiatives & organizational priorities

• Ability to build strong relationships and influence technical, business, and operational decisions

• Exceptional written & verbal communication skills

• Capable of successfully operating in fast-paced & dynamic environments

• Strong strategic project management, comprehensive due-diligence, and organizational skills

• Highly competent in solving complex problems in a proactive, efficient, and a solution-oriented manner

• Strong judgment and detail oriented in exercising careful planning

Required knowledge and/or certification

• Strong familiarity with mobility, transportation, and self-driving technology

• Advanced proficiency in financial modeling & analysis, budget and forecast management, communicating schedules with third-party vendor resources including project managers, architects, and contractors

• Experience negotiating industrial real estate transactions, evaluating premise conditions & improvement allowances, working with project managers, architects, and contractors

• Adept at engaging executives, managing partner relationships, leading negotiations, and executing commercial contracts

• Proven leadership to create collaborative internal & external relationships across all employee levels, manage and drive teams to deliver complex large projects on timely basis

• Advanced proficiency in developing various types of presentations incl. external sales, working team, and board of management

• Familiarity with autonomous driving industry, operating models, and key value chain activities

• Experience in real estate acquisition & facilities build-out, with focus on maintenance repair & servicing and electric vehicle charging infrastructure

• Experience in managing large scale fleets, optimizing logistics & operations, or industrial design & operations planning

• Experience implementing IT connectivity and network security infrastructure

Work Flexibility:

• Domestic & international travel required

Volkswagen Group of America is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds, and do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, color, gender identity/expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws.

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