Wayve is a UK self-driving technology startup that develops end-to-end neural network driving software for assisted and fully automated driving.
THE ROLE The Fleet Operations & Field Engineering Lead is the senior on-site leader responsible for building, leading, and scaling Wayve’s on-road operations in Israel. Based in Herzliya and reporting to the Head of Field Engineering, this role owns the full operational stack in-region, including fleet uptime, ADAS testing delivery, regulatory compliance, and overall operational performance. This is a hands-on leadership role, combining deep technical expertise with operational ownership. You will act as the technical authority in-region, leading fault triage across vehicle hardware, software, sensors, and ADAS systems, while also operating as a Vehicle Safety Operator. You will start with a lean operating model and build the foundations for scalable, safe, and high-performing operations. This includes establishing processes, driving performance against KPIs, and representing Wayve locally with regulators and stakeholders. This is a unique opportunity to build operations from first principles in a new region while contributing to Wayve’s global 24/7 follow-the-sun fleet operations model. Key responsibilities: - Lead hands-on fault triage and resolution across vehicle hardware, software, sensors, and compute systems. - Act as a certified Vehicle Safety Operator, delivering structured on-road ADAS testing. - Deliver high-quality testing outputs, including accurate reporting, QA, and auditability. - Ensure fleet uptime, readiness, and utilisation targets are consistently met. - Drive operational performance through structured planning, execution, and KPI tracking. - Establish and enforce safe, repeatable processes for triage, repair, testing, and compliance. - Maintain a 5-minute SLA response model for vehicle issues, both locally and globally. - Build, manage, and develop a small high-performing team. - Recruit, onboard, and scale the Israel Fleet Operations team as needed. - Act as the local operational and regulatory representative for Wayve in Israel. - Coordinate with cross-functional teams including Reliability Engineering, SRE, Safety, Legal, and global Fleet Ops. - Contribute to global handovers to enable 24/7 fleet coverage. - Embed and uphold a strong safety-first culture across all operations. - Ensure compliance with regulatory, legal, and safety requirements without compromising development velocity. - Manage site setup, infrastructure readiness, and operational compliance. - Represent Wayve in external engagements, including regulators, partners, and executive demos. - Provide structured updates, risk visibility, and insights to senior leadership. - Participate in an on-call rotation to support rapid fleet response. ABOUT YOU You are a highly capable operator-leader who thrives in complex, safety-critical environments. You combine strong technical problem-solving with the ability to build and scale operations from the ground up. You are comfortable being both hands-on and strategic, able to diagnose vehicle issues one moment and make high-level operational decisions the next. You bring structure to ambiguity, operate effectively under pressure, and understand how to balance speed, safety, compliance, and performance. You are a strong communicator and stakeholder manager, able to represent Wayve both internally and externally while building trust across teams and partners. Essential: - Strong hands-on experience in automotive, mobility, robotics, aviation, defence, or other safety-critical environments. - Experience diagnosing and resolving vehicle hardware and software issues. - Experience with ADAS or autonomous vehicle testing. - Proven experience leading small teams while remaining technically hands-on. - Experience operating in regulated environments. - Ability to build structured processes and deliver against strict SLAs. - Strong stakeholder management and communication skills. - Demonstrated ability to balance hands-on execution with strategic leadership. - Experience launching or scaling new operational sites. - Fluent in Hebrew and English. - Hold a full Israeli Driving Licence. Desirable: - Fleet importation, homologation, or regulatory liaison experience. - Experience with vehicle systems integration, diagnostics, or networked vehicle platforms. - EV charging infrastructure or site setup experience. - Experience in ADAS/AV development or testing environments. - Experience operating in zero-shot or generalisation testing contexts. - Professional manager qualification. Additional Requirements: - Onsite in Herzliya, Israel - Sunday to Thursday. - Participation in an on-call rotation is required. - Occasional international travel may be required to support other sites or share best practice. - Training and onboarding will take place in London and the US. - All applicants must disclose any secondary employment during the application process. - Employment is subject to Pre-employment checks. - Health assessments (pre and/or post employment), ongoing drug and alcohol testing in line with company policy and Successful completion of training. #LI-KM1