Associate Manager, AI Research Lab Strategy & Operations

About The Team

AI Research Lab is one of DoorDash’s frontier innovation hubs, focusing on building the foundation for an AI-native future across consumers, merchants, and dashers. Operating at the center of technical exploration and real-world execution, the Lab connects frontier model research with internal platform investments, operator teams, and strategic external partners. Our mission is to translate cutting-edge AI research into scalable, production-ready systems that drive measurable business impact.

About The Role

As an Associate Manager, Strategy & Operations on our AI Research Lab, you will play a central role in converting frontier AI advancements into shipped products and scalable infrastructure. You will operate across research, product, and operations to move from early discovery and experimentation to deployment and impact. This role sits at the intersection of customer insight, technical innovation, and business execution. You will help define and scale the Lab’s most important bets while building the foundations that enable AI applications to compound over time.

• Reimagining core experiences through AI, such as the merchant journey, by partnering directly with in-field merchants, sales, support, product, and engineering teams.
• Own revenue-driving AI initiatives, operating as the accountable business owner for high-priority AI bets and ensuring clear linkage between technical progress and financial outcomes.
• Lead business planning cycles, developing go-to-market strategies for AI-powered products and capabilities, overseeing execution through structured project plans, resource allocation, and KPI tracking.
• Develop new business metrics and measurement frameworks, including:
• Defining what should be measured and why
• Establishing performance thresholds using data-driven benchmarking
• Localizing metrics across geographies and market types
• Driving AI adoption across DoorDash by enabling non-technical teams with enterprise tools, workflows, and experimentation sandboxes that integrate AI into daily operations.
• Operationalize frontier technologies from external partners, translating research breakthroughs into revenue-generating product capabilities and production systems.
• Lead rapid experimentation cycles, validating product-market fit, measuring business impact, and ensuring AI initiatives translate into tangible outcomes.

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.

About DoorDash

At DoorDash, our mission is to empower local economies by enabling door-to-door delivery and expanding to any and all goods. We are a technology and logistics company that hires and cultivates diverse teams from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We are 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.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

We are committed to growing and empowering a more inclusive community within our company, industry, and cities. We hire and cultivate diverse teams of people from all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. We believe that true innovation happens when everyone has room at the table and the tools, resources, and opportunity to excel.

Statement of Non-Discrimination

In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination or harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability status, or veteran status. We also strive to prevent other subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (i.e., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our office. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at DoorDash.