Mission Control Manager

About Waabi

Waabi, founded by AI visionary Raquel Urtasun, is the leader in Physical AI. The company is unlocking the next era of autonomous transportation with technology powering commercial autonomous trucks and robotaxis. Waabi is backed by and partners with world leaders in AI, automotive, logistics, and deep tech, and has offices in Toronto, San Francisco, Dallas, and Pittsburgh. The Texas road operations run both R&D testing and commercial freight, with Mission Control serving as the operational nerve center of the Waabi Network.

About the role

The Mission Control Manager owns end‑to‑end Mission Control operations, leading a team that handles remote assist, fleet and mission management, and dispatch coordination for both supervised R&D testing and driverless operations at launch. This senior people‑leadership position builds the team, sets standards, owns service levels, and validates the operating model, reporting as a peer to the Vehicle Operations Lead and the Test Operations Lead.

Responsibilities

• Own Mission Control operations end to end (remote assist, fleet and mission management, dispatch coordination) across supervised R&D testing and driverless operations.
• Build, lead, and coach the team (Remote Assist Specialists, Mission Control Specialists): hiring, staffing, scheduling, training, performance management, and career development.
• Own the team’s KPIs: mission completion rate, intervention rate, remote resolution rate, mean time to respond/resolve, operator‑to‑truck ratio, and fleet uptime.
• Manage the intervention‑to‑improvement loop: turn novel road events into updated SOPs, debriefs, and handoffs.
• Serve as the escalation point for issues that exceed the floor (engineering, legal, safety, leadership).
• Set standards for emergency response and redundancy procedures.
• Stand up and pressure‑test the Mission Control operating model during supervised operations before driverless loads.
• Plan and own 24/7 coverage as the operation scales.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Dispatch, Vehicle Operations, Test Operations, Fleet Readiness, Training, Autonomy, and Commercial teams.
• Represent Waabi to customers, regulators, and visitors touring Mission Control.

Qualifications

• 6+ years leading operations with substantial people‑leadership depth (experience leading leaders).
• Experience running or standing up a 24/7 shift‑based control center, NOC, command center, or dispatch floor.
• Proven track record of building and scaling a team and operating model from an early stage.
• Calm judgment under pressure and excellent cross‑functional communication.
• Continuous‑improvement discipline: turning incidents into better processes, not just after‑action reports.
• Comfortable working in a technical environment; deep autonomous‑vehicle or engineering expertise not required.
• Logistics, trucking, aviation, emergency dispatch, or AV operations background is a plus.
• Willing to work onsite in Lancaster, TX and flex to shift‑based coverage as needed.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation and equity awards.
• Health and wellness benefits including medical, vision, and dental coverage.
• Unlimited vacation.
• Flexible hours and work‑from‑home support.
• Daily drinks, snacks, and catered meals when in office.
• Regularly scheduled team‑building activities and social events.
• Benefits package evolves as the company grows.