Vehicle Operations Specialist in Santa Clara, California at PlusAI Inc
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Job Description
As a Vehicle Operations Specialist, you'll serve as the right-seat safety and testing operator for PlusAI's autonomous trucks, executing structured test missions on both closed courses and public roads. You'll work closely with our engineering teams to validate vehicle performance, surface issues with precision, and help ensure every test is run safely and to spec. This role is hands-on and mission-critical — ideal for someone who thrives in a fast-paced, safety-first environment and wants to be at the center of autonomous vehicle development.
Ride as the right-seat operator on all mission types, actively recording, communicating, and summarizing in-vehicle performance.
Set up complex test missions correctly and consistently execute daily missions.
Deliver detailed, objective feedback on test results across all in-house applications, at both a high and granular level.
Provide clear, detail-oriented mission debriefs to engineering teams, following established debrief classification and testing processes.
Communicate troubleshooting steps efficiently through our support systems.
Follow existing and newly implemented processes precisely and consistently.
Exercise sound judgment — know when to decline a test and how to navigate difficult or ambiguous requests.
Speak up promptly, in person and through in-house applications, when issues arise.
Escalate testing issues through the appropriate reporting channels and know when to stop a test.
Stay open to tasks and projects outside your core daily responsibilities as priorities shift.
Partner closely with the engineering team to conduct field experiments.
Independently operate PlusAI vehicles and their systems on both closed courses and public roads.
Represent PlusAI professionally in public interactions, speaking knowledgeably about publicly available company information and goals.
Previous experience with AV structured testing across development, release, and production testing mission types.
Ability to read a structured testing mission plan, set up that mission type, and execute it independently.
Strong working knowledge of operating or scripting on a Linux system at an autonomous testing operational level.
Ability to maintain composure and perform well in a fast-paced, variable environment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Responsible driver with a clean driving record.
At least 5 years of driving experience on U.S. roads.
BS/BA degree or equivalent experience preferred.
Willingness to travel occasionally.
Experience creating Operations content during downtime — training programs, Confluence pages, Google Docs, Google Slides, etc.
Solution-oriented thinker who works well through problem analysis.
Adaptable and innovative approach to new challenges.
Basic understanding of project implementation.
Strong presentation skills.
Exact compensation may vary based on skills and experience.
$80,000 - $105,000 a year
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