Senior Program Manager, Autonomous Vehicles at Lyft

At Lyft, our purpose is to serve and connect. We aim to achieve this by cultivating a work environment where all team members belong and have the opportunity to thrive. Flexdrive, Lyft’s wholly-owned fleet management subsidiary, is undergoing a transformational shift from traditional rideshare fleet operations to autonomous vehicle fleet ownership and operations. We are seeking an AV Program Manager to lead the cross-functional operating plan that will prepare Flexdrive to receive, staff, and operate AV fleets at scale. This role is the operational backbone of Flexdrive’s AV readiness initiative. You will own the master program timeline, coordinate cross-functional workstreams spanning infrastructure, people, fleet operations, treasury, legal, and finance, and ensure that all requirements are tracked, dependencies are surfaced, and deployment milestones are met. You will work directly with the Flexdrive CEO and a leadership team that includes heads of Operations, Fleet, Strategy, Infrastructure, FP&A, Treasury, Legal, and People. This is not a traditional program management role. The work is high-stakes and foundational. If you thrive in ambiguity, can drive structure into complex multi-workstream programs, and have a bias toward action over perfect planning, this role is for you. Why Join Us? • Opportunity to build the operational foundation for AV fleet deployments in North America and Europe • Direct partnership with the Flexdrive CEO and Lyft AV leadership on a transformational initiative • Greenfield program management role—you will design the playbook, not inherit it • High-visibility work that directly influences board-level AV strategy and investment decisions • Collaborative, mission-driven team with a bias toward action and a belief that imperfect plans executed with vigor beat perfect plans executed too late Responsibilities • Program Planning & Execution • Own and maintain the master program timeline for the Flexdrive AV Operating Readiness, integrating deliverables and dependencies across multiple workstreams: Strategic Planning, Infrastructure, People, Fleet Operations, Treasury, Finance, and Legal. • Develop and manage the program’s RAID log (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, Dependencies), ensuring cross-functional blockers are identified early and escalated with clear recommendations • Drive weekly leadership syncs, monthly deep-dive reviews, and quarterly board updates—owning the preparation, facilitation, and follow-through for each • Translate upstream decisions (partner agreements, market selections) into operational requirements, updating the readiness roadmap in real time • Cross-Functional Coordination • Serve as the connective tissue between workstream leads, ensuring that infrastructure timelines align with hiring plans, capital deployment schedules match construction milestones, and fleet operations readiness tracks to vehicle delivery dates • Partner with Infrastructure and Operations leads to align depot construction timelines with AV partner deployment schedules • Coordinate with People and Operations to ensure hiring, training, and certification programs are sequenced ahead of vehicle arrivals • Work with FP&A and Treasury to track investment spend against the capital deployment schedule and surface variance early • Stakeholder Communication & Reporting • Build and deliver clear, concise status reporting to the Flexdrive CEO, Lyft AV leadership, and the Flexdrive board • Develop market readiness scorecards that provide at-a-glance visibility into each market’s progress against deployment milestones • Create and maintain program documentation including decision logs, meeting notes, and workstream status trackers • Prepare materials for Flexdrive board meetings and Lyft leadership reviews, translating operational detail into strategic narrative • Process Design & Operational Excellence • Design and implement the program management operating model for AV readiness—this is a greenfield initiative and the cadence, tools, and processes will be built from scratch • Establish standardized frameworks for workstream reporting, investment ask formalization, and cross-functional dependency management • Identify and drive process improvements across workstreams, leveraging data to optimize timelines and resource allocation • Build repeatable playbooks for market readiness that scale Experience: • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations, Engineering, or related field; MBA or relevant advanced degree is a plus • 7+ years of experience in program management, business operations, or a similar cross-functional leadership role, ideally within high-growth tech, fleet management, logistics, or infrastructure-heavy environments • Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-workstream programs with 12–24 month timelines and significant pre-revenue or pre-launch investment requirements • Strong command of program management tools and methodologies (Gantt charts, RAID logs, dependency mapping, critical path analysis) • Excellent communication skills with proven ability to translate operational complexity into clear executive-level narratives for both internal leadership and board audiences • Experience working directly with C-level executives and cross-functional leadership teams to drive decisions and accountability • Strong analytical mindset with ability to identify risks, quantify trade-offs, and recommend courses of action with imperfect information • Preferred • Experience with infrastructure buildout programs (depot construction, facility standup, real estate development) • Background in capital intensive projects, fleet management, automotive, mobility, or autonomous vehicle operations • Experience managing programs that span domestic and international markets, particularly European market entry • Familiarity with corporate entity formation, capital structure, or financial planning processes • Experience in a subsidiary or business unit operating within a larger corporate parent Benefits: • Great medical, dental, and vision insurance options with additional programs available when enrolled • Mental health benefits • Family building benefits • Child care and pet benefits • 401(k) plan with company match to help save for your future • In addition to 12 observed holidays, salaried team members have discretionary paid time off, hourly team members have 15 days paid time off • 18 weeks of paid parental leave. Biological, adoptive, and foster parents are all eligible • Subsidized commuter benefits • Monthly Lyft credits and complimentary Lyft Pink membership Lyft is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace that fosters belonging. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or any other basis prohibited by law. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Lyft highly values having employees working in-office to foster a collaborative work environment and company culture. This role will be in-office on a hybrid schedule — Team Members will be expected to work in the office 3 days per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Lyft considers working in the office at least 3 days per week to be an essential function of this hybrid role. Your recruiter can share more information about the various in-office perks Lyft offers. Additionally, hybrid roles have the flexibility to work from anywhere for up to 4 weeks per year. #Hybrid The expected base pay range for this position in the San Francisco area is $132,000 - $165,000, not inclusive of potential equity offering, bonus or benefits. Salary ranges are dependent on a variety of factors, including qualifications, experience and geographic location. Your recruiter can share more information about the salary range specific to your working location and other factors during the hiring process.