What are the responsibilities and job description for the Head of Safety, Robot Operations position at DoorDash USA?
About DoorDash Labs
DoorDash Labs is an independent robotics and automation team within DoorDash, focused on transforming last-mile logistics at scale. Our work reaches millions of people — and we're building the operational foundation to make that possible safely.
The Role
As the Head of Safety, Robot Operations, you will lead the safety vision for one of the world's most advanced autonomous delivery operations. You will continue to build on world-class safety culture across our fleet, depots, field operations—ensuring that safety is embedded into each process robot deployment, service management, under the roof and out on road operations.
This is a strategic leadership role responsible for operating mechanisms, governance, audits, standards, and continuous improvement systems that enable safe, scalable, and compliant autonomous robot operations. You will partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Product, Hardware, Reliability, and Legal to proactively identify risks, prevent incidents, and continuously raise the safety bar as we scale.
What You'll Do
Culture: Safety is the foundational pillar of our operations. You will continue to sharpen the strong safety-first culture where every operator is empowered and accountable for safe operations.
Strategic Roadmap: Define and execute the long-term safety strategy for Dot Operations. Develop safety management systems, policies, standards, SOPs, and governance mechanisms. Partner with Engineering and Product teams to identify operational safety risks and influence safer robot, hardware, and software designs. Engage with regulators, represent DoorDash externally.
Day to Day Execution: Lead incident investigations, root cause analyses, corrective actions, and lessons-learned programs to eliminate repeat events. Develop leading safety metrics, dashboards, KPIs, and own executive reporting mechanisms. Lead emergency response, crisis management, and business continuity preparedness.
Compliance: Strengthen comprehensive audit programs to evaluate operational safety, process compliance, and facility readiness. Own operational risk assessments for new products, launches, depots, and markets. Develop and execute simulated SEV0 incident exercises to validate response playbooks, decision-making, communication protocols, escalation paths, and recovery mechanisms.
Team: Build and mentor a high-performing safety organization capable of supporting rapid global scale. Stregthene training and certification programs for operators, technicians, and frontline leaders. Drive continuous improvement initiatives that improve both safety performance and operational efficiency.
What We're Looking For
Required
- 12 years of experience leading safety programs within technology harnessed operations like logistics, robotics, automotive, autonomous systems, aviation, warehouse or other high-reliability environments.
- Proven experience building enterprise-scale safety management systems from the ground up.
- Strong understanding of operational risk management, hazard identification, incident investigation, and preventive controls.
- Experience leading safety audits, compliance reviews, and operational governance programs.
- Demonstrated ability to influence senior executives and cross-functional engineering and operations organizations.
- Strong analytical mindset with experience using data to identify trends, predict risk, and improve safety outcomes.
- Excellent communication and leadership skills with the ability to build trust across all organizational levels.
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Safety, Industrial Engineering, Operations, or a related technical discipline.
- Thrive in a high speed, ambiguous, dusty, technology environment.
Preferred
- Experience in autonomous vehicles, robotics, industrial automation, or advanced mobility.
- Professional certifications such as CSP, CIH, CHST, Six Sigma, or equivalent.
- Experience implementing ISO-based safety management systems (e.g., ISO 45001) or comparable operational excellence frameworks.
- Experience scaling safety programs across multiple sites or international operations.
- Familiarity with human factors engineering, safety-by-design principles, and high-reliability organization (HRO) practices.
- Master's degree in Engineering, Safety, Operations, or Business.
About DoorDash
At DoorDash, our mission to empower local economies shapes how our team members move quickly, learn, and reiterate in order to make impactful decisions that display empathy for our range of users—from Dashers to merchant partners to consumers. We are a technology and logistics company that started by enabling door-to-door delivery, and we are looking for team members who can help us go from a company that is known as the place you order food to a company that people turn to for any and all goods.
DoorDash is growing rapidly and changing constantly, which gives our team members the opportunity to share their unique perspectives, solve new challenges, and own their careers. We're 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're committed to growing and empowering a more inclusive community within our company, industry, and cities. That's why 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. Above and beyond discrimination and harassment based on "protected categories," 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. We value a diverse workforce – people who identify as women, non-binary or gender non-conforming, LGBTQIA , American Indian or Native Alaskan, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, differently-abled, caretakers and parents, and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. Thank you to the Level Playing Field Institute for this statement of non-discrimination.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and any other state or local hiring regulations, we will consider for employment any qualified applicant, including those with arrest and conviction records, in a manner consistent with the applicable regulation.
If you need any accommodations, please inform your recruiting contact upon initial connection.
Notice to Applicants for Jobs Located in NYC or Remote Jobs Associated With Office in NYC Only
We used Covey as part of our hiring and/or promotional process for jobs in NYC and certain features may qualify it as an AEDT in NYC. As part of the hiring and/or promotion process, we provided Covey with job requirements and candidate submitted applications. We began using Covey Scout for Inbound from August 21, 2023, through December 21, 2023. We resumed using Covey Scout for Inbound again on June 29, 2024, and ceased using Covey Scout for Inbound on April 30, 2026.
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Benefits:
Health Insurance, Reduced or Flexible Hours, Vacation & Paid Time OffSalary : $155,800 - $229,100