About the Role:As Market Manager, you own Detroit end to end: you launch it, you run it, and you grow it.
Before go-live that means securing the physical footprint, building the local vendor bench, getting the first vehicles road-ready, activating the first cohort of drivers, and hiring the operations team you'll lead. After go-live it means owning day-to-day operations, the market's financial performance, and the plan that takes Detroit from a first cohort of drivers to a fully scaled market.
This is an operating job, not a planning one. You'll be in the lot, in the data, and in the details. Detroit will launch non-autonomous; autonomous operations are a possibility as the market matures, not part of the role at launch.
We're looking for someone who has done this before - who has opened something that didn't exist and carried it through its messy first months - and who wants to do it again with real ownership and real support behind them.
What You'll Own:Launching the Market:- Secure and outfit Detroit's operating footprint - facility and lot space, equipment, and on-site workflows
- Build the local vendor bench: maintenance and repair partners, cleaning, towing, and fueling or charging
- Partner with central teams on the licensing, registration, and regulatory requirements needed to operate in Michigan
- Get the first vehicles delivered, registered, inspected, and road-ready
- Recruit, onboard, and activate Detroit's first cohort of drivers, then convert that into a repeatable supply process
- Hire, onboard, and train the local operations team you'll lead
- Document what works, so Detroit's launch makes the next market's faster
Running & Growing the Market:- Own day-to-day fleet operations: driver scheduling across 24-hour shift coverage, dispatch, vehicle availability, and performance monitoring
- Own the maintenance and repair program, keeping utilization high and downtime low
- Partner with the Growth team on driver recruiting, onboarding, and retention as supply scales
- Support and train drivers on safety, platform best practices, and rider experience
- Manage, coach, and develop the local operations team, adding headcount as volume grows
- Grow the market: scale driver supply and fleet size, expand shift coverage and service area, and identify where the next increment of demand comes from
- Build the market's growth plan and make the case for the investment it needs
Owning the Numbers:- Own Detroit's operating and financial metrics - utilization, revenue and cost per vehicle, driver retention, and contribution margin
- Analyze market performance to find profitability and efficiency gaps, then close them
- Build and manage the market's operating budget and report performance to company leadership on a regular cadence
- Set and track the KPIs that carry Detroit from launch through scale
Safety & Compliance:- Ensure compliance with Michigan and City of Detroit requirements, applicable safety standards, and 8Fleet policy
- Run regular safety audits and drive corrective action
- Surface operational and regulatory risk early, with a recommendation attached
What You'll Bring:- 4+ years in operations management, business consulting, or a comparable operating role, including ownership of business goals and the processes behind them
- 2+ years managing people directly, including hiring, coaching, and developing your own team
- Direct experience opening something that didn't previously exist - a new market, site, facility, branch, region, or line of business - and running it through its first operating months
- A track record of deciding and moving with incomplete information
- Genuine comfort with data: you build the analysis yourself, draw the insight, and act on it
- Strong communication across a wide range of audiences - drivers, hourly teams, vendors, city officials, and company leadership
- BA/BS or equivalent practical operating experience
- Based in Detroit, or willing to relocate ahead of launch. This role is on-site in market.
- Willingness to work the hours a 24-hour operation demands, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends, particularly through launch
- Valid driver's license and a clean driving record
Nice to Have:- Experience in rideshare, last-mile delivery, car rental, vehicle leasing, or another vehicle-heavy operation
- Experience operating on or alongside Uber, Lyft, or similar platforms
- Founder or early-employee experience
- Familiarity with the Detroit metro market - its vendor landscape, labor market, and geography
Compensation:Base salary range: $120,000-$130,000
This role is also eligible for an annual performance bonus and a stock option grant.
Disclaimer:This job description describes the general nature of the role and is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, or requirements. It may be updated at any time.
