Manager, Simulation Operations

The company is transforming cities through autonomous technology to create a safer, greener, more accessible world. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, May develops and deploys autonomous vehicles (AVs) powered by our innovative Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology that literally reimagines the way AVs think.

Our vehicles do more than just drive themselves - they provide value to communities, bridge public transit gaps and move people where they need to go safely, easily and with a lot more fun. We’re building the world’s best autonomy system to reimagine transit by minimizing congestion, expanding access and encouraging better land use in order to foster more green, vibrant and livable spaces. Since our founding in 2017, we’ve given more than 500,000 autonomous rides to real people around the globe. And we’re just getting started. We’re hiring people who share our passion for building the future, today, solving real-world problems and seeing the impact of their work. Join us.

Job Summary

As Manager of Simulation Operations, you will lead and scale the team responsible for scenario creation, test execution, and quality control across the company’s virtual testing ecosystem. You will oversee a hybrid team of full-time engineers and contractors, driving operational excellence across scheduled regression suites and on-demand simulation workflows. In this role, you will build robust simulation evaluation metrics, deliver actionable analysis to cross-functional partners, and continuously elevate operational velocity by leveraging modern AI tools and automated workflows.

Essential Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end simulation operations, managing multi-cadence test suites (daily, release validation, ad-hoc) to ensure all planned and on-demand requests are delivered on time with high quality.

• Oversee the intake, generation, tagging, and maintenance of simulation scenarios based on requirements from autonomy, safety, and product teams.

• Enforce rigorous QA standards over simulation inputs, platforms, and output results; design, track, and elevate unified evaluation metrics to measure simulation fidelity and software stability.

• Synthesize raw simulation outputs into concise analytical summaries, identifying software regressions, system trends, and edge-case behavior for autonomy leadership and cross-functional teams.

• Proactively identify and integrate AI tools, automated prompt/script generators, and LLM-assisted workflows to accelerate scenario generation, bug triage, and reporting

Skills and Abilities

Success in this role typically requires the following competencies

• Proven capability to lead technical operations, software QA, or data pipeline teams under strict delivery timelines.

• Hands-on experience directing hybrid teams (FTEs + vendors/contractors), managing SLAs, and building onboarding curriculum.

• Strong ability to analyze complex simulation data, construct key performance indicators (KPIs), and distill technical findings into actionable summaries.

• Familiarity with simulation execution loops, scenario editors, or software-in-the-loop (SiL) testing workflows.

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates most successful in this role typically hold the following qualifications or comparable knowledge or experience:

Required Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science, Engineering, Operations Research, Data Analytics, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).

• 5+ years of experience in technical operations, software QA/testing management, or data operations.

• 2+ years of direct people management experience overseeing full-time engineers and contingent/contractor workforces.

• Proven track record establishing operational metrics, quality assurance frameworks, and executive reporting cadences.

• Demonstrated experience utilizing modern AI tools to expedite team workflows and eliminate manual operational bottlenecks.

Desirable Qualifications

• Direct experience in Autonomous Vehicles, Robotics, Aerospace, or Gaming simulation environments.

• Experience managing vendor SOWs, SLA tracking, and contractor scaling strategy.

• Familiarity with scenario description formats (e.g., OpenSCENARIO) or synthetic data generation pipelines.

Physical Requirements

• Standard office working conditions which includes but not limited to:

• Prolonged sitting

• Prolonged standing

• Prolonged computer use

• Travel Required?   Moderate: 11%-25%

Benefits and Perks

• Comprehensive healthcare suite including medical, dental, vision, life, and disability plans. Domestic partners who have been residing together at least one year are also eligible to participate.

• Health Savings and Flexible Spending Healthcare and Dependent Care Accounts available.

• Rich retirement benefits, including an immediately vested employer safe harbor match.

• Generous paid parental leave as well as a phased return to work.

• Flexible vacation policy in addition to paid company holidays.

• Total Wellness Program providing numerous resources for overall wellbeing

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and/or people of color are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every qualification. At the company, we’re committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workforce, so if you’re excited about this role but your previous experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway! You may be the perfect candidate for this or another role at the company.

Want to learn more about our culture & benefits? Check out our  website !

The company is an equal opportunity employer.  All applicants for employment will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, genetics or any other legally protected basis.   Below, you have the opportunity to share your preferred gender pronouns, gender, ethnicity, and veteran status with the company to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring and recruitment processes. Completion of these questions is entirely voluntary.  Any information you choose to provide will be kept confidential, and will not impact the hiring decision in any way. If you believe that you will need any type of accommodation, please let us know.

Note to Recruitment Agencies:  the company does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Furthermore, the company does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by any agency other than its approved partners.

Salary Range

$182,000 — $263,000 USD

The company uses automated tools to support — but not replace — human judgment in our recruiting process, to find out more please click  here