Senior Manager of Data Science, Aurora
Risk & Safety
$212-340k
+ Annual bonus + Equity
Self-driving technology company
Job no longer available
Self-driving technology company
1001+ employees
Job no longer available
$212-340k
+ Annual bonus + Equity
1001+ employees
Company mission
To deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly.
Role
Who you are
- If you thrive on complex, cross-functional projects and are passionate about using data to solve the most challenging problems in transportation, joining Aurora Data Solutions is the perfect opportunity
- A minimum of 10+ years of experience in data science, analytics, or a related field, with at least 5 years in a leadership or management role
- Demonstrated success in building, leading, and managing high-performing data science teams
- Proven ability to develop and execute a data strategy that delivers measurable business impact
- Deep technical understanding of statistical analysis, machine learning, and data modeling, and a track record of applying these skills to complex, real-world problems
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and build strong relationships with cross-functional partners and senior leadership
Desirable
- Deep domain expertise in the autonomous vehicle industry, with a focus on safety standards, regulatory frameworks, and OEM partnerships
- Proven track record of building and managing data teams that directly support safety-critical product development and regulatory compliance
- Strong understanding of safety engineering principles (e.g., risk assessment, hazard analysis) and experience applying data science to validate safety claims and improve system reliability
- Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in Statistics, Computer Science, Operations Research, Economics, or a related quantitative field
- Experience working with data transformation tools such as DBT
- Experience working on ETL pipelines and leveraging big data engines
- Experience using Amazon Web Services (AWS) tools
- Experience in the Autonomous Vehicle, Robotics, or Advanced Transportation spaces
What the job involves
- On the Risk & Safety Data Science sub-team of Aurora Data Solutions (ADS), you'll join a world-class group of data scientists, analysts, and engineers whose mission is to generate insights and intelligence that will help us safely and broadly commercialize autonomous vehicle technology
- We leverage vast amounts of on-road and simulated data to accelerate the development of the Aurora Driver, identifying key drivers of risk and informing critical decisions about our safety case. This is an opportunity to work at the intersection of cutting-edge data science and hardware/software development
- As part of a consolidated data team, you will collaborate with diverse stakeholders across engineering, operations, and product, all while championing data best practices to accelerate our "data to insights" process
- As the Senior Manager of Data Science for the Risk & Safety sub-team, you will be a strategic leader, people manager, and technical visionary
- You will be responsible for defining the team's roadmap, ensuring our work is directly aligned with the company's safety and commercialization goals
- You'll lead a team of high-performing data scientists and analysts, fostering a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and impact
- Define and execute the data science strategy for the Risk & Safety sub-team, ensuring alignment with the broader Aurora Data Solutions charter and company objectives
- Lead, mentor, and grow a team of data scientists and analysts, helping them develop their skills, define career paths, and deliver high-impact work
- Serve as a primary liaison with key stakeholders across the Safety, Hardware, and Software engineering organizations to identify needs and prioritize data science initiatives
- Oversee the development of core safety models, metrics, and analyses, ensuring technical rigor and relevance to our safety case and product development
- Manage the team's project portfolio, balancing immediate business needs with long-term strategic investments
- Act as a leader in the broader Aurora Data Solutions team, championing data governance, tooling strategy, and analytics best practices
- Communicate the team’s mission and successes to senior leadership, demonstrating the value of data science in achieving our safety and commercialization goals
Our take
In spite of emerging from stealth mode in 2018, Aurora is making strong waves in the flurry of startups racing to develop fully autonomous vehicles. Aurora’s hardware and software developments have focused historically on self-driving trucks, which it expects to launch commercially in 2024.
It recently named Ossa Fisher as its new President, who will focus on scaling operations ahead of this commercial launch. Passenger cars and associated services are expected to roll out following this launch. However, the self-driving industry is riddled with unmet deadlines, cash shortfalls, and tough technological challenges.
To remain competitive with deep-pocket industry giants like Tesla and Google’s Waymo, the company continues to land substantial backing from the likes of Sequoia Capital, accelerating its post-IPO growth. The pedigree of its founders may well continue to win over investor confidence. It boasts leading prior positions in the self-driving divisions of Tesla, Uber, and Google.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
8% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 3 rounds)
Dec 2020
$400m
GROWTH EQUITY VC
Feb 2019
$600m
SERIES B
Total funding: $1.1bn
Company benefits
- Choice of regional HMO options, PPO options, and high deductible plans, with the option to contribute to a health savings account (HSA). If you choose a high deductible health plan, Aurora will make employer contributions to your HSA
- Comprehensive dental coverage and access to a nationwide provider network
- Coverage for vision exams, glasses, contacts, discounts for LASIK, and other vision services through a nationwide provider network
- In-office lunches, snacks, and drinks available
- GymPass offers on-demand virtual classes (fitness, yoga, strength, and more), well-being coaching, and budget management. Discount on nationwide gym memberships
- Headspace offers access to guided sessions that focus on everything from stress to relationships, anxiety, and sleep
- SoFi. Refinance your home, student and personal loans
- Fetch offers discounts on pet insurance
- PerkSpot offers discounts on vacations, car rentals, and entertainment
- Access support services to help with your family planning journey including fertility care, adoption, and surrogacy. Reimbursement of $20,000 lifetime benefit
- Save for your future with Aurora’s 401(k) Plan. Pre-tax and Roth contribution options are available
- 24/7 access to online resources and unlimited phone consultations for stress, grief counseling, depression, and relationship conflicts (personal and professional), and limited in-person sessions
- Set aside pre-tax money to pay for qualified transit and commuter benefits
- Cigna travel accident insurance provided for business travel
- LinkedIn Learning is an e-learning resource to support professional development. Aurora Academy is an internal learning and development program designed to up-level our team by teaching skills that are essential to Aurora’s mission
- Modern Health is a mental wellness benefit that includes 14 sessions with a certified coach and 12 sessions with a therapist, if needed. Unlimited access to live provider- lead community circles, digital mediation, and more
- Flexible/reasonable vacation for salaried employees; accrual of 20 vacation days per year for non-exempt employees, 11 paid company holidays per year, and reasonable sick time to stay home, rest, and get better
- Network of employee-led groups that represent Aurorans, organized by cultural identity or collaborative purpose
- Aurora provides all new parents and caregivers 18 weeks of coordinated pay and time off for the birth or placement of a child. Up to 4 weeks of paid medical leave for your own personal illness or injury, or to care for a sick family member
- Set aside pre-tax money to pay for healthcare and dependent daycare expenses using FSA plans
- Company-paid premiums for life insurance (2x salary up to $500,000). Voluntary life & AD&D coverage for you and your dependents is available. Short-term disability benefits are 60% weekly benefit up to a max of $2,500 after a short waiting period. Long-term disability benefits are 60% of monthly salary to $10,000 after a waiting period. Option to enroll in voluntary life/AD&D insurance
- 24/7 access to Unum’s worldwide emergency travel assistance services for personal travel
Company HQ
Mountain View, CA
Leadership
Chris Urmson
(CEO)They have a PhD in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon, and worked as a robotics research scientist at SAIC. They were CTO of Self-Driving Cars at Google.
Sterling Anderson
(CPO)They received a PhD in Robotics from MIT before co-founding Gimlet Systems. They were an Engagement Manager at McKinsey and Director of Autopilot Programs at Tesla.
Drew Bagnell
(Chief Scientist)They hold a Robotics PhD from Carnegie Mellon, where they are also an Associate Professor. They were Autonomy Architect and Perception Lead at Uber Advanced Technology Center. Held the position of CTO at Aurora for over 3 years.
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