Mission Control Specialist

Mission Summary:

The Mission Control Specialist supports real-time autonomous vehicle (AV) operations by monitoring fleet activity, coordinating operational workflows, and assisting with non-nominal event response across live driverless operations. Reporting to the Mission Control Manager, this role serves as a frontline operational support function responsible for maintaining situational awareness, escalating operational concerns, and supporting safe, efficient fleet performance. This position plays a critical role in day-to-day command center execution by monitoring operational systems, coordinating field support requests, documenting incidents, and facilitating communication between operational teams. Success in this role requires strong attention to detail, calm communication, operational discipline, and the ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced environment with evolving priorities.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Real-Time Fleet Monitoring & Operational Support:

• Monitor live fleet dashboards, telemetry, and operational systems to identify anomalies, service impacts, or degraded vehicle states.
• Escalate operational concerns, safety risks, and non-nominal events to Mission Control leadership following established procedures.
• Support real-time operational coordination activities to maintain fleet continuity and service reliability.

Operational Design Domain (ODD) Support:

• Monitor environmental and operational conditions including weather, road closures, construction, and major events impacting service.
• Execute approved operational changes including PuDo restrictions, routing updates, and map-related workflows.
• Document and escalate recurring operational or mapping issues impacting fleet performance.

Incident & Non-Nominal Event Support:

• Assist with triage, tracking, and coordination of non-nominal vehicle events and operational disruptions.
• Maintain accurate incident documentation, communication logs, and escalation records during active events.
• Coordinate with field teams, towing providers, or internal stakeholders under direction from Mission Control leadership.

Field Support & Dispatch Coordination:

• Dispatch field support resources, including On-Road Response Specialists (ORS) and third-party providers, based on established workflows.
• Track response times, support ticket status, and field activity updates.
• Support operational readiness activities tied to launches, expansions, and special events.

First Responder & External Agency Coordination Support:

• Support communication and coordination efforts with first responders and external agencies during operational events.
• Maintain professional communication during field interactions and incident coordination activities.
• Assist with scheduling, logistics, and preparation for first responder engagement activities or training sessions.

Map & Operational Readiness Support:

• Review operational readiness checklists and support validation of map restrictions and fleet availability.
• Assist with daily operational startup and readiness verification activities.
• Escalate identified routing, mapping, or operational discrepancies to leadership teams.

Training & Documentation Support:

• Support development and maintenance of operational procedures, quick-reference guides, and training documentation.
• Assist with tabletop exercises, operational drills, and readiness activities.
• Ensure operational logs, trackers, and incident documentation remain current and accurate.

Cross-Functional Coordination:

• Facilitate communication between Mission Control, Remote Vehicle Assistance (RVA), Fleet Operations, Safety, and Engineering teams during live operations.
• Provide timely operational updates and status reporting during ongoing incidents or service impacts.
• Support structured handoffs and shift transition communication between operational teams.

Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence:

• Identify recurring operational issues and escalate trends to leadership for review.
• Support process improvement initiatives, operational reporting, and workflow optimization efforts.
• Contribute feedback to improve operational procedures, tooling, and command center efficiency.

What We’re Looking For:

• Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in Operations, Logistics, Emergency Management, Public Safety, Transportation, Business, or related field; or equivalent practical experience.
• 1–4+ years of experience in operations support, dispatch, logistics coordination, command center operations, customer operations, fleet operations, emergency communications, or related environments.
• Ability to remain calm and organized in fast-paced or high-pressure operational environments.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to follow structured operational processes and escalation procedures.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to monitor multiple operational systems and prioritize tasks in real time.
• Experience working with dashboards, operational tools, ticketing systems, or live monitoring platforms.
• Ability to work collaboratively across multiple operational teams.
• Ability to work flexible schedules, including nights, weekends, and holidays.

Bonus Points (not required):

• Experience supporting autonomous vehicle operations, mobility platforms, or transportation operations.
• Familiarity with dispatch coordination, incident tracking, or field support operations.
• Exposure to emergency response, public safety coordination, or command center environments.
• Experience with mapping tools, geospatial systems, or routing platforms.
• Interest in operational process improvement, technology, or automation. 

Physical Demands & Working Environment:

• Primarily office and command-center-based environment with occasional field coordination activities.
• Ability to remain stationary for extended periods while monitoring operational systems and dashboards.
• Operate standard office equipment and computer-based operational tools.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

#LI-CH1

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors including but not limited to specific skills, experience and expertise, role location, certifications, licenses, and business needs. The estimated compensation range listed in this job posting reflects base salary only. This role may include additional forms of compensation such as a bonus or company equity. The recruiter assigned to this role can share more information about the specific compensation and benefit details associated with this role during the hiring process. 

Candidates for certain positions are eligible to participate in Motional’s benefits program. Motional’s benefits include but are not limited to medical, dental, vision, 401k with a company match, health saving accounts, life insurance, pet insurance, and more.

Salary Range

$67,000—$72,000 USD

Motional is a driverless technology company making autonomous vehicles a safe, reliable, and accessible reality. We’re driven by something more.

Our journey is always people first.

We aren't just developing driverless cars; we're creating safer roadways, more equitable transportation options, and making our communities better places to live, work, and connect. Our team is made up of engineers, researchers, innovators, dreamers and doers, who are creating a technology with the potential to transform the way we move.

Higher purpose, greater impact.

We’re creating first-of-its-kind technology that will transform transportation. To do so successfully, we must design for everyone in our cities and on our roads. We believe in building a great place to work through a progressive, global culture that is diverse, inclusive, and ensures people feel valued at every level of the organization. Diversity helps us to see the world differently; it’s not only good for our business, it’s the right thing to do.  

Scale up, not starting up.

Our team is behind some of the industry's largest leaps forward, including the first fully-autonomous cross-country drive in the U.S, the launch of the world's first robotaxi pilot, and operation of the world's longest-standing public robotaxi fleet. We’re driven to scale; we’re moving towards commercialization of our technology, and we need team members who are ready to embrace change and challenges.

Formed as a joint venture between Hyundai Motor Group and Aptiv, Motional is fundamentally changing how people move through their lives. Headquartered in Boston, Motional has operations in the U.S and Asia. For more information, visit  www.Motional.com and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Motional AD Inc. is an EOE. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To comply with Federal Law, we participate in E-Verify. All newly-hired employees are queried through this electronic system established by the DHS and the SSA to verify their identity and employment eligibility.