The company

Outrider, the pioneer in autonomous yard operations for logistics hubs, helps large enterprises improve safety, increase efficiency, and optimize their workforce. The only company exclusively focused on automating all aspects of yard operations, Outrider eliminates manual tasks that are hazardous and repetitive. Outrider’s mission is to drive the rapid adoption of sustainable freight transportation by deploying zero-emission systems. Outrider is a private company backed by NEA, 8VC, and other top-tier investors.

The role

Outrider seeks a Senior Director of Strategy and Planning to be the primary initial interface with our Fortune 200 client base to create detailed strategic plans that support and inform the deployment of autonomous vehicles within the customer’s distribution facility network.

This role reports to the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and is critical to our initial client partnership phase and requires building a professional services organization that will redefine the vision of what is possible using autonomous vehicles in the supply chain. The leader of this organization will be key in identifying opportunities to improve supply chain efficiencies and safety for some of the largest enterprises that keep our economy moving every day. This individual will deeply understand our client’s needs and communicate commercial requirements to the engineering team, acting as our product team’s liaison on market fit. As a result, this leader will play a key role in helping shape the roadmap for one of the first commercially viable autonomous systems on the globe to achieve repeatable and scalable logistics automation. 

The ideal candidate for this role has successfully led strategy and planning organizations/projects for internal and external stakeholders previously either at a top consulting firm or internally at a company. Stellar candidates will have the ability and desire to work across all levels and be able to speak in sufficient depth to all levels with clients as well as internal engineering/operating teams. This individual will have a knack for inspiring confidence with our customer base, have a natural ability to guide complex, cutting edge processes forward, and a gift for stellar written communication on complicated topics. The ability to set and strictly adhere to project schedules is a must as well as communicating early and often internally and externally regarding project status, risks and martialing the internal and external resources required to deliver on customer commitments and project timelines.

Responsibilities

• Take projects from initial signed contract through strategy and planning discussions around the deployment of yard automation systems in the client’s distribution network
• Work with project managers and operators on-site at customer facilities and at the corporate and C-Suite levels
• Partner with our CCO and strategic account team on executive presentations and finalizing further phases of partnership
• Be a conduit for communication between client needs and engineering/product capabilities
• Foster strong customer relationships through deliverable management, constant communication, and deep understanding of value delivery
• Demonstrate deep domain expertise and represent Outrider’s deep bench of technical/functional expertise to clients
• Curate content, manage the creation of content by subject matter experts internally at Outrider, and draft recommendation presentations to clients

Required Qualifications

• 8-10+ years of experience leading strategy and planning either internally at a company or consulting with a top firm
• Experience working in logistics/supply chain management
• Strong ability to engage with customers to inspire confidence in yard automation and autonomy solutions
• “Builder” mentality of being comfortable rolling up the sleeves to get the work done within a rapidly expanding startup and generally a love of building something new
• Experience being the primary customer facing representative and selling strategic partnerships to executives
• BA/BS degree in supply chain management, business management, or related field

Ideal Qualifications

• MBA from a top business school
• Experience both in a consulting firm and internally at a product driven company
• Experience delivering complex autonomy solutions