Urban Mobility Program Manager [210939]

Aquent is partnering with a pioneering technology company that is revolutionising urban mobility through advanced autonomous vehicle technology. This organisation is dedicated to creating safer, more accessible, and efficient transportation solutions that seamlessly integrate into the fabric of complex urban environments. We are seeking a visionary leader to join their dynamic team and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of urban transport, directly impacting how communities experience and interact with next-generation mobility services. Are you a strategic operational leader passionate about transforming urban logistics and enhancing user experience in a fast-paced, high-growth environment? We are looking for a Program Manager to drive the operational excellence and strategic integration of an innovative autonomous vehicle service within a major metropolitan area. This is an incredible opportunity to leverage your expertise in fleet management, urban planning, and stakeholder engagement to optimise service delivery, navigate complex regulatory landscapes, and ensure a seamless, safe, and efficient experience for all users. This is a 6-month contract based in London, offering £54.81 per hour (PAYE) – 40hrs/week). Shortlisted candidates will be contacted ASAP. Due to the high volume of applications, we may be unable to respond to each applicant individually.

Key Responsibilities

• Enhance Rider Experience & Multimodal Integration: Monitor, mitigate, and proactively respond to service quality issues.
• Strategic Fleet Pre-positioning & Congestion Management: Utilise internal systems and forecasting tools to strategically oversee fleet staging, ensuring vehicles are optimally positioned to meet real-time rider demand and minimise wait times across diverse urban territories.
• Optimize Pickup & Drop-off (PUDO) Performance: Own the end-to-end PUDO experience. Analyse performance data to eliminate friction points at complex curbsides, ensuring strict compliance with local traffic management protocols, dedicated lanes, and jurisdictional parking restrictions.
• High-Traffic Event Operational Leadership: Lead operational planning for high-profile city-wide events (e.g., major sporting events, concerts at iconic venues), developing specialised staging and pickup-drop-off strategies that respect local regulatory requirements.
• Cross-Functional & Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with internal teams (Product, Public Affairs, Mapping) to translate the physical reality of diverse urban areas into robust technical product capabilities.
• Community Integration & Risk Mitigation: Collaborate with Marketing and Public Affairs to build trusted relationships with municipal transport authorities, local emergency services, and community groups, proactively de-risking operational friction and fostering positive community impact.

Must-Have Qualifications

• Experience: Bachelor’s degree plus experience in operations management, urban planning, consulting, or logistics, with a focus on demand-side optimisation or fleet management.
• Urban Complexity: Proven track record of managing operations across highly regulated, high-density urban environments or European metropolitan markets.
• Stakeholder Navigation: Exceptional ability to negotiate, consult, and build consensus with rigid regulatory frameworks, key municipal transport authorities, or local council stakeholders.
• Analytical Proficiency: Strong ability to leverage data visualisation tools and data signals to drive localised operational outcomes.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the clarity required to bridge technical engineering capabilities with public-sector requirements.
• Safety-First, Local-First Philosophy: A steadfast commitment to safety-centric fleet orchestration that prioritises the unique safety profiles of local road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and traditional transport services.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Ability to work effectively across diverse urban communities and demonstrate an understanding of local community values and expectations.

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Local Market Expertise: Deep understanding of a specific major metropolitan market’s transit ecosystem, traffic management acts, and micro-mobility trends.
• Industry Background: Experience in Ride-sharing, Autonomous Vehicles (AV), or high-growth TNC/logistics industries operating within major metropolitan markets.
• Urban Diplomacy & Public Policy: Background in urban design, transit planning, or public affairs with a focus on mitigating community impact in historic or space-constrained cities.
• Large-Scale Event Logistics: Proven ability to manage high-stakes transport logistics for major city-wide events or high-capacity venues.
• Data Analytics Mastery: Advanced proficiency in SQL and spatial data analysis to monitor market health and map complex demand patterns.

Client Description

Our Client is a multinational technology company, specialising in Internet-related services and products; including online advertising technologies, search engine, cloud computing, software, and hardware. The atmosphere is relaxed with a diverse and innovative culture. Opportunities for growth and progression and networking with like-minded people across the business and beyond. Aquent is dedicated to improving inclusivity & is proudly an equal opportunities employer. We encourage applications from under-represented groups & are committed to providing support to applicants with disabilities. We aim to provide reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, to those with a medical condition, disability or neurodivergence.