Dispatcher - Day Shift

Waabi is building generative AI for the physical world, starting with autonomous trucks. Our Texas road operations run both R&D testing and revenue freight out of our Lancaster terminal, and day shift is the core of that operation.

The Dispatcher manages the missions and systems side of daily operations. You orchestrate the assignment of crews, trucks, and trailers, monitor real-time mission execution and fleet stability, and act as the operational nerve center and first line of response, bridging road testing crews, commercial operations, customers, and developers. On day shift you run the highest mission volume we operate, with engineering, triage, mapping, and leadership on shift alongside you. You still make real-time calls, and you have the support to escalate quickly when a call needs it. This role also carries people leadership: you manage Fleet Specialists.

You will…

• Curate and assign test and commercial missions to ensure optimal fleet utilization and alignment with daily objectives, and pivot as conditions and priorities change.
• Monitor mission execution, autonomy health, and mission status across all active crews to keep testing and commercial runs on plan with minimal downtime.
• Own the comms desk: maintain your live availability status, keep the desk reachable, hand off coverage deliberately, and answer the Waabi hotline during the shift.
• Serve as the first line of response for issues and incidents, provide remote troubleshooting, and partner with the Shift Supervisor when on-the-ground presence is required. Either role may escalate a Priority or Critical event, and both are expected to.
• Hold go / no-go authority on whether a truck departs in an unhealthy state, and confirm whether crews may proceed or re-engage after errors, weather, or policy-limit conditions.
• Pause autonomy operations when an event is identified as Critical, then notify the Test Operations Lead for verification. Act first; verify after.
• Act as point of contact for Operational Design Domain and policy calls, and raise and track exemption requests for approval.
• Interface with Maps, Release Coordination, Systems and Safety, and Fleet Readiness, and collaborate with developers and triage to troubleshoot system issues and provide feedback.
• Maintain the accuracy of mission records across Jira and the Waabi App, ensure logs are offloaded and missions verified complete before end of shift, and log and categorize delays with reason codes.
• Communicate with customer facilities, site contacts, and carrier partners, and arrange service recovery for delayed or aborted missions.
• Assign and adjust missions so crews can operate within FMCSA Hours of Service limits.
• Lead, coach, and develop Fleet Specialists, including assignments and testing schedules, observation and skills assessment, performance, and final on-road trainee sign-off following review and approval by the Test Operations Lead.

Qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience in dispatch, fleet operations, mission control, or a highly technical operations center environment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead or supervise others. Direct people-management experience is preferred, as this role carries direct reports.
• Linux, scripting, coding (e.g., Python), or computer terminal experience. Ability to troubleshoot hardware and software errors.
• Strong coordination and problem-solving skills, with proven ability to manage complex real-time workflows and triage competing priorities under pressure.
• Familiarity with transportation regulations (DOT, FMCSA), particularly Hours of Service, sufficient to plan missions crews can complete compliantly.
• Experience working in a technical or testing environment. Prior autonomous vehicle experience or direct work with engineering teams is a strong plus.
• Strong technical proficiency with fleet management software, dispatch and routing tools, and telematics platforms, and the ability to learn AV troubleshooting tools quickly.
• Excellent written communication. Your written record is the primary handoff to the incoming shift, engineering, and leadership.
• Sound judgment under ambiguity and a bias for action, with the ability to make defensible decisions in the moment.
• Able and willing to work the day shift described below, including flexible start and end times, extended shifts of up to approximately 14 hours, weekends, and holidays to support a continuous operation.
• Prior experience running a comms desk or operations center on a shift-based or 24/7 rotation, or as the senior decision-maker on a shift with limited escalation support, is a strong plus.
• Direct customer or shipper communication experience in a time-critical freight environment, and familiarity with Jira, Fleetio, Motive, or comparable platforms, are a plus.
• Class A CDL or hands-on Class 8 operational experience is a plus.

Day Shift Schedule and Flexibility:

Base shift: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM CT, based at Waabi’s Lancaster, TX terminal.

Start and end times may shift. The shift may begin earlier or end later based on commercial and customer demand and when loads need to move. Day shift crews are expected to be flexible.