How to apply for Manager, Simulation Operations

About May Mobility

May Mobility builds autonomous electric vehicles using its Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology. The company is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and has provided over 500,000 autonomous rides globally since 2017. It focuses on bridging public transit gaps and reducing congestion.

About the role

This role leads and scales the team responsible for scenario creation, test execution, and quality control across May Mobility's virtual testing ecosystem. You will manage a hybrid team of full-time engineers and contractors, oversee scheduled regression suites and on-demand simulation workflows, and build simulation evaluation metrics. The work directly supports the safety and reliability of autonomous vehicle deployments.

A typical day

A typical day might involve reviewing simulation test results, meeting with engineers and contractors to prioritize scenario creation, and analyzing metrics to report to cross-functional partners. You could also coordinate with other teams to align simulation workflows with deployment needs.

Who May Mobility is looking for

• Experience managing hybrid teams of engineers and contractors in a technical operations or simulation environment.
• Background in autonomous vehicle testing, simulation operations, or related fields such as robotics or transportation.
• Skilled at defining and tracking operational metrics for regression testing and quality control.
• Comfortable delivering analysis to cross-functional partners and driving process improvements.

Tips for this application

• Highlight any experience with simulation tools, scenario creation, or regression testing in your resume.
• Quantify your team management experience, including the size and composition of hybrid teams you have led.
• Mention specific examples of how you improved simulation evaluation metrics or operational workflows.
• Research May Mobility's MPDM technology and reference it in your application to show understanding of their approach.
• Address the remote nature of the role by noting your ability to manage distributed teams effectively.

What to cover in your cover letter

Emphasize your experience leading simulation operations or similar technical teams. Describe how you have built or scaled metrics for test execution and quality control. Explain your approach to managing hybrid teams of engineers and contractors. Connect your work to May Mobility's goal of safe and accessible autonomous transit.

Research before applying

• Learn about May Mobility's Multi-Policy Decision Making (MPDM) technology and how it differs from other AV approaches.
• Review May Mobility's deployment locations and partnerships to understand their operational context.
• Look into recent news or publications about May Mobility's simulation or testing methods.
• Understand the company's founding year (2017) and its milestone of 500,000 autonomous rides.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you structure a simulation operations team to handle both scheduled regression suites and on-demand workflows?
• What metrics have you used to evaluate simulation test coverage and quality?
• Describe a time you managed a hybrid team of engineers and contractors to meet testing deadlines.
• How do you prioritize scenario creation when resources are limited?
• What experience do you have with autonomous vehicle testing or MPDM-like decision-making systems?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Do not focus only on generic management skills without connecting them to simulation or AV testing.
• Avoid ignoring the hybrid team aspect; address how you manage both engineers and contractors.
• Do not overlook the remote nature of the role; show you can lead distributed teams effectively.