How to apply for Strategy & Operations Lead, Citymapper

About Via Transporation

Via Transportation is revolutionizing urban mobility by providing cutting-edge software that powers efficient, sustainable, and equitable transit systems globally. With Citymapper, they are extending their impact to millions of daily users, offering a unique opportunity to work on products that truly shape how cities move. The company's culture emphasizes data-driven decision-making and cross-functional collaboration, making it a great fit for those passionate about using technology for social good.

About the role

As the Strategy & Operations Lead for Citymapper, you will own the data strategy and quality for your region, ensuring millions of users have a reliable experience across web and mobile. You'll lead a team of Data Analysts, partner with product and engineering to drive user growth and operational excellence, and build scalable systems that support a rapidly growing product. This role is high-impact, blending strategic oversight with hands-on data work.

A typical day

You start your day reviewing data quality dashboards with your team, identifying any anomalies in Citymapper's transit feeds. Mid-morning, you meet with product managers to align on upcoming features and data needs. After lunch, you dive into a Python script to automate a manual data validation process, then wrap up by mentoring a junior analyst on a complex SQL query.

Who Via Transporation is looking for

• A data-savvy operator with 4+ years of experience in operational or technical roles, ideally in a fast-paced tech or transit environment.
• Someone who thrives on managing multiple priorities and leading teams to deliver high-quality data insights under tight deadlines.
• A clear communicator who can bridge the gap between technical teams (engineering, data) and business stakeholders (product, operations).
• Comfortable with data tools and languages (e.g., SQL, Python) and excited to work with transit data formats like GTFS.

Tips for this application

• Highlight specific examples of leading a data team and improving data quality or processes—quantify impact where possible.
• Showcase your experience with cross-functional collaboration, especially with product and engineering teams, using concrete project examples.
• If you have any experience with transit data (e.g., GTFS, real-time transit APIs), mention it prominently even if it's from a side project.
• Tailor your resume to emphasize project management skills and ability to juggle multiple priorities, using bullet points that mirror the job description.
• Mention any experience with automation or building scalable data systems, as this is a key responsibility.

What to cover in your cover letter

["Your passion for improving urban mobility and how your skills can directly contribute to Citymapper's mission of making cities more navigable.", 'Specific examples of leading data strategy and quality improvements, with measurable outcomes (e.g., reduced data errors, improved user satisfaction).', 'Your ability to partner with product and engineering teams to drive user growth, citing a past cross-functional project.', 'Your technical comfort with data and tools (Python, SQL) and eagerness to learn transit-specific data formats.']

Research before applying

• Explore Citymapper's current features and recent updates to understand their product focus and user pain points.
• Read about Via's partnerships with cities and transit agencies to grasp the scale and impact of their work.
• Familiarize yourself with GTFS (General Transit Feed Specification) and its role in transit data standardization.
• Look into Via's blog or press releases to understand their company culture and recent achievements.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you approach improving data quality for a product used by millions? Walk through a specific framework.
• Describe a time you led a team of analysts through a complex project with competing priorities. How did you ensure success?
• How would you partner with product managers to align data strategy with product roadmap? Give an example from your experience.
• Tell me about a time you automated a manual data workflow. What tools did you use, and what was the impact?
• What experience do you have with transit data (e.g., GTFS)? How would you ensure data accuracy across multiple transit agencies?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Submitting a generic application that doesn't reference Citymapper or the specific responsibilities of this role (e.g., data strategy, team leadership).
• Overemphasizing pure engineering skills without demonstrating operational impact or cross-functional collaboration.
• Failing to show enthusiasm for transit or urban mobility—this is a mission-driven role, and passion matters.