Operations Readiness Program Manager

Zipline Nigeria—the world’s leading autonomous drone delivery service delivering critical medical supplies and commercial goods—is recruiting an Operations Readiness Program Manager, Nigeria based in Lagos State. This senior operational leadership role is responsible for owning country-level operational readiness across 3–6 concurrent drone launch site activations in Nigeria, defining go/no-go safety parameters, evaluating ground infrastructure/charging systems, and coordinating cross-functional engineering and regulatory teams to ensure fast, safe, and certified flight operations.

• Location: Lagos State (Requires 20–30% travel across Nigeria, higher during launch windows)

• Multi-Site Launch Ownership: Oversee end-to-end operational readiness for 3 to 6 concurrent Long Range Platform site launches from site planning through first flight and early stabilization.

• Go/No-Go Decision Gatekeeping: Define and enforce acceptance criteria for safety, staffing, training certification, ground equipment, power/charging systems, and communications; track launch metrics and stop or green-light flight launches.

• Field Verification & Testing: Conduct on-site checkouts, acceptance tests, and flight-readiness demonstrations to address launch-critical gaps prior to initial flight.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Lead decision rhythms across Recruiting, Flight Academy, Engineering, Construction, Supply Chain, Safety/Regulatory, and Country Leadership.

• Post-Launch Reviews & Continuous Improvement: Execute post-launch root-cause analyses (RCA), evaluate performance against initial targets, and convert findings into updated deployment playbooks.

• Experience: Minimum of 5+ years of experience in program management, field operations, or site deployment within technical, regulated, or aviation-adjacent environments. Direct multi-site launch experience required.

• Core Competencies: Proven track record enforcing KPIs under schedule pressure, defining go/no-go safety standards, and coordinating cross-functional engineering/construction/supply chain workflows.

• Travel & Work Intensity: Ability to work in high-intensity field conditions and travel ~20–30% across Nigeria (with higher density during site launch windows).

• Eligibility: Written and spoken English fluency; full legal authorization to work in Nigeria.