Director of Business Planning and Central Operations

Company Mission

At Lyft, our core mission is to serve and connect communities by fostering an inclusive workplace where every team member belongs and can flourish.

About Customer Care Operations

Part of the Safety & Customer Care division, the Customer Care Operations team manages over 1.7 million customer engagements each month. This team acts as Lyft's primary interface with riders, drivers, and business partners, supporting frontline customer service for various segments, managing a global BPO workforce, and ensuring operational scale and efficiency.

Role Overview

This newly created Director role is pivotal in shaping how Customer Care operates and grows. The position ensures appropriate resource allocation and future-ready positioning. Reporting to the Senior Director, the individual will oversee five core functions: Planning & Forecasting, Workforce Management, Readiness & Integration, Vendor Management, and Support Excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with senior leadership to translate annual goals into executable operational plans, investment strategies, and resourcing models.
• Lead investment processes by sizing opportunities, analyzing trade-offs, and developing strong business cases to secure funding for strategic initiatives.
• Manage capacity planning, scenario analysis, and long-term forecasting to scale workforce effectively amid platform expansion and AI integration.
• Establish and operationalize OKRs, develop scorecards, business reviews, and dashboards to monitor accountability and provide leadership transparency.
• Lead operational preparedness for product rollouts, partnerships, and platform expansions with comprehensive support from planning to post-launch phases.
• Manage integration frameworks for new business ventures and strategic alliances, including ventures into autonomous vehicles and external mobility platforms.
• Bridge cross-department collaboration among Customer Care, Product, Engineering, Legal, and Communications for initiatives impacting customer support.
• Oversee financial operations alongside Finance and Workforce teams to maintain cost discipline, evaluate impacts of technological shifts, and invest in quality improvements.
• Manage end-to-end BPO vendor relationships, ensuring governance, performance evaluation, SLA compliance, issue resolution, and contract management in coordination with Procurement.
• Lead, develop, and retain a high-performing team while clarifying ownership across finance, operations, and technology intersections impacting customer experience and cost structure.

Candidate Profile

• Over 10 years' experience in business strategy, operations, consulting, or investment banking, with at least 5 years in senior leadership roles managing complex operations or strategy functions.
• Robust financial and analytical expertise, adept at capacity modeling, business case stress testing, and delivering concise strategic narratives.
• Proven track record leading large-scale growth projects, integrations, or partnerships, preferably within marketplaces or platform businesses.
• Fluency in AI technologies affecting operations, with the ability to confidently guide teams through transformation.
• Strong cross-functional collaborator with an ability to foster trust and alignment among Finance, Product, Technology, and Operations teams in complex matrices.
• Decisive communicator capable of making informed business decisions promptly and adapting as new information becomes available.
• Experience in customer support or contact center operations is advantageous but not mandatory.
• Preferred MBA or equivalent advanced degree with a quantitative emphasis.

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans with additional support programs.
• Mental health resources available to employees.
• Support for family building, child care, and even pet-related benefits.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Paid holidays plus discretionary time off for salaried employees; 15 days paid time off for hourly employees.
• 18 weeks paid parental leave inclusive of biological, adoptive, and foster parents.
• Subsidized commuting benefits.
• Access to Lyft Pink, an exclusive testing program of Lyft’s Ridership Benefits for employees.

Work Environment and Location

This position is based in New York, NY, operating on a hybrid schedule. Employees are expected to work onsite three days per week—Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday—with flexibility to work remotely up to four weeks annually. Onsite collaboration is considered critical to maintain team culture.

Compensation

The expected base salary range for this role in the New York metropolitan area is $192,000 to $240,000 annually. Additional compensation includes equity awards, bonuses, and benefits. Total pay will vary based on qualifications, experience, and location.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Lyft is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where all qualified candidates receive fair consideration regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, disability, veteran status, age, genetic information, or any legally protected status. This commitment extends to applicants with criminal histories as permitted by law.