Freelance Autonomous Vehicle Operator Jobs Near Me

Multiple US home bases · Cross-country deployments · 2–3 month contract with conversion path

Help us build a world-class AV testing operation

KoteiTSP is building a world-class autonomous vehicle and ADAS testing operation across North America — and we're hiring Vehicle Test Operators across our US locations to scale the program. You'll be on the road operating instrumented test vehicles for one of our OEM partners, capturing the multi-terabyte sensor datasets (LiDAR, radar, cameras, prototype hardware) that train the next generation of autonomous driving systems.

This is hands-on technical work embedded with engineers, not a desk job and not a generic driving job. We need people who can understand vehicle systems and data pipelines, troubleshoot equipment, and think like engineers in the field. If you want to be part of building something significant — and see the country coast to coast doing it — keep reading.

How the role actually works

You'll be deployed in two-person teams: one operator focused on driving, one focused on data and systems. Cross-training is built into the program — both team members can swap roles, troubleshoot the same equipment, and back each other up. We pair people deliberately for safety, redundancy, and faster problem-solving when something goes wrong on the road.

A typical day on deployment:

• Pre-trip vehicle and equipment checks with your partner
• 6–8 hours operating planned test routes in the deployment region
• Live monitoring of in-vehicle data collection systems
• Real-time documentation of test conditions, anomalies, and observations
• End-of-day data offload, written test report, equipment handoff
• Direct collaboration with KoteiTSP and OEM engineering teams (in-person or remote)

About the travel — read this carefully

This is a deployment-style role. When the project deploys to a region, you go with it and stay there for the duration of that deployment.

• Workweek: Monday to Friday on-vehicle in the deployment city. You're paid for hours worked Monday through Friday.
• Weekends: Spent in your deployment-region accommodation. You don't fly home each weekend — you stay in the project city until the deployment wraps.
• Deployment cities: Major metros across the US, coast to coast — Phoenix, Las Vegas, Austin, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Columbus, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Miami, New York, Boston, and others as program needs evolve.
• Deployment length: Typically several weeks to multiple months in a given region before rotating.
• What we cover: Accommodations (hotel or Airbnb, booked and paid by KoteiTSP) and travel to and from the deployment city.
• What we don't cover: Per diem for meals or personal expenses. You're paid for Monday–Friday work; weekend living costs in the deployment city are your own.
• Home base: One of our US locations — Detroit, MI / Columbus, OH / Torrance, CA — where you onboard and return between deployments.

If you need to be home most weekends, this role isn't a fit. If extended travel and seeing the country sounds like an upside rather than a sacrifice, you'll do well here.

What we're looking for

Required:

• Strong written and verbal English communication. You'll write daily test reports, communicate technical observations clearly to engineers, and represent KoteiTSP professionally on deployments with OEM partners.
• Post-secondary education in engineering, computer science, automotive technology, mechatronics, or a related technical field — or equivalent hands-on professional experience.
• Technical aptitude. Comfortable with laptops, data logging tools, basic command-line work, and following precise technical procedures. Able to learn new in-vehicle hardware and software systems quickly.
• Valid US driver's license with clean motor vehicle record for the last 3 years (no DUIs, no major infractions).
• Comfortable driving 6–8 hours per day across varied conditions and seasons.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States (we are not sponsoring visas for this role).
• Willing and able to deploy to project cities for extended periods (multiple weeks at a time). This is non-negotiable and core to the role.
• Detail-oriented, professional, and a clear communicator in customer-facing settings.

Bonus — these will help you stand out:

• Engineering or technical degree from a US university (Michigan, Michigan State, Ohio State, Kettering, Lawrence Tech, USC, UCLA, Cal Poly, Carnegie Mellon, Georgia Tech, Purdue, etc.)
• Automotive technology, mechatronics, or technician diploma from a US technical college or community college
• Prior test driver, vehicle operator, or fleet operations experience (Waymo, Cruise, Aurora, May Mobility, Motional, Zoox, Tesla, Ford, GM, Stellantis, Honda, Magna, IDIADA, Kett, or similar)
• Hands-on automotive technical experience (ASE certification, dealership tech, mechanical/electrical training)
• Familiarity with sensor systems, CAN bus, ROS, Linux, or vehicle networking

What we offer

• Hourly rate: $23–25 USD, commensurate with experience, plus overtime
• Accommodations fully covered during deployments — hotels or Airbnbs booked and paid by KoteiTSP
• Travel to and from deployment cities covered
• Paid training and ramp-up before you're solo on the road
• Two-person team structure with built-in cross-training across operator and data/systems roles
• Direct exposure to autonomous driving technology and our engineering team
• 40–50 hours per week typical, occasional weekend availability when test schedules require
• 2–3 month contract with strong path to permanent for top performers as we scale the program

Logistics

• Home bases: Detroit, MI / Columbus, OH / Torrance, CA. Onboarding and equipment handoff happen at your assigned home base.
• Deployment destinations: major US cities, coast to coast.
• Start date: rolling.
• Pre-employment requirements: clean Motor Vehicle Record, criminal background check, pre-employment drug screen (safety-sensitive role).