Senior Manager, Regulatory Operations

Overview

About the Role: We are seeking a strategic operations and people leader to join the Regulatory Operations team as Senior Manager. This is a hands-on leadership role — you'll set the strategic direction while remaining deeply embedded in the work alongside your team. In this role, you will own the team's full operating model — managing the legislative pipeline, driving cross-functional alignment, and ensuring Instacart is always ahead of regulatory change rather than reacting to it. You will serve as a key thought partner to senior leadership on critical business decisions, translating complex legislative and compliance challenges into clear recommendations that shape how Instacart operates. This is a high-stakes, high-visibility role: the decisions this team influences directly affect our shoppers, retailers, and consumers.

About the Team: The Regulatory Operations team is a pillar within the Expansions team at Instacart, dedicated to ensuring our operations remain compliant with the evolving landscape of legislation affecting our shoppers, retailers, and consumers. We are a lean, high-impact team that sits at the intersection of Legal, Policy & Government Affairs, Product, and Operations — translating regulatory change into business decisions and execution. The addition of this Senior Manager role marks a critical investment in the team's ability to operate proactively, scale its impact, and drive the cross-functional alignment that keeps Instacart ahead of an increasingly complex legislative environment — including as we expand into new international markets with their own distinct regulatory requirements. 

About the Job

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute strategies that align Instacart's compliance goals with broader business priorities, proactively identifying and addressing regulatory risks before they become escalations. Ensure alignment across technical and non-technical teams, and serve as the critical escalation point for high-stakes regulatory decisions.
• Team Management: Lead, coach, and mentor a team of Regulatory Ops and Program Managers while remaining actively embedded in the work, owning key workstreams and initiatives alongside your team.
• Stakeholder Alignment: Lead and advocate for the Regulatory Operations team and broader Operations org by driving alignment on high-priority legislative initiatives and building strong relationships throughout the organization.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Policy & Government Affairs, Legal, Product & Engineering, Business Development, and Operations to drive seamless communication, proactive alignment, and consistent delivery of compliance outcomes across all regulatory initiatives.
• Program & Project Oversight: Oversee the coordination, implementation, and monitoring of regulatory initiatives, ensuring on-time delivery of compliance objectives. Own executive-level communication on the status, risks, and business implications of critical regulatory activities.
• Operational Excellence: Build and continuously improve the operational frameworks, workflows, and tooling that scale the team's impact — including automation, audit processes, and the systems that keep Instacart ahead of long-term compliance risk, including as we scale into international markets.

About You

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Public Policy, Law, or a related field
• 10+ years of experience in strategy, operations, regulatory/compliance operations, program management, consulting, or a related field, with a demonstrated ability to lead high-impact, cross-functional programs
• 2+ years of experience managing and developing direct reports, with a focus on driving the team to results and fostering individual growth
• Proven ability to drive alignment across cross-functional stakeholders in fast-paced, ambiguous environments
• Strong process development and operational excellence skills, with a track record of building scalable systems and frameworks from scratch
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distill complex regulatory and operational issues for senior audiences
• Analytical and data-driven decision-maker with strong problem-solving instincts
• Proficiency with AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot) and a demonstrated ability to integrate them into day-to-day workflows

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in gig economy, marketplace, or high-growth technology companies — particularly experience with legislation affecting labor, contractors, or consumer operations
• Experience serving as the operational bridge between Legal/Policy and a Product or Operations organization
• Familiarity with compliance workflows and legislative change management, though deep regulatory expertise is not required