Uber Technologies Inc. announced that Sarfraz Maredia, its global head of autonomous mobility and delivery, will leave the company effective November 16. Maredia, who has been with Uber for over 12 years, is departing to take on a senior executive role at an undisclosed company outside the transportation sector, according to an Uber spokesperson.

During his tenure overseeing the company's autonomous vehicle initiatives, Maredia played a key role in advancing Uber’s efforts to commercialize self-driving technology through partnerships with robotaxi manufacturers rather than developing its own vehicles. His responsibilities included overseeing investments in charging infrastructure, fleet management tools, data collection, in-vehicle user experience, and remote assistance to support driverless ride-hailing and delivery services.

Following his departure, Maredia’s duties will be divided between Samarth Kejriwal, a senior director currently managing Uber’s driverless vehicle operations, and Aaron Emrich, who leads the autonomous delivery team. Both executives have been with Uber for more than a decade.

Maredia’s exit adds to a series of leadership changes within Uber’s autonomous division amid ongoing challenges. This year, the company witnessed departures of key personnel such as Guy Peterson, formerly head of business development for autonomous partnerships, who recently joined Rivian Automotive Inc.’s bike subsidiary Also as chief business officer, and Lando Juarez, the former head of legal for Uber’s autonomous unit, who left for Bedrock Robotics Inc. in June.

These shifts come as Uber navigates setbacks including the dissolution of significant partnerships with Alphabet Inc.’s Waymo and Serve Robotics Inc., even while committing over $10 billion to the development and commercialization of self-driving technology over the coming years. Uber continues to work with more than a dozen partners to expand autonomous vehicle services in select cities across the United States, the Middle East, and Europe. However, these deployments remain limited in scale due to reliance on robotaxis still pending production and the constraints of local regulations.

Uber maintains a hybrid approach combining autonomous vehicles alongside human drivers and couriers, aiming to meet fluctuating demand throughout the day. Amid these strategic adjustments, the company has also implemented multiple rounds of job cuts to streamline operations and reallocate resources toward its ride-hailing, delivery, and robotaxi efforts. Last month, Uber cut approximately 3,300 positions, representing about 10% of its global workforce.

In a farewell message to employees, Maredia expressed confidence in the future of Uber’s autonomous initiatives, noting, “There’s never been more momentum behind our AV efforts than there is today,” and emphasizing plans to scale autonomous vehicle availability in more cities and increase supply density in existing markets.