Technical Program Manager

Technical Program Manager

Location: Hybrid - 300 Lincoln Centre Dr Foster City, CA 94404 | at least 3 days in office

Duration: 6+ Months

Pay Rate: $85.00-$90.00/hr on w2

Overview

Advanced Hardware Engineering team is in charge of delivering all the autonomous hardware, infotainment electronic control units and electrical components that go into future fleet of self-driving vehicles. We are looking for a technical program manager to lead new product development programs for our next-generation robotaxi hardware — taking systems from concept through EVT/DVT/PVT and into production ramp. In this role, you will work cross-functionally with internal teams, and partner closely with our outside contract manufacturers (CMs), to deliver our strategic and tactical milestones. You will work with engineering teams to develop program schedules, identify milestones, flag risks, and clearly communicate ongoing progress and risk to cross-functional teams and leadership. As with any startup, we move fast here, and many candidates will be asked from time to time to wear many hats. We would love to hear from you if you are up for solving very challenging problems across numerous cross-functional teams, delivering milestones with numerous dependencies and scaling your impact by developing and adopting structured ways of working. Additionally, if you are an expert at herding cats and influencing without formal authority, then this role was made for you!

Key Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end program management for next-generation robotaxi hardware development programs, from concept and architecture through EVT/DVT/PVT builds and into production ramp
• Work with cross-functional teams to translate the top-down corporate strategy and milestones into detailed product roadmaps, timelines, and deliverables
• Work closely with cross-functional teams — Hardware (HW), Software (SW), Firmware (FW), Functional Safety, System, Procurement, and Vehicle Development — to align priorities, dependencies, and deliverables, and ensure every team understands what they need to deliver at all times
• Partner closely with outside contract manufacturers (CMs) to plan and execute prototype and engineering builds, drive DFM/DFT feedback into the design, and prepare programs for production ramp
• Establish standard reports and regularly report out to cross-functional teams and leadership on program progress, status, issues/risks, and accomplishments
• Ensure problems are transparent and risks are identified early, and proactively drive risk-mitigation actions to closure with the relevant engineering teams and CMs
• Set agendas for key decisions to be made at each meeting to eliminate bottlenecks and minimize risks
• Support key decisions working cross-functionally across engineering, finance, and strategy to reach the right conclusions

Qualification

• 6+ years of hardware Technical Program Management or Engineering Program Management experience, with demonstrated end-to-end hardware development experience taking products from concept through EVT/DVT/PVT to production ramp
• Strong preference for candidates with end-to-end development experience in Automotive industry or Consumer Electronics at the systems or sub-system level
• BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related engineering discipline (or equivalent experience), with a strong hardware background
• Prior experience working with outside contract manufacturers (CMs) through development builds and production ramp
• Demonstrated ability to work closely with cross-functional teams spanning hardware, software, firmware, functional safety, and systems engineering
• Strong communication skills, with a proven ability to report program progress and risk clearly and concisely to cross-functional teams and leadership
• Proficient in tools required to manage complex programs (e.g., JIRA, Gantt charts)
• Understands and deals well with rapid development cycles; remains flexible and calm in the face of uncertainty
• Self-motivated and proactive problem-solver

Bonus Qualifications

• Directly managed 2+ full program development cycles for a system with HW and SW integration involved
• MS degree in Electrical or Mechanical Engineering
• TPM experience on production programs during mass production (MP) and post-MP sustaining phases
• Strong references that highlight your ability to build strong working relationships with senior leaders and engineers across functions and departments