Technical Program Manager

Location: Hybrid - 3 Days Onsite (Client located in Foster City, CA) Work Shift : Monday through Friday (8:00AM – 5:00PM PST) *Must be able to work on W-2 basis *Must be local to the Foster City, CA area One of the country's largest technology teams is searching for a talented Technical Program Manager to join their dedicated QA group onsite in Foster City, CA. In this high-impact role, you will support release validation and mission testing for a mission-critical web application—driving quality, reliability, and innovation in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. If you’re energized by bridging software and hardware, solving technical problems, and delivering rock-solid releases, this is an incredible opportunity to make a difference! This exciting opportunity to work as a Test Engineer begins as a 6-month W2 contract, with hybrid requirements (3 days/week) and the potential for extension or conversion to a permanent role. Comprehensive benefits are available. As a TPM for the Botlink team, you will lead the development and execution of the "Communication Backbone" of our autonomous fleet. You are responsible for the lifecycle of high-stakes teleoperation links that allow our vehicles to navigate complex urban environments via remote assistance. This role bridges the gap between the physical RF layer (LTE/5G), the distributed middleware (DDS), and the cloud-side orchestration (Kafka/AWS). In this role, you will operate with a high degree of autonomy, setting the standard for program execution across the organization. You will be a trusted partner to senior engineering and product leadership, driving strategic initiatives that span multiple teams, systems, and business lines. This is a role for someone who brings deep technical intuition, strong organizational influence, and a track record of delivering at scale. Key Responsibilities Lead end-to-end program management for large-scale, multi-team engineering initiatives with significant business impact, from strategy through delivery. Serve as a strategic partner to VP- and Director-level engineering and product leaders, influencing roadmaps, resourcing decisions, and organizational priorities. Define and evolve program management frameworks, processes, and best practices across the engineering organization. Drive alignment across complex dependency landscapes involving multiple teams, external partners, and competing priorities. Anticipate and proactively manage risks, escalations, and trade-offs at a program and portfolio level. Communicate clearly and confidently to executive audiences - translating technical complexity into business impact and vice versa. Actively participate in architectural and technical scoping discussions, providing informed input on feasibility, sequencing, and delivery risk. Skills Requirements 7+ years of experience in technical program management, with a proven record of delivering complex, org-wide engineering programs. Deep expertise managing multi-team software programs across the full SDLC, including large-scale platform, infrastructure, or product initiatives. Strong technical foundation – able to engage credibly in architectural discussions, understand system design trade-offs, and evaluate technical risk. Exceptional communication and executive presence – skilled at influencing without authority and navigating organizational dynamics. Experience building or improving program management processes and tooling at an organizational level. Proven ability to manage ambiguity, drive clarity, and make sound decisions under pressure in fast-paced environments. Ability to use AI tools to make informed technical decisions regarding a given design or code changes. Knowledge of how agentic AI models work and how to execute programs with AI chatbots. Technical expertise in understanding the following technologies: Wireless Technologies – 4G/5G/Multi-WAN Load Balancing Networking Technologies – UDP/TCP, NAT Traversal, Network Security (mTLS, etc.) Data Pipelines – Experience with Kafka (kafkajs), Protobuf serialization, and AWS cloud infrastructure (API Gateways) Preferred Skills Experience at a software company working on infrastructure, platform, or product engineering programs. Familiarity with cloud services (AWS, GCP, or Azure) and distributed systems concepts. PMP, PgMP, or Agile/Scrum certification is a plus. Prior background as a software engineer or in a technical role is advantageous. Excellent problem-solving and debugging skills. Education BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related fields with a minimum of 2+ years of relevant industry experience. Benefits Medical Insurance & Health Savings Account (HSA) 401(k) #J-18808-Ljbffr