ADS Program Manager (Automotive)

Pentangle Tech Services | P5 Group; Ann Arbor (MI); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading automotive technology firm located in Ann Arbor, Michigan is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead end-to-end planning, scheduling, and communication for ADS and ADAS features. Candidates should have over 8 years of program management experience in automotive systems with a focus on delivering complex projects while adhering to ASPICE and ISO 26262 standards. This role emphasizes collaboration across global teams and requires strong organizational and communication skills. The position offers a dynamic environment where innovation and continuous improvement are championed.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in program or project management within automotive systems.
• Proven record of delivering complex system or software programs.
• PMP or equivalent certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define program scope, deliverables, and milestones.
• Serve as primary liaison among teams and senior management.
• Monitor KPIs to improve development efficiency.

Skills

Project management

Communication

Risk assessment

Cross-functional team collaboration

Data analytics

Education

Bachelor’s or master’s in engineering or Computer Science

Tools

MS Project

JIRA

ADO

Confluence

DOORS

Job description

• Drive end-to-end program planning — defining scope, objectives, deliverables, and key milestones for ADS and ADAS features.
• Develop and maintain detailed program schedules, dashboards, and risk registers to ensure transparency and accountability.
• Manage dependencies across multiple engineering disciplines (software, system, validation, hardware).
• Proactively identify risks, assess impacts, and drive mitigation or escalation actions to maintain timing and quality goals.
• Lead cross-functional reviews to assess readiness for key program milestones (design reviews, software integration points, validation gates).

Stakeholder Alignment & Communication

• Serve as the primary liaison between engineering, product planning, global counterparts (including Japan), and executive management.
• Translate complex technical topics into clear program updates, enabling data-driven decisions at all levels of the organization.
• Facilitate collaboration and conflict resolution across diverse teams and time zones to ensure alignment on priorities and deliverables.
• Support senior leadership with program summaries, KPI tracking, and executive presentations.

Requirements & Change Management

• Partner with System and Software Engineering teams to ensure requirements, specifications, and validation plans align with program intent.
• Manage change control processes to balance feature requests, timing constraints, and cost targets.
• Oversee documentation quality and configuration management in compliance with ASPICE, ISO 26262, and internal governance processes.

Performance Tracking & Continuous Improvement

• Define and monitor KPIs (schedule adherence, defect trends, validation coverage, software maturity).
• Leverage data analytics to drive continuous improvement in development efficiency, issue closure rate, and cross-functional communication.Identify opportunities to streamline processes, automate reporting, and enhance team coordination tools.

Leadership & Culture

• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and proactive problem solving across all partner teams.
• Mentor junior program leads and engineers on project management discipline and cross-functional communication.
• Champion client's values of respect for people and continuous improvement (Kaizen) in every phase of development.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s in engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in program or project management within automotive systems, preferably ADS/ADAS.
• Proven record of delivering complex system or software programs in compliance with ASPICE and ISO 26262.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, with ability to manage multiple global stakeholders.
• Proficiency with project management and engineering tools (e.g., MS Project, JIRA, ADO, Confluence, DOORS).
• PMP or equivalent certification preferred.