Senior / Lead Technical Program Manager – Vehicle Level Software Integration & Test

Yoh Services LLC; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Yoh Services LLC seeks a Senior/Lead Technical Program Manager to lead vehicle-level software integration and test across multi-domain vehicle programs. You will orchestrate integration and validation of software from multiple domains into a cohesive, validated vehicle-level release, and define V&V strategy for new features.

Responsibilities include planning vehicle test trips, coordinating cross-domain teams, managing schedules and risks, and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality automotive

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Software Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred).
• 7+ years of experience in software program/project management, systems integration, or V&V, with significant time in automotive or embedded/vehicle software environments.
• Proven experience creating and executing V&V plans for software features across the full test hierarchy (unit, pre-merge, post-merge, HIL/SIL, vehicle-level).
• Experience planning and/or supporting vehicle test trips and managing test fleet logistics and readiness.
• Strong understanding of vehicle software architecture (ECUs, domain controllers, in-vehicle networks such as CAN, LIN, Ethernet, and SOA-based architectures).
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, cross-functional software integration and test programs with multiple interdependent workstreams.
• Familiarity with SDLC, Agile/SAFe methodologies, and CI/CD-based test automation for embedded systems.
• Excellent risk management, prioritization, and stakeholder communication skills; ability to translate technical complexity into clear program status for leadership.
• Proficiency with program management and tracking tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps, MS Project) and defect/test management systems (e.g., ALM, Polarion).
• Strong analytical, data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Willingness and ability to travel to test sites/trip locations as required.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end vehicle-level software integration and test plan, aligning domain-level software delivery schedules with vehicle program milestones (e.g., SOP, Job 1, integration builds, validation events).
• Coordinate across software domain teams (ADAS, HMI/infotainment, body & chassis, powertrain, connected services, cybersecurity, OTA) to ensure compatible interfaces, dependencies, and release readiness.
• Coordinate Systems Engineering activities across vehicle domains and organizations to ensure integration requirements are consistently defined and understood.
• Partner with hardware teams to track ECU/component availability and hardware pedigree, ensuring integration and test schedules account for hardware readiness.
• Drive the software build and integration cadence, managing bill-of-software (BOS) configurations, release trains, and version control across ECUs/domain controllers.
• Manage program-level dashboards, metrics, and reporting on integration health, software maturity, defect burn-down, and readiness for key gate reviews.
• Facilitate technical reviews and readiness assessments (e.g., Integration Readiness Review, Test Readiness Review, Release Readiness Review) with engineering leadership and program stakeholders.
• Identify and mitigate schedule, technical, and resource risks; elevate proactively with clear options and recommendations.
• Interface with suppliers and Tier 1 partners on software delivery timing, quality, and integration commitments; manage supplier relationships for software/firmware components, ensuring clear requirements and timely deliveries.

Skills

Program management

Systems integration

V&V planning

Test automation

Stakeholder communication

Risk management

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/EE/Software

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Jira

Azure DevOps

MS Project

ALM

Polarion

Python

Job description

Senior / Lead Technical Program Manager – Vehicle Level Software Integration & Test

We are seeking an experienced Senior/Lead Technical Program Manager to lead vehicle-level software integration and test activities across complex, multi-domain vehicle programs. This role sits at the intersection of software engineering, systems engineering, and vehicle program management - responsible for orchestrating the integration and validation of software from multiple domains (e.g., ADAS, infotainment, body controls, thermals, motion and powertrain, connectivity, cybersecurity) into a cohesive, validated vehicle-level software release. The TPM will define verification & validation (V&V) strategy for new features, drive execution across the full test hierarchy (pre-merge through vehicle-level), plan and manage vehicle test trips, and ensure the software test fleet is ready to execute - while managing schedule, risk, and cross-functional alignment to ensure software quality, safety, and timely delivery.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, Software Engineering, or related field (Master's preferred).
• 7+ years of experience in software program/project management, systems integration, or V&V, with significant time in automotive or embedded/vehicle software environments.
• Proven experience creating and executing V&V plans for software features across the full test hierarchy (unit, pre-merge, post-merge, HIL/SIL, vehicle-level).
• Experience planning and/or supporting vehicle test trips (e.g., winter test, hot weather test) and managing test fleet logistics and readiness.
• Strong understanding of vehicle software architecture (ECUs, domain controllers, in-vehicle networks such as CAN, LIN, Ethernet, and SOA-based architectures).
• Demonstrated experience managing complex, cross-functional software integration and test programs with multiple interdependent workstreams.
• Familiarity with SDLC, Agile/SAFe methodologies, and CI/CD-based test automation for embedded systems.
• Excellent risk management, prioritization, and stakeholder communication skills; ability to translate technical complexity into clear program status for leadership.
• Proficiency with program management and tracking tools (e.g., Jira, Azure DevOps, MS Project) and defect/test management systems (e.g., ALM, Polarion).
• Strong analytical, data-driven approach to decision-making.
• Willingness and ability to travel to test sites/trip locations as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with automotive functional safety (ISO 26262) and cybersecurity (ISO/SAE 21434) V&V requirements.
• Experience with software-defined vehicle (SDV) architectures, OTA update systems, and CI/CD for embedded systems.
• Experience managing seasonal/climate-based test programs (e.g., winter test in northern climates, hot weather test) including fleet mobilization at remote proving grounds.
• PMP, PMI-ACP, SAFe Program Consultant (SPC), or similar certification.
• Experience working with global, cross-site engineering teams and Tier 1 suppliers.
• Working knowledge of scripting/automation (Python, shell) for test/integration tooling.

Key Competencies

• Systems-level thinking with strong technical fluency across hardware-software boundaries
• Executive-level communication and influence without direct authority
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and driving clarity across complex, matrixed organizations
• Strong ownership mindset and bias for action under tight program timelines
• Strong logistics and cross-functional coordination skills, particularly for time- and location-bound test events

Key Responsibilities

Integration & Program Management

• Own the end-to-end vehicle-level software integration and test plan, aligning domain-level software delivery schedules with vehicle program milestones (e.g., SOP, Job 1, integration builds, validation events).
• Coordinate across software domain teams (ADAS, HMI/infotainment, body & chassis, powertrain, connected services, cybersecurity, OTA) to ensure compatible interfaces, dependencies, and release readiness.
• Coordinate Systems Engineering activities across vehicle domains and organizations to ensure integration requirements are consistently defined and understood.
• Partner with hardware teams to track ECU/component availability and hardware pedigree, ensuring integration and test schedules account for hardware readiness.
• Drive the software build and integration cadence, managing bill-of-software (BOS) configurations, release trains, and version control across ECUs/domain controllers.
• Manage program-level dashboards, metrics, and reporting on integration health, software maturity, defect burn-down, and readiness for key gate reviews.
• Facilitate technical reviews and readiness assessments (e.g., Integration Readiness Review, Test Readiness Review, Release Readiness Review) with engineering leadership and program stakeholders.
• Identify and mitigate schedule, technical, and resource risks; elevate proactively with clear options and recommendations.
• Interface with suppliers and Tier 1 partners on software delivery timing, quality, and integration commitments; manage supplier relationships for software/firmware components, ensuring clear requirements and timely deliveries.

Verification & Validation (V&V) Planning

• Develop and maintain comprehensive V&V plans for new features and functions, defining acceptance criteria, test coverage, entry/exit criteria, and traceability from requirements through validation.
• Partner with feature teams, systems engineering, and safety/cybersecurity teams to ensure V&V plans address functional, performance, safety (ISO 26262), and security (ISO/SAE 21434) requirements.
• Define the test strategy across the full validation hierarchy - unit, pre-merge, post-merge (integration), HIL/SIL bench, and vehicle-level - ensuring appropriate coverage and traceability at each stage.
• Establish and evolve V&V processes, templates, and governance to scale across concurrent feature workstreams and vehicle programs.

Test Execution Oversight

• Plan and oversee execution of pre-merge testing (automated gating checks/CI pipelines) to ensure code quality and prevent regression prior to integration.
• Plan and oversee execution of post-merge/integration testing across domain and cross-domain builds, ensuring timely defect detection and closure before promotion to vehicle-level test.
• Plan and oversee execution of vehicle-level validation (bench, proving ground, fleet/field testing), coordinating test resources, vehicle availability, and cross-functional support teams.
• Drive triage, root-cause analysis, and resolution of defects found across all test phases; lead cross-functional defect review boards and daily stand-ups.
• Track V