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

YOH Services LLC; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 138,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Prescription, Dental & Vision

Health Savings Account

Life & Disability Insurance

401K Retirement Savings Plan

Direct Deposit & Weekly Payroll

Referral Bonus Programs

Certification and training

Job summary

Yoh, a Day & Zimmermann company, seeks a Senior/Lead Technical Program Manager to lead vehicle-level software integration and test activities across complex automotive programs. You will orchestrate the integration of software from multiple domains into a cohesive vehicle release and define the V&V strategy for new features.

You will drive cross-functional execution, manage test trips, track risk, and communicate status to leadership while ensuring software quality, safety, and timely delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in CS/EE/Software engineering (Master’s preferred).
• 7+ years in software program management, systems integration, or V&V in automotive/embedded environments.
• Proven experience creating/executing V&V plans across full test hierarchy.
• Experience planning vehicle test trips and managing test fleet readiness.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end vehicle-level software integration and test plan.
• Coordinate across software domain teams to ensure interfaces and release readiness.
• Coordinate Systems Engineering activities to ensure integration requirements are defined and understood.
• Track V&V execution metrics and report progress to leadership.
• Drive release notes and documentation for vehicle-level software releases.

Skills

Executive-level communication

Cross-functional coordination

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/EE/Software engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Jira

Azure DevOps

MS Project

ALM

Polarion

Job description

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

Job Summary

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; accelerate 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&V execution metrics (test pass rate, coverage, defect density/aging, escape rate) and report progress and risk to program leadership.
• Triage defects surfaced from vehicle testing outside the core SIT process - including durability/mileage accumulation, driver fleet testing, and other vehicle test organizations - and coordinate scheduling of fixes with the relevant software domain teams.
• Partner with software domain teams to build and maintain release checklists, and own release notes for vehicle-level software releases, including documentation of known limitations and workarounds
• Continuously improve test automation, CI/CD pipelines, and tooling to increase efficiency and coverage across pre-merge, post-merge, and vehicle-level test stages.

Test Trip Planning & Fleet Readiness

• Plan and manage dedicated vehicle test trips (e.g., winter/cold-climate testing, hot weather/desert testing, high-altitude, durability, and other geographically/environmentally driven validation events), including scope definition, scheduling, logistics, and staffing.
• Define test trip objectives and exit criteria in coordination with feature and V&V teams, ensuring trip test plans map back to overall software release and validation milestones.
• Coordinate cross-functional trip logistics - vehicle allocation, travel/site arrangements, tooling/data-logging equipment, and on-site support - partnering with fleet operations, hardware, and facilities teams.
• Oversee test readiness of the software test vehicle fleet, ensuring vehicles are built with the correct software configuration/BOS, instrumentation, and known-issue status prior to trip departure or test execution.
• Establish and run fleet readiness reviews/checklists (software load verification, calibration status, defect triage for known issues, safety sign-off) prior to key test events.
• Track fleet health and availability throughout test trips, managing real-time issue triage, software patch/update deployment to vehicles in the field, and escalation of blocking issues.
• Capture and report test trip results, lessons learned, and residual risk back into the broader V&V and program risk tracking process.

Estimated Min Rate

$80.00

Estimated Max Rate

$100.00

What's In It for You?

• Medical, Prescription, Dental & Vision Benefits (for employees working 20+ hours per week)
• Health Savings Account (HSA) (for employees working 20+ hours per week)
• Life & Disability Insurance (for employees working 20+ hours per week)
• MetLife Voluntary Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 401K Retirement Savings Plan
• Direct Deposit & weekly epayroll
• Referral Bonus Programs
• Certification and training opportunities

Benefit eligibility is in accordance with applicable laws and client requirements.

All qualified applicants are welcome to apply.

Yoh, a Day & Zimmermann company, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Visit https://www.yoh.com/applicants-with-disabilities

For California applicants, qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. All of the material job duties described in this posting are job duties for which a criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.