Senior Program Manager, Development Testing Operations (Release Testing)

Aurora; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 100,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

Aurora is seeking a Senior Program Manager for Development Testing Operations (Release Testing) to own release test procedures and drive testing excellence across teams. You will ensure tests align with engineering requirements, release cadence, and quality gates, improving performance and reducing rework.

The role requires 5+ years in program management or QA with strong communication and cross-functional leadership.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in program/project management, QA, or release engineering in a technical environment.
• Experience owning or improving test procedures, QA processes, or release gates.
• Ability to understand how software releases move through a testing pipeline including regression testing.

Responsibilities

• Own release test procedures and continuously improve test plans and SOPs used to gate releases.
• Communicate release timelines clearly to engineering and operations stakeholders.
• Define pass/fail and escalation criteria and audit test runs for procedural adherence.

Skills

Program Management

Project Management

Quality Assurance

Release Engineering

Cross-functional Collaboration

Communication Skills

On-call Rotation

Agile/Lean

Tools

Jira

TestRail

Job description

Who We AreAurora’s mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly.

Who We AreAurora’s mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly. The Aurora Driver will create a new era in mobility and logistics, one that will bring a safer, more efficient, and more accessible future to everyone. At Aurora, you will tackle massively complex problems alongside other passionate, intelligent individuals, growing as an expert while expanding your knowledge. For the latest news from Aurora, visit aurora.tech or follow us on LinkedIn.

What We Are Looking ForAurora's Product Operations team plays a critical role in ensuring new software releases are validated with rigor and speed before they reach our commercial fleet. We partner closely with Engineering, Safety, and Release Management to make sure every release - onboard and offboard - passes through well-defined, consistently executed test gates. We’re searching for a Senior Program Manager, Development Testing Operations (Release Testing) to own the test procedures that gate software releases, drive operational excellence in how those tests are executed, and close the feedback loop between test results and engineering. This is a hands‑on role for someone who thinks in terms of process rigor, repeatability, and continuous improvement - not just getting a release out the door, but making sure it's actually ready. You are the owner of "did we test this the right way, and did we act on what we learned."

In This Role, You Will

• Own release test procedures - maintain, version, and continuously improve the test plans, checklists, and standard operating procedures used to gate software releases, ensuring they stay current with engineering requirements and release cadence.
• Communicate with stakeholders - Work with stakeholders to clearly communicate release timelines across engineering and operations
• Ensure operational excellence in test execution - define clear pass/fail and escalation criteria, audit test runs for procedural adherence, and drive consistency so releases are tested the same rigorous way every time, minimizing re-work and re-testing.
• Close the feedback loop - triage test failures and coverage gaps into actionable engineering tickets, track them to resolution, and ensure lessons learned from each release cycle are incorporated back into test procedures rather than lost.
• Serve as a key input to release gating decisions - partner with Release Management and Engineering to confirm test evidence is complete and current ahead of go/no-go decisions.
• Identify and reconcile gaps across test types - compare coverage across different stages of the release testing pipeline (e.g., component-level checks vs. full-release regression) to catch blind spots before they become production issues.
• Drive continuous improvement of the testing program - lead initiatives to streamline test scope, reduce cycle time, and improve signal quality, balancing coverage against speed and cost.
• Report status and risk - provide regular, clear updates to Engineering, Release Management, and Ops leadership on testing progress, blockers, and release readiness.

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in Program Management, Project Management, Quality Assurance, Release Engineering, or a related role
• Demonstrated experience owning or improving test procedures, QA processes, or release/quality gates in a technical environment
• Ability to develop a functional understanding of how software releases move through a testing pipeline, including regression testing and staged rollout concepts
• Experience driving process improvement and change management within a cross-functional organization
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple test cycles and competing priorities
• Clear written and verbal communication skills, with comfort translating technical test results into risk and status reporting for stakeholders at multiple levels
• Comfort operating in environments where safety and quality are core requirements
• Ability to support being part of an on‑call rotation
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast‑paced, evolving environment with shifting release schedules

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience with release management, CI/CD pipelines, or regression testing frameworks in a technology or engineering-driven organization
• Familiarity with defect/issue tracking and test management tooling (e.g., Jira, TestRail, or equivalent)
• Proven experience managing relationships and expectations with senior leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders
• Comfort using dashboards or reporting tools to track test coverage, defect trends, and release readiness
• Experience in autonomous vehicle, automotive, robotics, or similarly safety‑critical operational environments
• Passion for shipping reliable, high‑quality releases and adapting to new responsibilities as the testing program scales

The base salary range for this position is $100,000 - $145,000 per year. Aurora’s pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job‑related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.

Working at AuroraAt Aurora, we bring together extraordinarily talented and experienced people united by the strength of our values. We operate with integrity, set outrageous goals, and build a culture where we win together — all without any jerks. We believe in‑person work increases collaboration, empathy, and our ability to lead effectively. As a result, Aurorans are expected to work from the office at least 3 days per week, with some roles requiring more frequent in‑office presence, up to 5 days per week, based on operational needs. Our Careers page provides insight into what it is like to work at Aurora, and you can find all the latest updates in our Newsroom.

Our commitment to safetyAt the core of everything we do is our commitment to safety. Building best‑in‑class self‑driving technology will take time, and we believe that each employee at Aurora has a role in contributing to safety, every step of the way. Aurora expects commitment to our safety policies from every employee, and seeks candidates who take an active responsibility, can contribute to building an atmosphere of trust, and invest in the organization’s long‑term success by prioritizing working safely, no matter what.

Our commitment to inclusionAurora considers candidates without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy status, parent or caregiver status, ancestry, political affiliation, veteran and/or military status, physical or mental disability, or any other status protected by federal or state law. Aurora considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at [e-mail].