Senior/Staff Technical Program Manager - Live Service Operations

Zoox; Foster City (CA); Hybrid; USD 186,000 - 284,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights

Amazon RSUs

Sign-on bonus may be offered

Job summary

Zoox is seeking an experienced Program Manager to lead cross-functional planning and execution for end-to-end vehicle platform programs, spanning hardware, software, and services. You will translate corporate strategy into detailed roadmaps, drive cross-functional alignment, and report program status to leadership.

This role requires strong communication, PM tooling proficiency, and a track record of delivering complex launches.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Engineering or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience in engineering, program management, or management consulting with product launch focus.
• Proven success in driving complex SW/HW integration & cross-functional programs end-to-end.
• Comfortable leading through ambiguity and enabling teams to perform in this environment.
• Proficient with project management tools (Jira, Smartsheet, Gantt charts, risk matrices).
• Excellent written, presentation, and verbal communication, with KPI visualizations.

Responsibilities

• Partner with dept managers to translate strategy into detailed roadmaps, timelines, and deliverables.
• Influence decisions across engineering, manufacturing, product, operations, and strategy to achieve outcomes.
• Establish standard reports for stakeholders on program status, issues/risks, and accomplishments.
• Define and develop KPIs and methods to measure progress toward goals.
• Ensure program goals align with business objectives and maintain cross-functional momentum.
• Maintain strong technical understanding of vehicle platforms, software lifecycle, safety clearance, and live robotaxi operations.
• Build trust with technical managers to steer high-stakes decisions and negotiate trade-offs.

Skills

Program management

Cross-functional leadership

Communication

Education

BS or MS in engineering

Tools

Jira

Smartsheet

Gantt chart

Risk matrix

Job description

The Program Management Office (PMO) at Zoox is responsible for driving cross-functional program planning and execution at the highest level. We partner with leaders from across the company in vehicle development, system design, software engineering, manufacturing, fleet operations, and business functions to develop and deliver major corporate milestones on the path to launch, and beyond. Our program managers contribute to the end to end success of technical, integrated product milestones involving both of our vehicle platforms - the Toyota Highlander test fleet and Zoox’s purpose-built robotaxi.

In this role, you will:

• Partner with a wide range of department managers to translate the top-down corporate strategy and milestones into detailed technical roadmaps, timelines, and deliverables
• Influence key decisions working cross-functionally across engineering, manufacturing, product, operations, and strategy to reach the right outcomes
• Establish standard reports to provide concise and effective communications to key stakeholders on program status, issues/risks, and accomplishments
• Define and develop new KPIs and other methods to measure performance that best translate progress toward goals
• Ensure the program goals are aligned with business objectives; build and sustain momentum among cross-functional TPMs and workstreams towards delivering on time and on target
• Maintain a strong technical understanding of our vehicle platforms, software lifecycle, safety clearance process, and live robotaxi service operations
• Build deep trust and credibility with technical department managers to steer high-stakes decisions and negotiate trade-offs across competing organizational priorities.

Qualifications:

• BS or MS degree in an engineering discipline or equivalent experience
• 7+ years of experience in engineering, program management, or management consulting with a focus on product launches
• Success in driving complex SW/HW integration processes and optimizations, and leading complex cross-functional programs end to end
• Comfortable leading through ambiguity and enabling teams to perform in this environment
• Proficient in tools or processes required to manage complex projects (i.e., Gantt chart, risk matrix, Smartsheet, Jira, etc.)
• Excellent written, presentation, and verbal communication skills are a must, and the ability to create visualizations of KPIs and program risks

Bonus Qualifications:

• Project Manager Professional certification (PMP) or equivalent
• Experience with autonomous vehicles, robotics, test platforms, simulation, and automotive or aerospace processes is highly desired
• Experience with developing and scaling strategy, processes
• Strong foundational background in Systems Engineering
• Prior experience in the Autonomous Vehicle (AV) or Aerospace/Airline industries

Base Salary Range

$186,000 - $284,000 a year

There are three major components to compensation for this position: salary, Amazon Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), and Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights. A sign-on bonus may be offered as part of the compensation package. The listed range applies only to the base salary. Compensation will vary based on geographic location and level. Leveling, as well as positioning within a level, is determined by a range of factors, including, but not limited to, a candidate's relevant years of experience, domain knowledge, and interview performance. The salary range listed in this posting is representative of the range of levels Zoox is considering for this position.

Zoox also offers a comprehensive package of benefits, including paid time off (e.g. sick leave, vacation, bereavement), unpaid time off, Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights, Amazon RSUs, health insurance, long-term care insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance, and life insurance.