Senior Technical Program Manager - Vehicle Attributes

Zoox; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 186,000 - 233,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Unpaid time off

Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights

Amazon RSUs

Health insurance

Long-term care insurance

Long-term disability insurance

Short-term disability insurance

Life insurance

Job summary

Zoox is seeking a Senior Technical Program Manager for Vehicle Attributes to orchestrate end‑to‑end delivery of key attribute milestones (NVH, sound, ride, handling). You will surface risks, design lightweight JIRA processes, and coordinate hardware, software, and validation with robotics and controls engineers.

Strong leadership and autonomous decision‑making are essential in this fast-paced environment. Ideal candidates bring 8+ years in TPM for automotive/robotics hardware, a STEM degree, and

Qualifications

• 8+ years of technical program management experience delivering complex automotive, aerospace, or robotics hardware programs.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).
• Deep understanding of vehicle systems, development cycles, and prototype/pre-production testing.
• Expert-level capability structuring JIRA boards, workflows, and dashboards for real-time project health visibility.

Responsibilities

• Own the end-to-end delivery of critical vehicle attribute milestones, proactively clearing technical bottlenecks to keep programs on track.
• Partner with attribute and test leads to surface local risks and architect immediate recovery plans.
• Design and maintain lightweight JIRA workflows, sprint cadences, and reporting rituals that maximize engineering focus and minimize admin debt.
• Act as the primary interface for cross-functional requests, ensuring hardware, software, and validation dependencies are tightly coordinated.
• Translate fast-moving, complex technical data into concise, actionable updates for leadership.

Skills

Technical program management

JIRA workflows

Automotive/robotics hardware

Cross-functional leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/CS

Tools

JIRA

Job description

Introduction

Zoox is developing the first ground-up, fully autonomous vehicle fleet and the supporting ecosystem required to bring this technology to market. Sitting at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and design, Zoox aims to provide the next generation of mobility-as-a-service in urban environments. We’re looking for top talent that shares our passion and wants to be part of a fast-moving and highly execution-oriented team.

As the Senior Technical Program Manager (TPM) for Vehicle Attributes, you will be the operational engine and technical coordinator behind vehicle attribute development (NVH, sound and voice, ride and handling, etc.). Partnering with a world-class team of robotics, controls, and vehicle engineers, you won’t just track status — you will anticipate risks, engineer frameworks that optimize development velocity, and bridge the gap between complex engineering and executive strategy.

In this role you will:

• Own the end-to-end delivery of critical vehicle attribute milestones, proactively clearing technical bottlenecks to keep programs on track.
• Partner with attribute and test leads to surface local risks (e.g., vehicle downtime, hardware shortages) and architect immediate recovery plans.
• Design and maintain lightweight JIRA workflows, sprint cadences, and reporting rituals that maximize engineering focus and minimize admin debt.
• Act as the primary interface for cross-functional requests, ensuring hardware, software, and validation dependencies are tightly coordinated.
• Translate fast-moving, complex technical data into concise, actionable updates for leadership.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of technical program management experience delivering complex automotive, aerospace, or robotics hardware programs.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).
• Deep understanding of vehicle systems, development cycles, and prototype/pre-production testing.
• Expert-level capability structuring JIRA boards, workflows, and dashboards for real-time project health visibility.
• A proven "closer" mindset with a high sense of autonomy, excellent synthesis skills, and a calm demeanor under shifting priorities.

Bonus Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering.
• Direct experience working with autonomous vehicle platforms, ADAS, or complex robotic systems.
• Experience in a fast-paced startup or high-growth "execution-first" environment.
• Familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and prototype vehicle asset management.

$186,000 - $233,000 a year

Base Salary Range

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.