Staff Technical Program Manager, Powertrain & Thermal

Zoox; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 214,000 - 257,000; Full time

Job summary

Zoox is seeking a Staff Technical Program Manager for Powertrain and Thermal to lead the vehicle program from concept through production. You will bridge strategic direction with deep technical execution across powertrain and thermal domains.

You will balance performance, cost, quality, and manufacturability while coordinating with internal teams and external suppliers. The role demands strong collaboration, program leadership, and travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in mechanical/automotive engineering or related technical field.
• 12+ years of automotive engineering experience with a focus on powertrain or thermal systems and project management.
• Proficient in CATIA, PLM/BOM, FMEA/FTA and structured root-cause analysis (8D, fishbone).
• Experience with external suppliers and contract manufacturers in NPI.
• Strong collaboration and communication across all levels and ability to travel globally.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the program and technical lead for the vehicle program across powertrain and thermal system design components, coordinating with internal engineers and external supplier design teams.
• Oversee BOM integrity, approve critical build processes, and drive quality and cost engineering initiatives.
• Develop program schedules and partner with suppliers, quality, procurement, service, manufacturing, and engineering teams to close open issues and ensure on-time delivery.
• Identify and communicate program progress, challenges, and risks; develop strategic mitigation plans.
• Lead root-cause analysis and tracking of build and design issues impacting performance, quality, and production readiness.
• Influence system designs to optimize performance, cost, quality, manufacturability, and serviceability through top-level design reviews and DFMEAs.

Skills

Automotive engineering

Project management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Education

B.S./M.S. in Mechanical Engineering or related field

Tools

CATIA V5/V6

PLM/BOM management

FMEA/FTA

JIRA

Confluence

Polarion

Gantt charts

ERP

ALM

Job description

As a Staff Technical Program Manager for Powertrain and Thermal, you will serve as the Program Lead for our Powertrain & Thermal team. You will provide the overarching technical direction and leadership required to guide the vehicle program from concept through production across Powertrain and Thermal domains.

In this position, you will bridge the gap between high-level program milestones and deep technical execution. You are responsible for balancing performance attributes, cost, quality, and manufacturability while coordinating engineering execution across our internal team and external partners.

In this role, you will:

• Serve as the program and technical lead for the vehicle program across powertrain and thermal system design components, such as high voltage batteries, high voltage systems, component cooling systems, and cabin climate systems, while collaborating with internal engineers and external supplier design teams to ensure cohesive engineering execution.
• Oversee BOM integrity, approve critical build processes, and drive quality and cost engineering initiatives throughout the supply chain for your major assemblies.
• Develop program schedules and partner with suppliers, quality, procurement, service, manufacturing, and engineering teams to drive complex open issues to closure and ensure on-time delivery.
• Identify and communicate program progress, engineering challenges, and technical risks while proactively developing and leading strategic mitigation plans across the organization.
• Lead the root-cause analysis and tracking of critical build and design issues impacting vehicle performance, quality, and production readiness to drive long-term engineering solutions.
• Influence system designs to optimize performance, cost, quality, manufacturability, and serviceability by leading top-level design reviews, DFMEAs, validation programs, and manufacturing mock-builds.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineer, or a related technical discipline
• 12+ years of deep automotive engineering experience, with a focus on automotive powertrain or thermal system design and project management.
• Proficiency with advanced automotive engineering tools and methodologies, including CATIA V5/V6, PLM/BOM management, FMEA/FTA, and structured root-cause analysis (8D, Fishbone), and project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence, Polarion, Gantt charts, ERP, PLM, ALM).
• Experience designing for attributes such as crash, NVH, reliability, strength, and corrosion.
• A proven track record of managing complex cross-functional projects and delivering components via external design suppliers and contract manufacturers.
• End-to-end New Product Introduction (NPI) experience.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills across all levels, from peers and suppliers to manufacturing and executive management.
• Ability to travel globally as required.

Bonus Qualifications

• Familiarity with hardware/firmware product development and vehicle CAN/Firmware.

$214,000 - $257,000 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.