Technical Program Manager

Aquent; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Aquent is partnering with an innovative technology company at the forefront of autonomous mobility to develop advanced vehicle systems that transform transportation. The Technical Program Manager for Vehicle System Integration will drive cross-functional programs, translating high-level requirements into technically sound, safe, and traceable vehicle architectures.

You will collaborate with systems architects, safety specialists, hardware and software engineers, and validation teams to

Qualifications

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in Electrical, Mechatronics, Aerospace, Systems Engineering or related technical discipline.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional engineering programs from requirements through integration, verification and validation.
• Strong understanding of automotive systems engineering methodologies and safety standards (ISO 26262, MIL-STD-882).

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional technical program execution from requirements through system validation.
• Manage the lifecycle, release schedules and governance of System Technical Specifications (STS).
• Coordinate Systems Engineers, Product, Safety, Vehicle Integration and Validation teams for complete, traceable requirements.
• Drive SFMEA activities and ensure safety mitigations are reflected in schedules.
• Establish and maintain cross-functional dependency tracking across architecture, E/E, hardware, software, safety, and validation teams.
• Manage Engineering Change Requests (ECRs) and downstream implementation.
• Track systems engineering maturity, requirements stability and verification progress against milestones.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to define test asset configurations and validation strategies.

Skills

Technical program management

Systems engineering

Cross-functional leadership

Requirements traceability

Safety-critical development

SFMEA

DFMEA

FTA

System verification

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

Jama

Polarion

IBM DOORS

Jira

Smartsheet

Job description

Aquent is partnering with an innovative technology company at the forefront of autonomous mobility, developing advanced vehicle systems that are transforming the future of transportation. This organization brings together systems engineering, electrical and electronic architecture, functional safety, and advanced automotive technologies to create safe, reliable, and scalable autonomous vehicles. Join a collaborative engineering environment where your expertise will directly contribute to the development and integration of next-generation transportation technology.

We are seeking an experienced Technical Program Manager, Vehicle System Integration, to drive complex, cross-functional engineering programs supporting autonomous vehicle development. This role is focused on translating high-level product requirements into technically sound, safe, and traceable vehicle systems. You will partner closely with systems architects, functional safety specialists, hardware and software engineers, and validation teams to coordinate engineering deliverables, manage dependencies, and ensure critical vehicle development milestones are achieved. The ideal candidate brings a strong systems engineering background, experience with safety-critical automotive systems, and the ability to drive accountability and execution across highly technical teams.

Location: Foster City, CA

What You'll Do

• Lead cross-functional technical program execution for vehicle systems engineering and integration initiatives, driving alignment from requirements definition through system validation.
• Manage the lifecycle, release schedules, and governance of System Technical Specifications (STS), ensuring requirements mature and are delivered according to vehicle development milestones.
• Coordinate Systems Engineers, Product, Safety, Vehicle Integration, and Validation teams to ensure technical requirements are complete, traceable, and aligned across engineering disciplines.
• Drive System Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (SFMEA) activities, including facilitating multidisciplinary workshops, tracking action items, and ensuring safety mitigations are incorporated into downstream engineering schedules.
• Establish and maintain cross-functional dependency tracking across vehicle architecture, electrical/electronic systems, hardware, software, safety, and validation teams.
• Manage Engineering Change Requests (ECRs), coordinating technical impact assessments, change approvals, and downstream implementation across affected engineering teams.
• Track systems engineering maturity, requirements stability, functional safety deliverables, and verification progress against critical program milestones.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to define test asset configurations, validation environments, and requirements verification strategies.
• Proactively identify and resolve technical risks, scheduling conflicts, integration challenges, and engineering dependencies before they impact program delivery.
• Develop clear program dashboards, milestone reporting, risk assessments, and executive-level updates to support informed decision-making.
• Facilitate technical discussions across specialized engineering teams, driving alignment, accountability, and timely resolution of complex system-level issues.

What You'll Bring

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in technical program management or systems engineering within the automotive, autonomous vehicle, aerospace, or advanced mobility industries.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, cross-functional engineering programs from system requirements through integration, verification, and validation.
• Strong understanding of automotive systems engineering methodologies, including the systems engineering V-model, requirements traceability, and system-level verification processes.
• Experience coordinating vehicle electrical/electronic (E/E) architecture, embedded systems, and complex hardware/software interfaces.
• Practical knowledge of functional safety engineering and safety-critical development processes, including SFMEA, DFMEA, and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA).
• Familiarity with automotive or aerospace functional safety standards, including ISO 26262 and MIL-STD-882.
• Understanding of fail-operational architectures, system reliability, and safety mitigation strategies.
• Experience managing system requirements, System Technical Specifications (STS), engineering deliverables, and requirements maturity throughout product development.
• Proven ability to coordinate Engineering Change Requests (ECRs), configuration management, technical impact assessments, and engineering change control.
• Experience with requirements management tools such as Jama, Polarion, or IBM DOORS, along with program management platforms such as Jira or Smartsheet.
• Strong understanding of vehicle integration, verification, validation, and test planning across hardware, software, and systems engineering teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to facilitate technical discussions, resolve competing priorities, and influence cross-functional engineering teams without direct authority.
• Demonstrated ability to identify program risks, manage complex dependencies, and deliver against aggressive engineering development timelines.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline.

Bonus Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience leading automotive, ADAS, autonomous vehicle, or aerospace systems engineering programs.
• Experience developing or integrating automotive body or motion control systems, including braking, steering, suspension, or body control modules.
• Prior experience with autonomous driving systems, advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), or safety-critical embedded vehicle platforms.
• Experience supporting vehicle electrical/electronic architecture development and system-level integration across multiple engineering domains.
• Familiarity with Automotive SPICE (ASPICE), automotive cybersecurity, or additional automotive systems engineering standards.
• Experience coordinating complex vehicle development milestones, engineering maturity gates, and production readiness activities.
• Strong technical problem-solving skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with systems architects, safety engineers, validation teams, and engineering leadership.