Technical Program Manager

Denken Solutions, Inc.; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Denken Solutions, Inc. is seeking a Technical Program Manager for Interiors, Exteriors, and Restraints in our Vehicle Engineering Team. The role is on-site and focuses on delivering a fully autonomous vehicle program on time, within budget, and to high quality standards.

You will guide engineers and suppliers, define timelines, mitigate risks, support budget planning, and communicate progress to management. Travel may be required to support builds and supplier visits.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in engineering or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of engineering or program management experience.
• Knowledge of automotive product development and manufacturing processes.
• Experience with interiors/exteriors/restraint systems is a plus.
• Proven track record managing complex cross-functional projects.

Responsibilities

• Communicate challenges and program risks across interiors, exteriors, and restraints commodities.
• Lead transfer of requirements to a viable product by cross-functional collaboration.
• Manage regular meetings with suppliers and internal customers to drive alignment.
• Interface with suppliers and contract manufacturers to ensure on-time delivery.
• Develop schedules based on milestones and keep programs on track.
• Oversee delivery of parts and tooling for build and test purposes.
• Establish standard reports for stakeholders and present to executives.
• Coordinate change management with all stakeholders.
• Ensure Purchase Orders are issued on time for deliverables.
• Collaborate with engineering, quality, and supply chain to progress builds.
• Own program metrics and surface trends for decision-making.

Skills

Cross-functional leadership

Data analysis

Strong communication

Fast-paced environment

Education

BS or MS in engineering

Tools

JIRA

CAD

ERP

PLM

GD&T

Job description

On-Site role

Job Description

Client is developing fully autonomous vehicles and the supporting ecosystem required to bring the technology to market at scale.

Sitting at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and design, client aims to provide the next generation of mobility-as-a-service in urban environments.

We believe the transition to self-driving vehicles requires a combination of elegant vision and uncompromising execution.

As the Technical Program Manager for Interiors, Exteriors, and Restraints in client’s Vehicle Engineering Team, you will be responsible for working cross-functionally to ensure that this groundbreaking vehicle is delivered on time, to budget, and to a very high-quality standard.

You will leverage your engineering expertise across interiors, exteriors, and restraint systems to lead engineers and suppliers in defining timelines for deliverables, identifying and escalating awareness of risks to develop mitigation plans, supporting budget planning activities, and clearly communicating progress to vehicle development management and the executive team.

The Technical Program Manager amplifies the efficacy of the engineering team and works to improve and minimize processes to get work done.

If you are excited about tackling challenging problems and guiding the team to success, we want to hear from you.

Responsibilities

• Communicate challenges and identify program risks across interiors, exteriors, and restraints commodities, while proactively developing mitigation plans with engineering teams.
• Lead the transfer of engineering requirements and targets into a viable product by working with cross-functional teams, both internal and external, to drive open questions or issues to closure.
• Manage regular meetings with suppliers and internal customers to drive alignment and resolve issues.
• Interface with suppliers and contract manufacturers across commodities to align technical and quality expectations and ensure on-time delivery.
• Develop schedules based on company milestones and ensure that programs remain on track.
• Oversee delivery of parts and tooling for build and test purposes at the expected quality level.
• Establish and maintain standard reports to provide concise, effective communication to key stakeholders on program status, issues/risks, and accomplishments, and present them to the executive team.
• Lead change management process coordination with all stakeholders.
• Work with cross-functional teams to ensure Purchase Orders are issued on time to meet program deliverables.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, engineering, quality, and supply chain to address issues and ensure smooth progression of multiple build phases while maintaining the existing fleet.
• Own program metrics and reporting, tracking KPIs and JIRA ticket health to surface trends and drive timely decision-making.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in an engineering discipline or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of engineering experience, or 5+ years of program management experience.
• Extensive knowledge of automotive product development and manufacturing processes, with a demonstrated track record of delivering components in partnership with engineering design and development teams.
• Working knowledge of interiors, exteriors, and/or restraint systems requirements, analysis, and testing, and how these inputs influence design and development activities.
• Proven track record managing complex, cross-functional projects and meeting aggressive deadlines.
• Strong metrics management skills, with the ability to define, track, and report on program KPIs to drive accountability.
• Hands-on proficiency managing JIRA tickets and workflows to keep programs organized and moving.
• Comfortable working at a fast pace in a dynamic, ambiguous environment, with a bias toward action.
• Experience using Claude or other AI tools to accelerate program management work (e.g., data analysis, reporting, documentation)
• Strong data analysis and reporting skills, able to turn raw program data into clear insights for stakeholders.
• Proficiency with project management and technical tools such as CAD, JIRA, Gantt charts, ERP, PLM, and GD&T.
• Ability to keep the big picture in focus while providing clear, well-structured, and concise communication tailored to each audience.
• Willingness to travel as needed to support builds, supplier visits, and other program activities.

Bonus Qualifications

• Passion for electric, autonomous mobility and next-generation vehicle development.
• 3D release experience in CATIA V6 or equivalent.
• Familiarity with manufacturing processes relevant to interiors, exteriors, or restraints (e.g., injection molding, plastics, fabrics, stamping, or restraint system qualification/testing)

About us

At our organization, we take our mission and values to heart! We are on a mission to offer more and better jobs all over the world! Our goal is to care for you while you care for our clients and get you paid the highest pay possible. All our associates working with us are expected to embrace our RACE values: R - Results Matter, A- Approachable, C - Care, and E - Emergency i.e. work with a sense of urgency.

For more relevant job opportunities please visit our website: Denken Solutions Careers