Technical Program Manager

Wayve; Sunnyvale (CA); Hybrid; USD 172,000 - 274,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive equity package

Hybrid work environment

Job summary

Wayve in Sunnyvale, CA, is seeking a Technical Program Manager to lead complex cross-functional programs spanning AI, software, robotics, and data operations. You’ll turn ambiguity into clear plans, drive delivery, manage risk, and align execution with strategic goals.

The role is full-time, hybrid, and offers a competitive equity package based on experience. Essential qualifications include 5+ years of leading multi-team software programs, strong technical fluency, and excellent communication.

Qualifications

• 5+ years leading complex, multi-team software or technology programs.
• Strong technical fluency with software, ML, and robotics stacks.
• Ability to reason about complex systems and dependencies.
• Effective under pressure with clear communication.
• Proven track record in planning, risk management and delivery.
• Excellent cross-team collaboration and stakeholder alignment.
• Strategic, outcome-focused thinking and problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Own project lifecycle and improve delivery outcomes through structured execution.
• Identify bottlenecks, streamline workflows, and improve tooling.
• Enhance cross-team collaboration with clear goals and faster decisions.
• Proactively manage risk and minimize impact on timelines and quality.
• Keep stakeholders aligned and deliver on commitments.
• Align programs with Wayve's strategic priorities and scope.
• Lead retrospectives and drive continuous process improvements.

Skills

Bias for action

Technically strong

Systems thinking

Stays neutral under pressure

Strong project management

Clear communicator

Collaborative leader

Strategic thinking

Product-minded

Growth mindset

Job description

About Us

Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology. Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems. Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward. Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving. In our fast-paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future. At Wayve, your contributions matter. We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact. Make Wayve the experience that defines your career!

About Us

Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology. Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems. Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward. Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving. In our fast-paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future. At Wayve, your contributions matter. We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact. Make Wayve the experience that defines your career!

The role

As a Technical Program Manager at Wayve, you'll lead complex, cross-functional programs across our engineering org - spanning AI, software, robotics, infrastructure, evaluation, validation, data, and product. You'll turn ambiguity into clear plans and keep multi-team delivery predictable in a fast-moving environment. Working closely with engineering and cross-functional partners, your impact will be measured by your ability to deliver programs, drive efficiency, manage risk, and align execution with business goals. A successful TPM is a force multiplier - helping teams move faster, more effectively, and with purpose. We hire TPMs across several areas - for example robotics, evaluation & validation, AI platform, and data operations - and we'll explore the best fit with you through the process.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive project delivery: Own the project lifecycle and improve delivery outcomes through structured execution and coordination.
• Boost efficiency: Identify bottlenecks, streamline workflows, and improve tooling and resource allocation to increase throughput.
• Enable cross-team collaboration: Improve alignment across teams through effective communication, shared goals, and faster decisions.
• Manage risk proactively: Anticipate issues, develop mitigation plans, and minimise impact on timelines and quality.
• Keep stakeholders aligned: Engage regularly with internal stakeholders, manage expectations, and deliver on commitments.
• Align with business goals: Ensure programs directly support Wayve's strategic priorities by making smart scope and resource decisions.
• Champion continuous improvement: Lead retros, encourage feedback, and implement changes to improve processes, team dynamics, and outcomes.

About you

We're looking for the following skills and experience. (The first three are our must-haves.)

Essential

• Bias for action / program delivery: 5+ years leading complex, multi-team software or technology programs in fast-paced or early-stage environments. You get things done.
• Technically strong: Comfortable working with engineers and reasoning about modern software, ML, and robotics stacks, even if you don't write code.
• Systems thinking: You reason about how the parts of a complex system fit together, and how a change in one area ripples into others.
• Stays neutral and adapts under pressure: Effective in high-tension, ambiguous situations; you flex your style to keep people aligned and moving.
• Strong project management: Skilled at planning, prioritising, managing risk and dependencies, and adapting as things change.
• Clear communicator: You explain complex ideas simply, surface risk early, listen well, and keep teams aligned.
• Collaborative leader: You bring people together, influence without authority, and create a positive team culture.
• Strategic thinking & problem-solving: You keep the bigger picture in mind, stay calm under pressure, and find creative solutions.
• Product-minded: You focus on outcomes and the people your programs serve - prioritising by impact and defining what good looks like, not just tracking activity.
• Growth mindset: Open to feedback and always looking to improve.

Desirable

• Ideally 8+ years as a Technical Program Manager.
• An engineering or computer science degree, or experience working as an engineer; excels in Jira (or similar).
• Exposure to autonomous vehicles, robotics, ML, simulation / evaluation, or other safety-critical or compute-heavy domains.

This role is a full-time role based in Sunnyvale, CA (hybrid) and the reasonably estimated salary for this role ranges from $171,600 to $274,000, plus a competitive equity package. Actual compensation is based on the candidate's skills, qualifications, and experience.

LA1

Wayve is committed to creating an inclusive interview experience. If you require any accommodations or adjustments to participate fully in our interview process, please let us know.

We understand that everyone has a unique set of skills and experiences and that not everyone will meet all of the requirements listed above.

At Wayve we're committed to creating a diverse, fair and respectful culture that is inclusive of everyone based on their unique skills and perspectives, and regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis as protected by applicable law.

DISCLAIMER: We will not ask about marriage or pregnancy, care responsibilities or disabilities in any of our job adverts or interviews. However, we do look to capture information about care responsibilities, and disabilities among other diversity information as part of an optional DEI Monitoring form to help us identify areas of improvement in our hiring process and ensure that the process is inclusive and non-discriminatory.