Technical Program Manager - Vehicle System Integration

DeWinter BH; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

DeWinter Group is seeking a Technical Program Manager for Vehicle System Integration in Foster City, CA. The role leads cross-functional execution to translate high-level product definitions into safe, traceable system implementations.

You will coordinate with Systems Architects, Safety, Validation, Design, Product, Electrical and Software teams, Manufacturing, and other engineering stakeholders to drive requirements through validation and ensure alignment with program milestones.

Qualifications

• 5+ years as a Technical Program Manager or Systems Engineer in aerospace, autonomous vehicle, or advanced automotive environments.
• Proven success driving cross-functional programs from requirements definition through validation.
• Knowledge of systems engineering V-model lifecycle and fail-operational architectures.
• Experience with safety workflows: SFMEA, DFMEA, FTA and ISO 26262 / MIL-STD-882 processes.
• Strong background in vehicle electrical/electronic system design and hardware/software interfaces.
• Familiarity with JIRA, Smartsheet and requirements management tools (Jama/Polarion/DOORS).
• Ability to facilitate discussions across hardware, software, safety, and manufacturing teams.
• Proven ability to build consensus and drive accountability without direct authority.
• Strong risk management, issue resolution, and prioritization skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead cross-functional execution translating product definitions into system-level implementations.
• Manage STS maturity and SFMEA workflows, coordinate engineering changes and test asset configurations.
• Drive requirements through validation to ensure alignment with program milestones.
• Facilitate technical discussions among hardware, software, safety, and manufacturing teams.

Skills

Systems engineering

V-model lifecycle

SFMEA

DFMEA

FTA

ISO 26262 / MIL-STD-882

Cross-functional leadership

Requirements management

JIRA

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechatronics, Electrical, Aerospace or Systems Engineering

Tools

JIRA

Smartsheet

Jama

Polarion

DOORS

Job description

Technical Program Manager - Vehicle System Integration

Overview

Lead the cross-functional execution behind a vehicle’s functional architecture as a Technical Program Manager supporting a Systems Engineering team. This role serves as the operational engine and technical coordinator responsible for translating high-level product definitions into safe, traceable, and technically sound system-level implementations.

You will partner with Systems Architects, Safety Specialists, Validation, Industrial Design, Product, Electrical and Software teams, Manufacturing, and other engineering stakeholders to drive requirements through validation. From managing System Technical Specification (STS) maturity and System Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (SFMEA) workflows to coordinating engineering changes and test asset configurations, you will help ensure complex vehicle systems remain aligned with program milestones and engineering objectives.

Required Skills and Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience as a Technical Program Manager or Systems Engineer in an aerospace, autonomous vehicle, or advanced automotive environment.
• Proven success driving complex, cross-functional programs from requirements definition through validation.
• Practical knowledge of the systems engineering V-model lifecycle, fail-operational architectures, and requirements management frameworks.
• Experience managing safety workflows, including:
• System Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (SFMEA)
• Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA)
• Fault Tree Analysis (FTA)
• ISO 26262 and/or MIL-STD-882 compliance processes
• Strong background in vehicle electrical/electronic system design, electrical integration, or complex hardware/software interfaces.
• Experience with project, change, and configuration management tools such as JIRA or Smartsheet.
• Experience with requirements management tools and processes such as Jama, Polarion, or DOORS.
• Ability to facilitate technical and non-technical discussions with highly specialized teams, including hardware, software, safety, and manufacturing.
• Demonstrated ability to build consensus and drive accountability without direct authority.
• Strong risk identification, issue resolution, organizational, and prioritization skills.
• Ability to thrive in rapid design cycles and remain flexible and highly organized amid uncertainty.
• Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills.

Nice-to-Have Skills

• Experience developing automotive systems in body or motion domains, such as:
• Braking
• Steering
• Suspension
• Body controllers
• Experience coordinating system-level Engineering Change Requests (ECRs).
• Experience developing dependency matrices across product development, styling and packaging, safety, vehicle systems, vehicle integration, and validation teams.
• Experience defining or tracking test asset configurations and mapping requirements to validation environments.
• Experience creating program health metrics related to requirement stability, SFMEA action-item closure, verification progress, and engineering maturity.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Mechatronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in technical program management or systems engineering within aerospace, autonomous vehicles, or advanced automotive development.

Other Requirements

• Work arrangement: Onsite in Foster City, California.
• Engagement: W2 only.
• Duration: 6 months.
• Start: ASAP.
• Ability to coordinate effectively across multiple technical and business functions and maintain execution against demanding vehicle program milestones.