Technical Program Manager - Vehicle Testing

Goken America; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 96,000 - 107,000; Full time

Job summary

Goken America in Foster City, CA, seeks an experienced Technical Program Manager to lead cross-functional vehicle test planning, hardware-software coordination, and milestone tracking. You will build schedules, identify risks, and communicate progress clearly across engineering teams.

Responsibilities include maintaining JIRA structures, coordinating dependencies, reporting program status to leadership, and driving process improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience in engineering (testing experience strongly preferred).
• 2+ years of experience in technical program management.
• Strong familiarity with hardware, software, and automotive development lifecycles.
• Proven success managing complex cross-functional technical programs using JIRA.
• Demonstrated ability to build strong working relationships with senior leaders and engineering teams.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to break down ambiguous technical problems into structured plans.
• Experience driving alignment among diverse stakeholders with competing priorities.
• Ability to maintain a high level view while delivering clear, structured, concise communication tailored to each audience.

Responsibilities

• Identify execution risks and implement immediate recovery plans.
• Run, maintain, and improve JIRA structures, sprint cadences, and reporting rituals.
• Manage cross-functional requests and close dependencies.
• Coordinate supplier and internal deliverables to meet milestones.
• Create technical presentations communicating program status and decisions.
• Collaborate to identify process improvements and best practices.
• Communicate challenges early, highlight risks, and drive mitigation.
• Analyze issues in deployed hardware or software.
• Ensure teams understand requirements, dependencies, and delivery expectations.
• Develop standardized leadership reporting on status and risks.
• Set agendas and drive decisions in recurring program meetings.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Skills

JIRA

Cross-functional leadership

Program management

Engineering lifecycle

Communication

Stakeholder management

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or related field

Tools

JIRA

Job description

Headquartered in Dublin, Ohio (USA) with Engineering Centers in Pune, India and Yokohama, Japan, Goken is a global Engineering Services and Product Development company founded in 2004. We partner with OEMs and suppliers across the mobility space, as well as clients in non-mobility industries, to deliver innovative solutions and accelerate product development.

At Goken, we embrace our motto of “Time to Innovate” by pushing boundaries, cultivating entrepreneurial thinking, and empowering individuals who thrive on tackling challenges, embrace fresh ideas, and are driven to create solutions that shape the future. This mindset fuels our mission and empowers our teams to solve complex problems, deliver measurable value, and move our clients and industries forward.

Our Vision is to empower associates to drive innovation and lead meaningful change wherever it’s needed, ensuring we stay ahead of the challenges and opportunities of tomorrow. Our Mission is to build trust that fosters greatness in our people, excellence in our clients, and positive impact in the communities we serve.

Goken offers a competitive compensation structure and benefits that support professional growth and personal well-being. We also foster a culture built on high performance, collaboration, continuous improvement, and ongoing professional development.

Summary

This role will work cross functionally with engineering leaders across hardware, software, vehicle systems, and products to manage vehicle test planning and coordination. You will partner with engineering teams to build schedules, define milestones, identify risks, and communicate progress with clarity and precision.

Responsibilities

• Work with engineering and test leads to identify execution risks — such as vehicle downtime, instrumentation delays, or hardware shortages — and implement immediate recovery plans.
• Run, maintain, and continuously improve our JIRA structures, sprint cadences, and reporting rituals. Goal is to create a system that allows engineers to focus on engineering while self-coordinating through your framework.
• Manage and disposition all cross-functional requests, ensuring dependencies between stakeholders are clearly defined and closed.
• Plan, track, and coordinate supplier and internal engineering deliverables to meet program milestones and performance targets.
• Create and deliver technical presentations that clearly communicate program status, decisions, and impacts across teams.
• Collaborate with engineering and cross functional partners to assess needs, identify process improvements, and establish best practices.
• Communicate challenges early, highlight risks, and drive mitigation plans across teams.
• Analyze and report on issues found in deployed hardware systems or software.
• Ensure all impacted teams understand their requirements, dependencies, and delivery expectations at all times.
• Develop standardized reporting for leadership on program status, risks, and accomplishments.
• Set agendas and drive decision making in recurring program meetings to remove blockers and reduce risk.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelors in engineering, computer science, or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years of experience in engineering (testing experience strongly preferred)
• 2+ years of experience in technical program management
• Strong familiarity with hardware, software, and/or automotive development lifecycles.
• Proven success managing complex, cross functional technical programs using JIRA
• Demonstrated ability to build strong working relationships with senior leaders and engineering teams.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to break down ambiguous technical problems into structured plans.
• Experience driving alignment among diverse stakeholders with competing priorities.
• Ability to maintain a high level view while delivering clear, structured, concise communication tailored to each audience.

The pay range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base pay only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.

California Pay Range: $70 USD - $78 USD

Goken is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive, and engaging workplace across all global locations. We value diversity and provide equal opportunities for career growth and professional development, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or any other characteristic protected by law.