Technical Program Manager - Vehicle Testing

Gokenamericallc; Foster City (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 78,000; Full time

Job summary

Goken America LLC is seeking a seasoned Technical Program Manager to lead cross-functional efforts across hardware, software, vehicle systems, and products. You will manage vehicle test planning, define milestones, identify risks, and communicate progress with clarity and precision.

You will partner with engineering teams to build schedules, coordinate dependencies, and drive programs from concept through delivery, leveraging JIRA structures and reporting rituals to enable engineers to focus on

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, CS, or equivalent experience.
• 7+ years engineering experience, testing preferred.
• 2+ years in technical program management.
• Experience with hardware, software, and automotive development lifecycles.
• Proven success managing cross-functional technical programs using JIRA.
• Ability to communicate with senior leaders and engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Identify execution risks with engineering and test leads and implement recovery plans.
• Maintain and improve JIRA structures, sprints, and reporting rituals.
• Manage cross-functional requests and define/close dependencies.
• Plan and coordinate supplier and internal deliverables to meet milestones.
• Create presentations communicating program status, decisions, and impacts.
• Collaborate to identify process improvements and best practices.
• Communicate risks early and drive mitigation plans.
• Analyze issues in deployed hardware or software.
• Ensure teams understand requirements, dependencies, and delivery expectations.
• Develop standardized leadership reporting on status, risks, and accomplishments.
• Set agendas and drive decision making in program meetings.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Skills

Technical program management

JIRA

Cross-functional collaboration

Stakeholder management

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering or computer science

Tools

JIRA

Job description

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.

California Pay Range: $70 – $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.