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Senior Technical Program Manager - Vehicle Attributes

Zoox
Foster City, CA
Full-time
193,000 – 231,000 / year
You apply on Zoox's own careers site

This senior technical program manager will coordinate development and delivery of Zoox vehicle attributes such as noise, vibration, sound, ride, and handling. The role connects vehicle and robotics engineering teams, manages test and hardware dependencies, and provides concise progress updates to leadership.

Permanent
On-site
8+ years
Bachelor's Degree or equivalent practical experience

Skills & Expertise

Technical program management
JIRA
Vehicle systems
Prototype vehicle testing
Hardware-software coordination
Project reporting
Risk management
Hardware-in-the-loop testing

Key Responsibilities

Own delivery of vehicle attribute milestones and clear technical bottlenecks affecting program progress.

Coordinate hardware, software, and validation dependencies and develop recovery plans for local risks.

Maintain JIRA workflows and reporting rituals, translating technical status into leadership updates.

Full Description

Zoox is developing the first ground-up, fully autonomous vehicle fleet and the supporting ecosystem required to bring this technology to market. Sitting at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and design, Zoox aims to provide the next generation of mobility-as-a-service in urban environments. We’re looking for top talent that shares our passion and wants to be part of a fast-moving and highly execution-oriented team.

As the Senior Technical Program Manager (TPM) for Vehicle Attributes, you will be the operational engine and technical coordinator behind vehicle attribute development (NVH, sound and voice, ride and handling, etc.). Partnering with a world-class team of robotics, controls, and vehicle engineers, you won’t just track status — you will anticipate risks, engineer frameworks that optimize development velocity, and bridge the gap between complex engineering and executive strategy.

In this role you will:

• Own the end-to-end delivery of critical vehicle attribute milestones, proactively clearing technical bottlenecks to keep programs on track.

• Partner with attribute and test leads to surface local risks (e.g., vehicle downtime, hardware shortages) and architect immediate recovery plans.

• Design and maintain lightweight JIRA workflows, sprint cadences, and reporting rituals that maximize engineering focus and minimize admin debt.

• Act as the primary interface for cross-functional requests, ensuring hardware, software, and validation dependencies are tightly coordinated.

• Translate fast-moving, complex technical data into concise, actionable updates for leadership.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of technical program management experience delivering complex automotive, aerospace, or robotics hardware programs.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field (or equivalent practical experience).

• Deep understanding of vehicle systems, development cycles, and prototype/pre-production testing.

• Expert-level capability structuring JIRA boards, workflows, and dashboards for real-time project health visibility.

• A proven "closer" mindset with a high sense of autonomy, excellent synthesis skills, and a calm demeanor under shifting priorities.

Bonus Qualifications

• Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Electrical Engineering.

• Direct experience working with autonomous vehicle platforms, ADAS, or complex robotic systems.

• Experience in a fast-paced startup or high-growth "execution-first" environment.

• Familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and prototype vehicle asset management.

Base Salary Range

There are three major components to compensation for this position: salary, Amazon Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), and Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights. A sign-on bonus may be offered as part of the compensation package. The listed range applies only to the base salary. Compensation will vary based on geographic location and level. Leveling, as well as positioning within a level, is determined by a range of factors, including, but not limited to, a candidate's relevant years of experience, domain knowledge, and interview performance. The salary range listed in this posting is representative of the range of levels Zoox is considering for this position.

Zoox also offers a comprehensive package of benefits, including paid time off (e.g. sick leave, vacation, bereavement), unpaid time off, Zoox Stock Appreciation Rights, Amazon RSUs, health insurance, long-term care insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance, and life insurance.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Applications are handled on Zoox's site