Principal / Director of Technical Program Management

Who you are

• 10+ years delivering complex programs, incl. director-level leadership: You've owned large, multi-year, cross-org technical programs end-to-end and built and led program-management teams. Deep ownership and a bias for action
• Extensive AV / robotics experience: Deep experience delivering autonomous-vehicle or comparable safety-critical robotics programs - ideally toward driver-out / L4 - with real fluency in the systems, safety, and operational realities involved
• Safety-critical delivery: Fluent with safety cases, behaviour validation, functional safety (ISO 26262), SOTIF (ISO 21448), and safety management systems; you can hold a credible driver-out safety argument together across many workstreams
• People leadership: You build, coach, and grow high-performing teams - and develop other leaders - and raise the bar on the craft
• Technically strong: Credible with engineers and scientists across autonomy, ML, vehicle hardware / software, and systems, even though you won't write production code
• Stays neutral and adapts under pressure: Effective in ambiguous, fast-moving environments; you flex your style and bring structure without slowing delivery
• Systems thinking: You reason about how the parts of a complex, safety-critical system fit together, and how a change in one area ripples into others
• 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
• Exceptional cross-functional leadership: You align and influence engineering, science, safety, product, operations, and external partners at the most senior levels, without relying on authority
• Strategic & business impact: You link the program to Wayve's commercial path to market - and make the trade-offs that keep driver-out both safe and achievable
• Clear communicator: You set direction with clarity, steer with the right metrics, and communicate risk and readiness crisply to executives
• Growth mindset: Open to feedback and always looking to improve
• Experience taking an AV program to eyes-off / driverless operation, or launching a comparable safety-critical service
• Familiarity with OEM and mobility-partner (e.g. ride-hail) collaboration
• Background in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or another large-scale safety-critical program
• An engineering or computer science degree, or experience working as an engineer

What the job involves

• As Director of Technical Program Management for Driver Out at Wayve, you'll own the multi-year program that takes Wayve's autonomy technology and operationalises it - from our first eyes-off, driver-out demonstration through to a productised, scaled service on public roads
• Driver Out is the underlying technology program behind Wayve's robotaxi ambitions: where the robotaxi pilots prove the product in different markets, you own the safety, systems, and delivery foundations that make driver-out real
• You'll lead an org-wide effort spanning driving-model performance and safety, behaviour validation, the safety case, system architecture, functional safety and V&V, vehicle hardware and software, remote assistance, and operations - turning a complex web of “must be true” conditions into a sequenced, credible plan
• You'll partner with engineering, science, safety, product, and operations leaders (and external partners such as OEMs and Uber), and build and lead the TPM team beneath the program
• Your impact is measured in how safely and predictably Wayve moves from driver-in to driver-out
• A successful leader here is a force multiplier - creating clarity across a huge, ambiguous, safety-critical program
• Own the Driver Out program end-to-end: Define and drive the multi-year plan and milestones - from the first driver-out demonstration to public-road product integration and minimal scaling - from concept to operation
• Lead the program org: Build, coach, and grow the TPM team across the program; set the operating model and hold workstream leads to account
• Drive the critical path: Turn a complex set of “must be true” conditions into a sequenced plan; own dependencies, risk, and trade-offs across every workstream
• Own the safety-critical spine: Bring the safety case, behaviour validation, functional safety (ISO 26262), SOTIF (ISO 21448), cybersecurity, and the Safety Management System together into a credible, signed-off argument for driver-out
• Partner across the company and externally: Align engineering, science, safety, product, and operations - and external partners (OEMs, Uber) - on scope, sequencing, and readiness
• Establish scalable practices: Governance, milestone and launch-readiness reviews, KPIs and dashboards, escalations, and risk-budget management
• Represent Driver Out at the top: Report progress, risk, and readiness to the executive team, and steer the biggest calls

Benefits

• Private healthcare: Choose our optional health insurance for comprehensive coverage for you and your family.
• Paid time off: Paid vacation plus public holidays and additional leave programs, ensuring you have time to unwind.
• Mental health resources: Through Spill, you can access therapy and mental health support.
• Community and socials: Join clubs or attend team socials to connect over hobbies, sports, or just for fun.
• Competitive compensation: Our compensation package includes cash and equity, making you a true partner in our success.
• Learning and development: Budgets for books, courses, and company-wide training to support your continuous growth.