Senior / Staff Technical Program Manager

Who you are

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Research, Operations Management, or a STEM field
• 10+ years of program management experience, with a strong preference for backgrounds that blend technical depth with operational execution
• Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale, highly cross-functional programs with significant organizational impact
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity — able to structure undefined problems, build frameworks from scratch, and drive toward clarity
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills across engineering, product, and operations audiences
• Deeply data-driven — not just tracking metrics but validating them, questioning outputs that don't add up, and pushing back when the data tells the wrong story
• Proficient with modern AI tools and workflows (e.g., Gemini, Claude, MCP APIs, cloud-based coding environments) and actively applies them to drive operational efficiency and better decision-making
• Experience in autonomous vehicles, aerospace, ride-hail, robotics, or fleet management
• Background in systems engineering, software development, or technical operations
• MBA or Master's degree in a STEM field
• PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification
• Experience with vehicle testing, validation, or disengagement analysis

What the job involves

• We're looking for an experienced, forward-thinking Senior / Staff Program Manager to help define and execute strategies that scale our Verification & Validation (V&V) operations
• Our testing fleet — hundreds of vehicles across multiple cities and private tracks — is growing rapidly in size and geographic reach
• This is a highly cross-functional role operating at the intersection of operations, autonomy, engineering, and product — requiring someone who can navigate technical complexity while driving alignment and execution across a broad set of stakeholders
• Lead and coordinate large-scale, highly cross-functional programs spanning Autonomy, Product, Infrastructure, Engineering, and Safety teams to drive measurable improvements in fleet efficiency and software quality
• Own and drive operational efficiency initiatives that span multiple engineering, field service, and operations teams — identifying bottlenecks, aligning stakeholders, and unblocking downstream execution
• Partner with System Design & Mission Assurance and other safety teams to gather and pressure-test requirements — bringing a critical lens to ensure what's being asked for is the right thing to build or prioritize
• Champion the adoption of AI and data-driven tools within operations — including building centralized, multi-source reporting systems that surface actionable intelligence from the field and feed into leadership decision-making
• Run monthly business reviews (MBRs) with a broad set of stakeholders — synthesizing ground-level signals from market leads and operational locations into clear recommendations on resources, partnerships, and priorities for leadership
• Define and track the right operational metrics — not just reporting on what exists, but actively shaping what should be measured and why
• Partner with Finance to support operational and financial planning cycles (OP1, OP2, quarterly R&O), ensuring budgets reflect operational needs accurately and efficiently
• Lead key efficiency initiatives across our L3 and robotaxi R&D fleets, including improvements in fleet utilization, time-in-autonomy, troubleshooting cycle times, and operational infrastructure
• Manage program timelines, resources, and deliverables; proactively identify and mitigate operational and programmatic risks
• Create and maintain program documentation and progress reports for senior leadership

Benefits

• Paid parental leave
• Affinity groups and sports clubs
• Work from home opportunities
• Health insurance
• Our crew’s health and happiness is our first priority. We offer comprehensive health and mental health support, a wellbeing program, and unlimited and flexible paid time away
• We invest in our crew—and their families—for the long term. That includes generous family planning support, caregiver support, and strong cash compensation with great equity upside
• We look after our crew when they’re in the office too. Our famous food program is a great example, featuring a daily changing menu of local and sustainable dishes
• There’s a busy calendar of social events at Zoox, with more sports teams than you can count. And, of course, playing with robots is an important part of the job description