Senior/Staff Technical Program Manager - System Safety for Cross Functional Initiatives

About the role

Zoox is on an ambitious journey to develop a full-stack autonomous mobility solution for cities and to safely deploy a purpose-built robotaxi. Our System Design and Mission Assurance (SDMA) team plays a foundational role in this mission by constructing the safety case for each critical milestone. We are seeking a Senior Technical Program Manager to lead highly cross-functional initiatives that substantiate the safety case for Zoox’s autonomous software, vehicle platform, and operations.

Responsibilities

• Develop, drive, and own the end-to-end strategy for cross-functional Verification and Validation (V&V) programs from planning through execution and closure.
• Lead cross-functional coordination to define comprehensive simulation-based and structured test plans.
• Align validation pipelines and synchronize program execution across technical program managers and engineering leads.
• Manage risk assessments, track critical issues, drive cross-team resolutions, and escalate challenges where necessary.
• Define and track resource requirements, identify critical paths, and maintain visibility into key program milestones.
• Ensure program transparency, proactively identify risks, and drive mitigation strategies to maintain schedule and quality targets.
• Debrief company executives on program-critical topics.

Qualifications

• BS or MS degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 7+ years of experience leading complex technical programs or engineering initiatives, preferably in automotive, robotics, aerospace, or related industries.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams through critical paths and deliver programs under tight timelines.
• Proficiency with project and issue tracking tools such as JIRA, and familiarity with Gantt charting, dependency mapping, and critical path management.
• Strong technical foundation with the ability to collaborate effectively with deep engineering teams across hardware, software, and systems disciplines.
• Proven track record of driving cross-functional programs to completion in dynamic, fast-paced environments with multiple stakeholders.
• Proficiency with basic statistics and probability.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience with validation of safety-critical or high-integrity systems.
• Familiarity with simulation environments, software pipelines, and/or data-driven system modeling and analysis.
• Experience scaling validation and test strategies for complex autonomous systems.

Pay

$179,000 - $246,000 a year Base Salary Range

Schedule

Full-time