Staff Technical Program Manager, Embedded Software

About the role

The Staff Technical Program Manager, Embedded Software will drive programs at the core of how Aurora builds, validates, and ships embedded software. This role involves embedding deeply with one of our Embedded Software engineering teams, working at the intersection of hardware and software development to keep programs on track, surface risks early, and ensure our engineers have what they need to move fast and ship safely.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end planning and execution for a focused area of our Embedded Software organization, owning the program roadmap from early scoping through delivery.
• Track and manage dependencies between hardware and software teams, ensuring development milestones stay synchronized and risks are surfaced and addressed before they become blockers.
• Develop a strong working understanding of the team’s technical domain to ask the right questions, spot gaps, and drive meaningful conversations with engineers and leadership.
• Identify bottlenecks in development workflows, release processes, or tooling and work with engineering leadership to drive systemic improvements to team velocity.
• Proactively manage resource needs, flag gaps, and help leadership make informed tradeoffs between scope, schedule, and quality.
• Provide clear, data-driven program status and dependency tracking for engineering and executive leadership reviews.

Requirements

• Minimum 5 years of experience managing complex technical programs in an embedded software, firmware, or hardware-software integration environment.
• Proven ability to manage programs where software development is tightly coupled to physical hardware — understanding how hardware timelines affect software delivery and how to plan around that uncertainty.
• Experience managing software or firmware release cycles, including validation processes and rollback strategies for hardware-dependent software.
• Strong cross-functional communicator who can align hardware engineers, software engineers, and leadership around a shared program plan.

Qualifications

• Experience with autonomous vehicles, robotics, or the automotive industry.
• Familiarity with embedded systems concepts such as firmware development, sensor integration, onboard networking, or hardware bring-up.
• Experience with developing safety-critical software.
• Experience with hands-on software or firmware development.

Skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with project management tools and methodologies.

Benefits

Aurora offers a competitive base salary range of $181,000 - $290,000 per year, along with an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits. Aurora operates in a hybrid work environment where employees are expected to be in the office at least 3 days per week. The company is committed to safety and inclusion, and provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Pay

The base salary range for this position is $181,000-$290,000 per year. Aurora's pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Schedule

Working at Aurora involves a hybrid work environment where employees are expected to be in the office at least 3 days per week.

Benefits

Aurora offers a comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement plans, paid time off, and more. The company is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive workplace, and provides reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.