ADS Program Manager

Altair Engineering, Inc.•Troy, MI

About The Position

Our client in Ann Arbor, MI is looking for an ADS Program Manager. This is a contract position. As a Program Manager, you will lead the planning, coordination, and execution of complex Automated Driving Systems (ADS) programs from concept through production. You’ll serve as the bridge between engineering and product, ensuring technical excellence, schedule adherence, and alignment to strategic objectives. Your role combines program leadership, cross-functional orchestration, and technical understanding to deliver advanced mobility features that meet Our Client’s high standards for safety, quality, and performance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
8+ years of experience in program or project management within automotive systems, preferably ADS/ADAS.
Proven record of delivering complex system or software programs in compliance with ASPICE and ISO 26262.
Strong organizational and communication skills, with ability to manage multiple global stakeholders.
Proficiency with project management and engineering tools (e.g., MS Project, JIRA, ADO, Confluence, DOORS).

Nice To Haves

PMP or equivalent certification.

Responsibilities

Drive end-to-end program planning — defining scope, objectives, deliverables, and key milestones for ADS and ADAS features.
Develop and maintain detailed program schedules, dashboards, and risk registers to ensure transparency and accountability.
Manage dependencies across multiple engineering disciplines (software, system, validation, hardware).
Proactively identify risks, assess impacts, and drive mitigation or escalation actions to maintain timing and quality goals.
Lead cross-functional reviews to assess readiness for key program milestones (design reviews, software integration points, validation gates).
Serve as the primary liaison between engineering, product planning, global counterparts (including Japan), and executive management.
Translate complex technical topics into clear program updates, enabling data-driven decisions at all levels of the organization.
Facilitate collaboration and conflict resolution across diverse teams and time zones to ensure alignment on priorities and deliverables.
Support senior leadership with program summaries, KPI tracking, and executive presentations.
Partner with System and Software Engineering teams to ensure requirements, specifications, and validation plans align with program intent.
Manage change control processes to balance feature requests, timing constraints, and cost targets.
Oversee documentation quality and configuration management in compliance with ASPICE, ISO 26262, and internal governance processes.
Define and monitor KPIs (schedule adherence, defect trends, validation coverage, software maturity).
Leverage data analytics to drive continuous improvement in development efficiency, issue closure rate, and cross-functional communication.
Identify opportunities to streamline processes, automate reporting, and enhance team coordination tools.
Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and proactive problem solving across all partner teams.
Mentor junior program leads and engineers on project management discipline and cross-functional communication.
Champion Our Client’s values of respect for people and continuous improvement (Kaizen) in every phase of development.