Manager, Electrical Design Technical Program Management

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies•Palo Alto, CA

About The Position

As RVT's ECU portfolio grows across vehicle platforms and brand partner programs, the pace and rigor of ECU development has never been more critical. Our Electrical Hardware Technical Program Management team is seeking a Manager to own program execution for a portfolio of electronic control units (ECUs) focused on Infotainment and Connectivity subsystems. Your strategic planning and team coordination will span hardware design, development, release, and validation across the full product development lifecycle. In this role, you will serve as the voice of the Electrical Hardware team within the broader cross-functional organization, championing vehicle program interests while driving execution inside the Electrical Hardware team. You will own end-to-end delivery accountability for your team’s ECU portfolio: building and maintaining engineering schedules, identifying and mitigating programmatic risks, coordinating with suppliers and cross-functional partners, and ensuring that all pre-production builds are supported to enable critical path HW/SW integration timelines and vehicle builds. Strategically, you will also partner with ECU TPM senior leadership and cross-functional engineering leadership to drive critical documentation and process improvement initiatives to enable our agile development to scale. Your role will also require relentless pursuit of ‘shift left’ opportunities to enable hardware and software teams to learn faster and shorten development cycles, allowing our brand partners to bring vehicles to market rapidly with high quality. This role requires high levels of initiative, independent judgment, and both direct and indirect leadership capability. The right candidate brings strong program management instincts, a hands-on technical foundation, and the organizational influence to drive complex, multi-team efforts to completion.

Requirements

8+ years of experience on a program team or equivalent experience in technical program management, engineering, or product development.
Experience managing and developing teams of technical program managers; demonstrated ability to hire, mentor, and grow technical talent.
BS or MS degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical field.
Detailed knowledge of electronics design, development, validation, and integration processes, including PCBA design, mechanical assemblies, and complex system-level assemblies.
Prior relevant engineering experience in ME, EE, or systems engineering.
Experience working with Contract Manufacturers and vendors for PCBA, mechanical housings, and high-level assemblies.
Outstanding program management skills: demonstrated ability to develop program plans, schedules, and clear definitions of program goals across complex, multi-team efforts.
Proven experience developing, launching, and sustaining complex electromechanical products through the full product lifecycle.
Demonstrated ability to identify and solve complex program and technical issues with sound judgment and initiative.
Strong communication skills with the ability to translate complex technical topics for both engineering and executive audiences.
Proven experience tracking and driving the progress of multiple concurrent projects.
Strong team player and leader known for building trust, collaborating, and partnering effectively with cross-functional teams.
Familiarity with Atlassian-based tools including Jira and Confluence.
Ability to travel domestically and internationally to support builds, supplier sites, and vehicle program locations as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Build-to-Print Contract Manufacturer models, as well as JDM (Joint Development Manufacturer) or Tier 1 supplier partners in a co-development context.
Familiarity with ECU hardware validation requirements including ISO 26262 functional safety processes, FMEA, and risk-based test coverage strategies.
Eager to explore AI-driven solutions across communication, reporting, visualizations, and analysis.

Responsibilities

Build and lead a high-performing team of ECU Technical Program Managers; set clear goals, provide technical mentorship, and develop talent for growth.
Develop and maintain integrated engineering and delivery schedules for ECU programs; closely track engineering progress against HW/SW integration critical paths and vehicle-level program gates.
Act as the primary interface between the Infotainment/Connectivity ECU team and stakeholders across Hardware Engineering, Software Platform/Application, Integration, Architecture, Supply Chain/Purchasing and other teams to identify critical path dependencies and ensure synchronized deliveries.
Coordinate with Vehicle-level program managers to ensure ECU dependencies are reflected in top-line program schedules.
Lead build readiness reviews across engineering, pilot, and pre-production phases, ensuring all ECU deliverables and documentation are in place to support each gate.
Lead and drive ECU development and integration via design reviews and cross-functional working sessions; ensure pre-production builds are fully supported through launch.
Identify programmatic risks early and drive mitigation plans to reduce exposure; champion and escalate issues and remove roadblocks to protect timing.
Plan and maintain project budgets and cost forecasts in alignment with program needs.
Drive requirements capture, documentation and process development / improvement across engineering and programmatic workstreams, in collaboration with senior ECU TPM and Electrical Hardware Engineering leaders