Senior Technical Program Manager - NPI

Zoox•Foster City, CA

About The Position

Zoox is seeking a technical program manager to support test development for New Product Introduction (NPI) efforts. This role involves cross-functional collaboration with test, manufacturing, software, vehicle engineering, and supply chain procurement teams. The successful candidate will drive and organize validation of production intent changes and ensure manufacturing line readiness. Responsibilities include developing project schedules, identifying risks, and ensuring timely delivery from internal and external teams. The Test and Diagnostics Engineering (TDE) team is responsible for test solutions across the product lifecycle, from "chip" to "car" to "care," covering sensor stacks, compute units, and the autonomous platform. This role specifically focuses on ensuring test solutions are production-ready throughout these phases. Zoox operates in a fast-paced environment, requiring TPMs to adeptly manage both technical and project management aspects.

Requirements

BS or MS in engineering (electrical/electronics, computer hardware, software, or related fields)
8+ years of industry experience in a similar role spanning project management and engineering.
Technical expertise combined with strong project management skills.
Experience driving complex projects in a cross-functional environment with competing priorities.
Excellent communication skills across diverse audiences (senior management, engineers) using written and verbal methods.
Strong expertise in common tools for project management - Jira, Google Suite (spreadsheets, slides), planning tools such as Gantt charts.

Nice To Haves

Previous experience in a similar NPI role in electronics or automotive manufacturing.
Aptitude for learning new skills and technologies, for example, using AI to automate and simplify KPI calculations and reporting.
Ability to distill complex technical information into clear messages for the audience.
Track record of managing complex projects at other autonomous vehicle companies.
Familiarity with data analysis - knowledge of programming (Python or similar) and data analysis/extraction (SQL, Looker) are definite pluses.

Responsibilities

Own the roadmap for NPI on the manufacturing line, collaborating with cross-functional leadership to plan and organize cut-ins for software and hardware changes for the Zoox robotaxi.
Define, drive, and develop key KPIs for introducing hardware and software changes to the Zoox robotaxi on the manufacturing line.
Establish timelines and drive cross-functional deliverables to minimize impact on manufacturing operations.
Coordinate with hardware and software engineering, logistics and supply chain, manufacturing operations, and the test team to source, validate, and plan cut-ins to the line.
Highlight risks, communicate clearly to stakeholders, and continuously evaluate schedule impact.
Own the planning for demand and retrofit planning, incorporating a schedule for trials and validation.