Sr. Technical Program Manager, Diagnostics

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies•Irvine, CA

About The Position

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture focused on developing technology for software-defined electric vehicles. The Diagnostics Team develops integrated diagnostic systems that monitor, analyze, and learn from vehicle fleets throughout their lifecycle. The Senior Technical Program Manager for the Diagnostics Organization aligns individual team plans with broader organizational and company goals. The role works across diagnostic system development, test and integration, software, calibration, and automation, as well as with teams across the software organization. It leads planning and execution across programs and projects, translating priorities and diagnostic maturity goals into scoped plans, milestones, deliverables, owners, and dependencies. The position maintains program tracking and reporting, monitors delivery risks and dependencies, coordinates decisions and recovery plans, and communicates program status to teams and leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science in Engineering, preferably Electrical, Mechanical, Mechatronics, or Software-related, or a similar technical discipline.
At least 5 years of experience serving in a technical program manager capacity.
Experience in OBD and diagnostics.
Demonstrated experience leading technical program planning and delivery across multiple engineering or software teams.
Experience translating technical and business priorities into milestones, deliverables, owners, dependencies, and release plans in a complex development environment.
Strong issue, risk, and dependency management skills, including driving timely decisions and recovery plans across teams without direct authority.
Ability to engage credibly with technical teams, understand constraints, and clearly communicate schedule, scope, and program impacts to engineering teams and leadership.
Knowledge of Agile and Waterfall development processes and program management tools.
High proficiency in issue management tools such as Jira, and experience using automation and AI to improve program management effectiveness.
Exceptional oral and written communication skills, including developing and delivering clear technical presentations.
Demonstrated ability to drive projects across diverse teams and communication preferences.
Demonstrated ability to deliver complex technical projects within time and resource constraints.
Ability to collaborate across multiple cross-functional disciplines, including with external stakeholders.
Ability to think quickly, prioritize, and make decisions that benefit the company using a first-principles approach.

Nice To Haves

Experience working at an automotive company and/or in a fast-paced start-up-type environment.

Responsibilities

Serve as technical program manager for the Diagnostics Organization, including its onboard and enhanced diagnostic system development, test and integration, software, calibration, and automation teams.
Work with each team to understand its technical discipline and needs and facilitate holistic team planning.
Track program goals, priorities, objectives, and timing across ongoing programs and projects, and communicate relevant information to teams.
Define quarterly goals and detailed plans with teams, including milestone schedules, scope, requirements, dependencies, and risks.
Lead quarterly and release-cycle planning for diagnostic initiatives across company programs.
Translate program priorities and diagnostic maturity goals into scoped plans, milestones, deliverables, owners, and dependencies.
Maintain program plans, Jira work tracking, milestone schedules, and diagnostic release and readout materials.
Develop dashboards, plans, and tracking and reporting tools, and provide regular metric-based updates to management.
Monitor program execution and track diagnostic deliverables against software, factory, field, and OTA release milestones.
Identify schedule and integration risks early, coordinate recovery plans with accountable owners, and communicate impacts.
Facilitate prioritization and scope decisions when program needs, team capacity, dependencies, or timing conflict; document and communicate resulting decisions and plan changes.
Translate input from programs, service, vehicle domains, and internal stakeholders into prioritized diagnostic needs, work items, owners, and cross-team handoffs.
Surface and drive resolution of delivery blockers by coordinating technical owners and partner teams, documenting decisions or required support, and escalating risks to commitments or milestones.
Prepare concise, metric-based status updates and leadership readouts covering milestone progress, risks, dependencies, decisions, and support needed.
Represent Diagnostics in program and domain planning forums.
Identify recurring planning, tracking, communication, and integration bottlenecks and coordinate improvements with the teams responsible for those processes.
Serve as the external main point of contact for detailed team scheduling and prioritization, shielding teams from outside distractions and interference.
Manage cross-team dependencies and risks, communicate initiative and milestone status to stakeholders, summarize reporting, raise and resolve risks, and celebrate wins.
Organize feedback from stakeholders such as Service, Manufacturing, Reliability, and Quality to support continuous improvement of the diagnostic ecosystem.

Benefits

Competitive base salary.
Eligibility for an annual company performance bonus program for full-time positions; payments are discretionary and not guaranteed.
Eligibility for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units, subject to board approval and applicable plan terms and vesting requirements.
Comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees, including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs; offerings vary by country.

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