Staff Program Manager, Cost Out & Productivity

Aurora•Coppell, TX

6d•$115,000 - $166,500•Hybrid

About The Position

Aurora’s mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly. The Aurora Driver will create a new era in mobility and logistics, one that will bring a safer, more efficient, and more accessible future to everyone. At Aurora, you will tackle massively complex problems alongside other passionate, intelligent individuals, growing as an expert while expanding your knowledge. For the latest news from Aurora, visit aurora.tech or follow us on LinkedIn. As a Staff Program Manager, Cost Out & Productivity, you own cost-to-serve reduction across the partner portfolio. You Identify and drive optimization opportunities; track year-over-year cost efficiency improvement; partner with regional leads to build productivity initiatives into vendor scorecards and QBRs. This role requires significant autonomy, strong business judgment, and the ability to create structure and alignment across complex, ambiguous problems. You will help shape how critical partnerships operate at scale and influence decisions across multiple functions and levels of leadership.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business, Operations, Supply Chain, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience; advanced degree preferred.
7+ years of relevant experience in program management, cost/productivity management, operations, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience independently leading complex, data-driven cost-reduction or productivity programs across functions.
Proven ability to define governance mechanisms and performance systems for cost efficiency in ambiguous environments.
Track record of delivering measurable cost or efficiency outcomes through cross-functional leadership.
Strong executive communication, business judgment, and stakeholder influence skills.
Advanced experience developing and using metrics, controls, and performance systems to drive decisions, including tools such as Python, Tableau, or Power BI.
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification, or ability to obtain certification within 90 days of hire.

Nice To Haves

Extensive experience in vendor management, supply chain, or service-provider ecosystems, particularly around cost and productivity levers.
Experience establishing scalable cost-tracking or governance approaches across multiple programs or partner categories.
Demonstrated success influencing significant business decisions without direct authority.
Experience designing scalable operating mechanisms in rapidly growing or complex environments.
Experience in transportation, logistics, or autonomous vehicle operations.
Certifications such as PMP, CSP, Six Sigma, CFSE/P, or other relevant safety or project management certifications.
Experience with Jira, Jama, Confluence, Google Suite.

Responsibilities

Serve as the strategic owner for cost-to-serve performance across the partner portfolio, defining the measurement framework, targets, and improvement roadmap.
Analyze cost trends across partner categories to identify systemic inefficiencies, pricing anomalies, and consolidation or renegotiation opportunities before they impact commercial operations.
Partner with category leads (Partnership Program Managers, Supplier Quality, Ops Quality) to embed cost and productivity metrics into vendor scorecards and Quarterly Business Reviews.
Lead cross-functional cost-out initiatives, applying Lean Six Sigma and DMAIC methodology to eliminate waste in both Aurora's and partners' processes.
Build and maintain reporting infrastructure (dashboards, models) that gives leadership a clear, real-time view of cost-to-serve by partner category.
Frame cost tradeoffs, risks, and business cases for senior and executive leaders, driving alignment across Operations, Finance, and Corporate Development.
Establish reusable cost-optimization playbooks and mentor category leads on applying productivity rigor to their own vendor relationships.