Staff Technical Program Manager, Lidar

Aurora Innovation•Bozeman, MT

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, transfer crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all. We’re searching for a Technical Program Manager to join Aurora’s Lidar - Hardware Engineering team. The Lidar - Hardware Engineering team is responsible for coordinating and delivering lidar products from concept to production as an integral sensor to the Aurora Driver. As a Program Manager for our Lidar division, you will drive the end-to-end lifecycle of high-performance sensing hardware, from initial prototype builds through design validation and production scaling. You will serve as the connective tissue between engineering, supply chain, contract manufacturing and executive leadership to ensure technical milestones are met on time and within budget. In this role, you will

Requirements

Experience: 5+ years in hardware product program management, project management, or engineering leadership.
Project Tooling: 5+ years of experience in program/project management tools; spreadsheets, gantt programs: Smartsheets/MS Project, and Jira.
Execution: Proven track record of deconstructing complex projects into milestones and delivering results on schedule.
Communication: Exceptional verbal and written skills, with the ability to distill complex information for audiences at all levels.
Leadership: Expert collaborator with a high degree of organization and the ability to influence and motivate cross-functional teams under tight deadlines.
Technical Aptitude: Strong ability to grasp technical designs, interpret between technical fields, and proactively identify associated risks and challenges.
Manufacturing: 2+ years of experience transitioning technical products to contract manufacturers and managing production scaling.
Location & Travel: Based in Bozeman, MT, with the ability to travel up to 25% (including international). Minimum of 3 days in the office required, with 5 days in-office highly encouraged.

Nice To Haves

Experience with managing a product through automotive qualification milestones.
Experience managing licensed Intellectual Property
Experience managing a budget
Experience with sensor development, preferably Lidar or Radar

Responsibilities

Program Lifecycle Leadership : Lead Lidar product development through a local prototype build and Design Validation Testing (DVT); initiate and coordinate long-term scaling strategies.
Strategic Planning: Build and maintain detailed schedules that reconcile top-down executive constraints with bottoms-up technical development timelines.
Project Governance: Own the tracking and reporting of program scope, risk, and cost; deliver weekly status updates tailored to diverse audiences from engineers to executives.
Cross-Functional Orchestration: Partner with Safety, ME, EE, Optical, Firmware, DSP, DVP&R, and Manufacturing teams to synchronize technical workstreams and ensure a cohesive plan that meets all program objectives.
Supply & Manufacturing Integration: Support Global Supply Management (GSM) in supplier selection and the development of partnerships with Contract Manufacturers (CMs).
Operational Excellence: Refine existing tools or introduce new tools for change management, budget tracking, and workflow automation to instill a highly efficient programmatic mindset.
Risk & Conflict Resolution: Proactively identify communication gaps and resource conflicts; remove roadblocks to maintain momentum toward aggressive development goals.

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