Technical Program Manager

Wayve•Sunnyvale, CA

11d•$171,600 - $274,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Founded in 2017, Wayve is the leading developer of Embodied AI technology. Our advanced AI software and foundation models enable vehicles to perceive, understand, and navigate any complex environment, enhancing the usability and safety of automated driving systems. Our vision is to create autonomy that propels the world forward. Our intelligent, mapless, and hardware-agnostic AI products are designed for automakers, accelerating the transition from assisted to automated driving. In our fast-paced environment big problems ignite us—we embrace uncertainty, leaning into complex challenges to unlock groundbreaking solutions. We aim high and stay humble in our pursuit of excellence, constantly learning and evolving as we pave the way for a smarter, safer future. At Wayve, your contributions matter. We value diversity, embrace new perspectives, and foster an inclusive work environment; we back each other to deliver impact. Make Wayve the experience that defines your career! As a Technical Program Manager at Wayve, you'll lead complex, cross-functional programs across our engineering org - spanning AI, software, robotics, infrastructure, evaluation, validation, data, and product. You'll turn ambiguity into clear plans and keep multi-team delivery predictable in a fast-moving environment. Working closely with engineering and cross-functional partners, your impact will be measured by your ability to deliver programs, drive efficiency, manage risk, and align execution with business goals. A successful TPM is a force multiplier - helping teams move faster, more effectively, and with purpose. We hire TPMs across several areas - for example robotics, evaluation & validation, AI platform, and data operations - and we'll explore the best fit with you through the process.

Requirements

5+ years leading complex, multi-team software or technology programs in fast-paced or early-stage environments. You get things done.
Comfortable working with engineers and reasoning about modern software, ML, and robotics stacks, even if you don't write code.
You reason about how the parts of a complex system fit together, and how a change in one area ripples into others.
Effective in high-tension, ambiguous situations; you flex your style to keep people aligned and moving.
Skilled at planning, prioritising, managing risk and dependencies, and adapting as things change.
You explain complex ideas simply, surface risk early, listen well, and keep teams aligned.
You bring people together, influence without authority, and create a positive team culture.
You keep the bigger picture in mind, stay calm under pressure, and find creative solutions.
You focus on outcomes and the people your programs serve - prioritising by impact and defining what good looks like, not just tracking activity.
Open to feedback and always looking to improve.

Nice To Haves

Ideally 8+ years as a Technical Program Manager.
An engineering or computer science degree, or experience working as an engineer; excels in Jira (or similar).
Exposure to autonomous vehicles, robotics, ML, simulation / evaluation, or other safety-critical or compute-heavy domains.

Responsibilities

Drive project delivery: Own the project lifecycle and improve delivery outcomes through structured execution and coordination.
Boost efficiency: Identify bottlenecks, streamline workflows, and improve tooling and resource allocation to increase throughput.
Enable cross-team collaboration: Improve alignment across teams through effective communication, shared goals, and faster decisions.
Manage risk proactively: Anticipate issues, develop mitigation plans, and minimise impact on timelines and quality.
Keep stakeholders aligned: Engage regularly with internal stakeholders, manage expectations, and deliver on commitments.
Align with business goals: Ensure programs directly support Wayve's strategic priorities by making smart scope and resource decisions.
Champion continuous improvement: Lead retros, encourage feedback, and implement changes to improve processes, team dynamics, and outcomes.