Senior / Staff Program Manager, Verification and Validation Operations

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate large-scale, highly cross-functional programs spanning Autonomy, Product, Infrastructure, Engineering, and Safety teams to drive measurable improvements in fleet efficiency and software quality.
• Own and drive operational efficiency initiatives that span multiple engineering, field service, and operations teams — identifying bottlenecks, aligning stakeholders, and unblocking downstream execution.
• Partner with System Design & Mission Assurance and other safety teams to gather and pressure-test requirements — bringing a critical lens to ensure what's being asked for is the right thing to build or prioritize.
• Champion the adoption of AI and data-driven tools within operations — including building centralized, multi-source reporting systems that surface actionable intelligence from the field and feed into leadership decision-making.
• Run monthly business reviews (MBRs) with a broad set of stakeholders — synthesizing ground-level signals from market leads and operational locations into clear recommendations on resources, partnerships, and priorities for leadership.
• Define and track the right operational metrics — not just reporting on what exists, but actively shaping what should be measured and why.
• Partner with Finance to support operational and financial planning cycles (OP1, OP2, quarterly R&O), ensuring budgets reflect operational needs accurately and efficiently.
• Lead key efficiency initiatives across our L3 and robotaxi R&D fleets, including improvements in fleet utilization, time-in-autonomy, troubleshooting cycle times, and operational infrastructure.
• Manage program timelines, resources, and deliverables; proactively identify and mitigate operational and programmatic risks.
• Create and maintain program documentation and progress reports for senior leadership.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Research, Operations Management, or a STEM field.
• 10+ years of program management experience, with a strong preference for backgrounds that blend technical depth with operational execution.
• Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale, highly cross-functional programs with significant organizational impact.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity — able to structure undefined problems, build frameworks from scratch, and drive toward clarity.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills across engineering, product, and operations audiences.
• Deeply data-driven — not just tracking metrics but validating them, questioning outputs that don't add up, and pushing back when the data tells the wrong story.
• Proficient with modern AI tools and workflows (e.g., Gemini, Claude, MCP APIs, cloud-based coding environments) and actively applies them to drive operational efficiency and better decision-making.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience in autonomous vehicles, aerospace, ride-hail, robotics, or fleet management.
• Background in systems engineering, software development, or technical operations.
• MBA or Master's degree in a STEM field.
• PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification.
• Experience with vehicle testing, validation, or disengagement analysis.