# Senior/Staff Technical Program Manager - System Safety for Cross Functional Initiatives

**Company:** [Zoox](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/zoox)
**Location:** Foster City, CA
**Role:** Technical Program Management
**Salary:** $179k – $246k/yr
**Experience:** 7+ years
**Skills:** Jira, Gantt Charting, Dependency Mapping, Critical Path Management, Statistics, Probability, Simulation Environments, Software Pipelines, System Modeling, Autonomous Systems
**Posted:** 2026-01-30

> Leads cross-functional verification and validation programs for autonomous vehicle safety, coordinating across software, hardware, and operations teams to meet performance and reliability requirements. Requires 7+ years in technical program management, preferably in automotive or robotics.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities

- Develop, drive, and own the end-to-end strategy for cross-functional Verification and Validation (V&V) programs from planning through execution and closure.
- Lead cross-functional coordination to define comprehensive simulation-based and structured test plans.
- Align validation pipelines and synchronize program execution across technical program managers and engineering leads.
- Manage risk assessments, track critical issues, drive cross-team resolutions, and escalate challenges where necessary.
- Define and track resource requirements, identify critical paths, and maintain visibility into key program milestones.
- Ensure program transparency, proactively identify risks, and drive mitigation strategies to maintain schedule and quality targets.
- Debrief company executives on program-critical topics.

## Qualifications

- BS or MS degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 7+ years of experience leading complex technical programs or engineering initiatives, preferably in automotive, robotics, aerospace, or related industries.
- Demonstrated ability to lead technical teams through critical paths and deliver programs under tight timelines.
- Proficiency with project and issue tracking tools such as **JIRA**, and familiarity with Gantt charting, dependency mapping, and critical path management.
- Strong technical foundation with the ability to collaborate effectively with deep engineering teams across hardware, software, and systems disciplines.
- Proven track record of driving cross-functional programs to completion in dynamic, fast-paced environments with multiple stakeholders.
- Proficiency with basic statistics and probability.

## Bonus Qualifications

- Experience with validation of safety-critical or high-integrity systems.
- Familiarity with simulation environments, software pipelines, and/or data-driven system modeling and analysis.
- Experience scaling validation and test strategies for complex autonomous systems.

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