Program Manager

An industry leader in autonomous driving technology is on a mission to revolutionize transportation, making it safe and effortless for everyone. Partnering with Aquent, this pioneering organization is seeking a dynamic professional to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of autonomous driving. In this impactful position, you will directly influence the safety, reliability, and efficiency of groundbreaking self-driving systems by optimizing complex workflows, leveraging advanced tools, and ensuring the seamless execution of critical validation testing. Your dedication and real-time problem-solving will directly contribute to how people and goods move globally, making this an unparalleled opportunity to drive continuous improvement at the forefront of technological innovation.

Key Responsibilities

• Support regional teams with coordination and execution to meet rigorous validation testing targets across operational sites and depots.
• Analyze operational performance data and leverage AI productivity tools to optimize daily workflows and support depot operations.
• Collaborate closely with site operations leads, supervisors, and cross-functional teams to ensure validation resources are efficiently utilized and testing targets are met.
• Provide daily operational oversight, issue triage, and coordination across vehicle platforms, software configurations, and vendor operations.
• Investigate shift performance, root-cause depot bottlenecks, vehicle online rates, and staffing shortages to drive operational efficiency.
• Review dashboards and spreadsheets for anomalies or performance drops during morning reporting, briefing regional managers on key insights.
• Triage fast-paced pings, escalations, and cross-functional requests in real-time throughout the day.
• Conduct on-site visits to inspect vehicle rollouts, monitor driver mission readiness, and resolve platform issues.
• Execute manual, time-intensive operational tasks when necessary, such as auditing route prioritization plans, demonstrating a willingness to get hands-on.
• Manage day-to-day oversight and performance tracking of operations vendors running driver fleets and depot operations.

Essential Qualifications

• Hands-on experience in physical operations environments (e.g., warehousing, delivery fleets, logistics, e-commerce fulfillment, transportation, autonomous vehicles).
• High comfort with ambiguity, rapid iteration, and shifting priorities.
• Low ego, willing to engage in manual operational tasks while capable of presenting to senior stakeholders.
• Strong spreadsheet skills (e.g., Google Sheets, Excel), including pivot tables and data trend identification.
• Ability to leverage AI productivity tools for automating tasks, data interpretation, and streamlining workflows.
• Flexible years of experience (5 to 25+ years welcome, provided skill match exists).

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with data visualization and query tools such as SQL, Looker, Tableau, or Power BI.
• Prior experience within a similar industry or with large-scale operational environments.