Technical Program Manager

Imagine playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of mobility by orchestrating the complex systems that bring cutting-edge autonomous vehicles to life. In this dynamic position, you will be the operational engine and technical coordinator driving the translation of high-level product concepts into safe, reliable, and revolutionary physical realities. Your work will directly impact how the world moves, collaborating with brilliant minds to solve some of the most complex engineering challenges of our time.

About the Partner and the Role

Aquent has partnered with a visionary leader in the autonomous vehicle industry dedicated to redefining urban transportation. Operating at the intersection of cutting-edge software and advanced automotive hardware, this company is developing next-generation mobility solutions designed to be safe, clean, and accessible for everyone. By joining this team through Aquent, you will collaborate with world-class engineers, safety specialists, and designers in an environment that thrives on innovation, rigorous engineering standards, and a shared passion for transforming the future of transit.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly collaborative and technically sharp professional to lead cross-functional alignment and execution for vehicle systems integration. In this role, you will partner closely with systems architects, safety specialists, and validation teams to ensure that complex functional architectures are seamlessly executed and rigorously tested. Rather than managing tasks passively, you will actively drive the systems engineering lifecycle, bridging the gap between high-level product definitions and technically sound, traceable implementations.

What You Will Do

• Orchestrate the requirements pipeline by managing the release train, maturity lifecycle, and governance for all System Technical Specifications (STS) across all key program milestones.
• Act as the operational owner of the System Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (SFMEA) lifecycle, facilitating multi-disciplinary workshops and driving safety mitigations into hardware and software schedules.
• Build and maintain a master dependency matrix linking styling, packaging, product, safety, vehicle systems engineering, and validation teams to proactively resolve timeline disconnects.
• Lead the program management of system-level Engineering Change Requests (ECRs), ensuring all downstream stakeholders evaluate timeline and resource impacts when requirements evolve.
• Define, track, and report on key health metrics of deliverables, such as requirement stability and verification progress, providing high-density status visibility to executive leadership.
• Support systems engineers in defining test asset configurations and mapping requirement validation across diverse test environments.

What You Bring

• 5+ years of experience driving complex, cross-functional projects from requirements through validation within an aerospace, autonomous vehicle, or advanced automotive environment.
• Deep, practical familiarity with the systems engineering "V-model" lifecycle, fail-operational architectures, and requirements management frameworks.
• Proven experience tracking and driving complex safety workflows, specifically SFMEAs, DFMEAs, FTAs (Fault Tree Analyses), and compliance standards such as ISO 26262 or MIL-STD-882.
• A strong technical background in vehicle E/E system design, electrical integration, or managing complex hardware/software interfaces.
• Expertise using standard project, change, and configuration management tools (such as Jira and Smartsheet) alongside requirements management tools (such as Jama, Polarion, or DOORS).
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate technical discussions, build consensus, and drive alignment among highly specialized domain experts without direct authority.
• A proactive, self-motivated mindset with the ability to identify risks early and thrive in rapid, highly organized design cycles.
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechatronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related technical field.

Bonus Qualifications

• Prior experience developing automotive systems within body or motion domains, such as brakes, steering, suspension, or body controllers.