Principal Technical Program Manager, Autonomy

Position Overview

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Motional's Technical Programs (TPM) team is looking for an Autonomy Principal TPM to lead integrated software programs. This role demands strong leadership across product, autonomy, infrastructure, systems, operations, and testing teams to achieve company milestones. We seek an individual adept at navigating ambiguity, evaluating trade-offs, and fostering organizational alignment. A successful candidate will understand the requirements for delivering a driverless robotaxi (or similar autonomous system) and will champion the definition and achievement of the "definition of done." This is an exciting opportunity to make a significant impact at the forefront of autonomous vehicle technology.

Responsibilities

• Partner deeply with engineering leaders on autonomy-led programs across various teams and organizations.
• Ensure the organization's technical roadmap is well-defined and integrated with top-level programs.
• Instill an efficient program management mindset and workflow across teams.
• Enable and accelerate complex programs by improving prioritization clarity, identifying gaps and blind spots, and managing healthy issue escalations.
• Proactively identify and communicate risks, collaborating with teams to minimize their impact and likelihood.
• Partner with engineering leaders to scope, staff, and deliver mature AV behaviors/capabilities to meet company milestones.
• Define efficient communication processes, drive adoption, and broadly amplify program visibility.
• Communicate to leadership in regular forums, contribute to executive deliverables, and present team analyses and recommendations clearly and concisely.
• Understand technical implementation at the architectural level and propose technical alternatives when appropriate; ask questions that expose blind spots and challenge the status quo.
• Champion development efficiency and act as an effective proxy for engineering leads on program/organizational matters.

Requirements

• Minimum 7+ years of experience in program management roles leading complex, multi-disciplinary engineering programs.
• Knowledge of autonomous systems and development processes (e.g., perception, prediction, hardware, model training, simulation).
• Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or a relevant technical field.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to convey complex engineering issues to diverse audiences.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment across time zones with a positive, can-do attitude.

Bonus Points

• Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor junior team members.
• Experience in robotics, applied AI/ML, or relevant complex technical domains.
• Extensive demonstrated experience with the development lifecycle of ML models.
• Extensive demonstrated experience managing various stakeholder inputs at multiple levels.

Motional encourages applications from candidates who may not meet 100% of the listed qualifications but believe they can excel in this position and have a track record of growing into and succeeding in new roles.

The salary range provided is an estimate based on various factors including skills, experience, location, certifications, and business needs. It reflects base salary only; the role may also include additional compensation like bonuses or company equity. A recruiter can provide specific details about compensation and benefits during the hiring process. Certain positions are eligible for Motional’s benefits program, which includes medical, dental, and vision coverage.