Technical Program Manager - Body & Closures at Zoox (Foster City, CA)Technical Program Manager - Body & Closures

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Tell potential applicants about the team’s core values. This will help ensure candidates who share Zoox’s values apply. Highlight the broader impact of the team and Zoox. Quality applicants are drawn to work that is meaningful. How will a candidate be contributing and making a difference? Communicate that there are opportunities for learning and growth. Great candidates seek out companies that support growth and learning.

Remember: Candidates are looking for cues about whether or not they will fit in at Zoox, so make sure your  language is balanced and inclusive.

Example: The Autonomous Driving Software Integration team at Zoox is responsible for bringing together the computer science world with the automotive world in order to create an amazing product for everyone. Our team has a collaborative culture marked by openness and supportive risk-taking. You’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to making cities safer, smarter and more sustainable.

Together with the team, you will define the driving experience of the robot by engineering application software responsible for decision making, trajectory planning, and controls. We are looking for an engineer who is excited to traverse the autonomous driving compute stack, loves to learn new things, and likes to take ownership of major software components. If you like to work close to the robot platform and enjoy experiencing your developed software in the robot, we would like to hear from you.

• Data Science
• Communications
• Design and Product
• Operations
• Finance
• Procurement
• Hardware Engineering
• Product Security
• Human Resources
• Program Management
• Information Technology
• Quality
• Legal and Policy
• Software Engineering
• Manufacturing Operations
• Supply Chain
• Systems and Safety

In this role, you will:

• Serve as the program and technical lead for the vehicle program across Body (BIW, structures) & Closures (doors, mechanisms, glazing), collaborating with internal engineers and external supplier design teams to ensure cohesive engineering execution.
• Oversee BOM integrity, approve critical build processes, and drive quality and cost engineering initiatives throughout the supply chain for your major assemblies.
• Develop program schedules and partner with suppliers, quality, procurement, service, manufacturing, and engineering teams to drive complex open issues to closure and ensure on-time delivery.
• Identify and communicate program progress, engineering challenges, and technical risks while proactively developing and leading strategic mitigation plans across the organization.
• Lead the root-cause analysis and tracking of critical build and design issues impacting vehicle performance, quality, and production readiness to drive long-term engineering solutions.
• Influence system designs to optimize performance, cost, quality, manufacturability, and serviceability by leading top-level design reviews, DFMEAs, validation programs, and manufacturing mock-builds.
• Support the team as a design engineer as needed, using first-principles engineering to develop and mature designs in Catia and 3DEXPERIENCE.

• B.S. or M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineer, or a related technical discipline
• 6+ years of automotive engineering experience, with focus on Body and Closures, and technical project management.
• Proficiency with advanced automotive engineering tools and methodologies, including CATIA V5/V6, PLM/BOM management, FMEA/FTA, structured root-cause analysis (8D, Fishbone), project management tools (e.g., JIRA, Confluence, Polarion, Gantt charts, ERP, PLM, ALM).
• Experience designing for attributes such as crash, NVH, reliability, strength, and corrosion.
• A proven track record of managing complex cross-functional projects and delivering components via external design suppliers and contract manufacturers.
• Ability to drive outsource engineering
• End-to-end New Product Introduction (NPI) experience.
• Strong collaboration and communication skills across all levels, from peers and suppliers to manufacturing and executive management.
• Ability to travel globally as required.

Bonus Qualifications

• Experience working at an automotive OEM.
• Familiarity with hardware/firmware product development and vehicle CAN/Firmware.
• A passion for electronic, autonomous mobility.

Zoox is developing the first ground-up, fully autonomous vehicle fleet and the supporting ecosystem required to bring this technology to market. Sitting at the intersection of robotics, machine learning, and design, Zoox aims to provide the next generation of mobility-as-a-service in urban environments. We’re looking for top talent that shares our passion and wants to be part of a fast-moving and highly execution-oriented team.

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Accommodations If you need an accommodation to participate in the application or interview process please reach out to accommodations@zoox.com or your assigned recruiter.

A Final Note: You do not need to match every listed expectation to apply for this position. Here at Zoox, we know that diverse perspectives foster the innovation we need to be successful, and we are committed to building a team that encompasses a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.