Director, Vehicle Program Management

About the Vehicle Program team at Zoox:Zoox is developing autonomous driving from the ground up, including the development of a unique vehicle tailored to autonomous driving. The Vehicle Program team is responsible for driving cross-functional activities to ensure that this groundbreaking vehicle is delivered on-time, to budget and to a very high standard of performance and quality. 
Reporting to VP, Vehicle Development; the VehicleProgram Director will lead Vehicle Program Management (VPM) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) activities for the delivery of all vehicle programs within Zoox.

Responsibilities

• Own, develop and execute the ‘Zoox Vehicle Development Process’ (ZDVP) - an end-to-end vehicle program framework which defines milestones, gates and deliverables structured to successfully deliver vehicle programs at Zoox
• Work with senior cross-functional leaders across Zoox to align on the deliverables required, and program outputs needed at each milestone
• Lead and manage the VPM team in managing all Zoox vehicle programs within the ZVDP framework
• Provide direction to the PLM function to ensure product data and change management processes are aligned with ZVDP milestones and deliverables
• Working from the top-down company target program timing, lead the VPM team to build realistic and achievable schedules in collaboration with core program team members
• Guide the VPM and PLM teams to create and maintain clear dashboards showing status of appropriate metrics throughout the program timeline
• Serve as the focal point for the escalation of program level issues and work with senior leaders across Zoox to identify solutions and mitigations to those issues where necessary
• Manage trade-offs at the vehicle program level and take responsibility for decisions within the vehicle program which affect the balance of content, performance, cost and timing
• Ensure appropriate resources are in place within VPM, PLM and across the cross-functional teams to manage vehicle programs and execute on the program deliverables
• Manage, lead and mentor VPM and PLM team members to provide positive career development opportunities
• Report up to the Zoox executive team on vehicle program status and the status of specific escalation topics as required

Qualifications

• BS or MS degree in an engineering discipline or equivalent experience
• 10 + years of experience in management of vehicle engineering or vehicle programs in the automotive industry, with hands-on launch experience
• Experience in vehicle development at all stages; product ideation, design, release, prototyping, validation, launch and production
• Solid understanding of PLM function, BOM and change management
• Proficient in tools required to manage complex projects (i.e. Gantt charts)
• Established track-record in managing complex cross-functional projects
• Strong verbal and written communication skills

Bonus Qualifications

• Familiarity with both Waterfall and Agile planning tools, and an appreciation of how to leverage a mix of these tools in the Vehicle Development process
• Efficiency using JIRA to capture and track engineering development tasks
• Experience leading PLM and/or change control functions
• Experience in a highly dynamic start-up environment

Vaccine Mandate
Employees working in this position will be required to have received a single dose of the J&J/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine OR have completed the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series. In addition, employees will be required to receive a COVID-19 booster vaccine by the earlier of (1) April 15 or (2) within two months of becoming eligible for the booster vaccine.
Employees will be required to show proof of vaccination status upon receipt of a conditional offer of employment. That offer of employment will be conditioned upon, among other things, an Applicant’s ability to show proof of vaccination status. Please note the Company provides reasonable accommodations in accordance with applicable state, federal, and local laws.
About Zoox
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.
Follow us on LinkedIn
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.