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# Senior / Staff Program Manager, Verification and Validation Operations

- **Company:** Zoox
- **Location:** Foster City, CA, United States
- **Experience:** Expert
- **Salary:** $183,000.0 - $251,000.0
- **Contract:** Permanent contract
- **Skills:** Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), Artificial Intelligence, Systems Engineering, Cloud Computing, Software Documentation, Software Quality, Software Engineering, Verification and Validation (Software), Tools for Reporting, Claude, Functional Programming, Google Gemini
- **Published:** October 29, 2026
- **Apply:** https://www.careerbuilder.com/job-details/senior-staff-program-manager-verification-and-validation-operations-foster-city-ca--2599573d-4746-4136-a8af-62d98e1de9c5

## About the Role

Project/Program Management, People Management, Validation Testing, Project/Program Management, People Management, Validation Testing, Vehicle Fleets, Operations Management, Fleet Management, Functional Programming Languages, * Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Operations Research, Operations Management, or a STEM field

 * 10+ years of program management experience, with a strong preference for backgrounds that blend technical depth with operational execution
 * Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale, highly cross-functional programs with significant organizational impact
 * Comfortable operating in ambiguity - able to structure undefined problems, build frameworks from scratch, and drive toward clarity
 * Strong stakeholder management and communication skills across engineering, product, and operations audiences
 * Deeply data-driven - not just tracking metrics but validating them, questioning outputs that don't add up, and pushing back when the data tells the wrong story
 * Proficient with modern AI tools and workflows (e.g., Gemini, Claude, MCP APIs, cloud-based coding environments) and actively applies them to drive operational efficiency and better decision-making

Bonus Qualifications

 * Experience in autonomous vehicles, aerospace, ride-hail, robotics, or fleet management
 * Background in systems engineering, software development, or technical operations
 * MBA or Master's degree in a STEM field
 * PMP, PgMP, or equivalent certification
 * Experience with vehicle testing, validation, or disengagement analysis

## Description

Zoox's Fleet Operations Program Management team delivers cross-functional programs critical to the growth, expansion, and efficient operation of our commercial autonomous vehicle service. We partner closely with Fleet Operations and cross-functional stakeholders to verify, validate, and launch new software on our fleet - while continuously maturing our operational processes to deliver a premium customer experience.

We're looking for an experienced, forward-thinking Senior / Staff Technical Program Manager to help define and execute strategies that scale our Verification & Validation (V&V) operations. Our testing fleet - hundreds of vehicles across multiple cities and private tracks - is growing rapidly in size and geographic reach. This is a highly cross-functional role operating at the intersection of operations, autonomy, engineering, and product - requiring someone who can navigate technical complexity while driving alignment and execution across a broad set of stakeholders.

Expected Travel: 10-15%

In this role, you will:

 * Lead and coordinate large-scale, highly cross-functional programs spanning Autonomy, Product, Infrastructure, Engineering, and Safety teams to drive measurable improvements in fleet efficiency and software quality
 * Own and drive operational efficiency initiatives that span multiple engineering, field service, and operations teams - identifying bottlenecks, aligning stakeholders, and unblocking downstream execution
 * Partner with System Design & Mission Assurance and other safety teams to gather and pressure-test requirements - bringing a critical lens to ensure what's being asked for is the right thing to build or prioritize
 * Champion the adoption of AI and data-driven tools within operations - including building centralized, multi-source reporting systems that surface actionable intelligence from the field and feed into leadership decision-making
 * Run monthly business reviews (MBRs) with a broad set of stakeholders - synthesizing ground-level signals from market leads and operational locations into clear recommendations on resources, partnerships, and priorities for leadership
 * Define and track the right operational metrics - not just reporting on what exists, but actively shaping what should be measured and why
 * Partner with Finance to support operational and financial planning cycles (OP1, OP2, quarterly R&O), ensuring budgets reflect operational needs accurately and efficiently
 * Lead key efficiency initiatives across our L3 and robotaxi R&D fleets, including improvements in fleet utilization, time-in-autonomy, troubleshooting cycle times, and operational infrastructure
 * Manage program timelines, resources, and deliverables; proactively identify and mitigate operational and programmatic risks
 * Create and maintain program documentation and progress reports for senior leadership