LIVE FEEDVIEWS 0UTC —
POSTING ACTIVE · REQ-AED78 · FY26.Q3
Senior / Staff Program Manager, Verification and Validation Operations
[ COMPENSATION RANGE · ANNUAL · BASE ]
$183,000 – $251,000USD
MIDPOINT
$217,000
SPREAD
$68,000
LEVEL
LEAD
§ 01OVERVIEW
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 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%
§ 02IN 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
§ 03QUALIFICATIONS
- 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
§ 04BONUS 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
§ 05REQUIREMENTS
Description
- 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
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- How much does the Senior / Staff Program Manager, Verification and Validation Operations at Zoox pay?
- The posting lists a range of $183K–$251K per year. Ranges reflect what Zoox publicly declared on the source posting.
- Where is this Senior / Staff Program Manager, Verification and Validation Operations role based?
- The role is based in Foster City, CA.
- What experience does Zoox expect for this role?
- The posting is tagged as a lead-level role, typically 7+ years of experience. Check the requirements section for specifics.
- Where is Zoox headquartered?
- Zoox is headquartered in Foster City, USA.
- How was this posting sourced?
- This role was pulled directly from Zoox's Lever careers site. Apply links open in the employer's own ATS — no reposts or aggregator middleware.
[ APPLICATION ROUTE ]LEVER · External ATS
Apply links open in the employer's official ATS. Always verify recruitment messages on the company's careers page before sharing personal information.
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