Senior Technical Program Manager

Ford’s Electric Vehicles, Digital and Design (EVDD) team is charged with delivering the company’s vision of a fully electric transportation future. EVDD is customer-obsessed, entrepreneurial, and data-driven and is dedicated to delivering industry-leading customer experience for electric vehicle buyers and owners. You’ll join an agile team of doers pioneering our EV future by working collaboratively, staying focused on only what matters, and delivering excellence day in and day out. Join us to make positive change by helping build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. We are the movers of the world and the makers of the future. We get up every day, roll up our sleeves and build a better world -- together. At Ford, we’re all a part of something bigger than ourselves. Are you ready to change the way the world moves? 

 

 

In this position... 

We are seeking an experienced Senior Technical Program Manager with a strong background in Automotive Engineering and Issue Resolution Management. The ideal candidate will bring expertise in managing the full software release lifecycle for automotive ECUs, troubleshooting complex software issues, and leading cross-functional teams to drive timely product launches and resolution of critical issues. Candidate will be pivotal in ensuring high-quality releases, issue resolution, and continuous process improvement in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Key Responsibilities:

Design & Release Engineering:

• Experience with design and release process of ECU software within automotive projects, ensuring compliance with industry standards and customer requirements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (hardware, software, validation, dealer service etc.) to ensure successful ECU software releases.
• Oversee technical documentation, design reviews, and change management throughout the product lifecycle.
• Interface with software development teams to ensure robust integration and performance of ECU software, identifying and resolving any software-related issues.
• Manage the launch of new automotive products, ensuring seamless integration of ECU software into final products.

Issue Resolution Management:

• Manage the lifecycle of JIRA tickets, ensuring necessary information is captured, prioritized, and routed to appropriate teams, and track progress using established metrics like MTTR and Time to Acknowledge.
• Analyze CAN logs, bug reports, DTCs, QUIP logs, and other data to uncover root causes of software issues, providing timely resolutions.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with engineers, development teams, D&Rs, system engineers, and others to drive effective issue resolution.
• Conduct JIRA audits (e.g., cancellation audits, priority changes) and identify trends to continuously improve the issue resolution process.
• Identify bottlenecks in issue resolution workflows, suggesting and implementing improvements to optimize MTTR.

Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Liaise with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment on software requirements, design updates, and testing schedules.
• Chair meetings, lead initiatives, and work to create a collaborative problem-solving environment across engineering teams.
• Drive continuous improvement within the team, sharing best practices and lessons learned from previous releases and troubleshooting efforts.

Process Improvement:

• Constantly seek ways to optimize workflows and improve the issue resolution process, using data-driven insights and metrics to enhance efficiency.
• Suggest improvements in ticket management processes, helping to streamline the lifecycle of JIRA tickets and reduce resolution times.

 

 

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Automotive Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of experience in automotive engineering, specifically in Design & Release, ECU software management, and issue resolution.
• Proven experience with the full software release lifecycle within automotive systems (ECU, embedded systems).
• Strong knowledge of system engineering processes, functional safety standards (ISO 26262), and automotive architectures.
• Experience with program management, issue tracking systems (e.g., JIRA), and technical troubleshooting (CAN logs, bug reports, DTCs, QUIP logs).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Experience in leading cross-functional teams, managing launches, and resolving complex issues i