Staff Technical Program Manager, Validation & Verification

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?

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.

In this position...
We are seeking an experienced Technical Program Manager (TPM) for our Software Verification and Validation (V&V) team who is chartered with ensuring the quality and reliability of the software driving the next-generation of electric vehicles. The TPM will be responsible for driving the team to meet their committed deliverables as well as working with the engineers, technical leads and managers across the broader organization to assess risk, communicate status and drive closure to key issues. The ideal candidate will have a strong technical background, excellent project management skills, and experience working with highly cross-functional teams. This environment demands cross-collaboration and managing key details across multiple domains. This highly visible role will enrich the best talent with the opportunity to perform some of the best work of their careers.  

As a Technical Program Manager, you’ll use your technical expertise to holistically drive complex problems to completion. You’ll work amongst the team to scope work, plan requirements, identify risks, estimate budgets, and clearly communicate ongoing progress.
 

What you'll do...

Program Management:
Lead and manage multiple validation and verification activities, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to project plans.
Develop and maintain detailed program plans, schedules, and budgets.
Ensure alignment between testing activities and project timelines, milestones, and resource allocation.
Manage dependencies for the engineering team including procurement of test platforms and equipment in support of test execution.

 

Team Leadership:
Provide guidance to the V&V team, fostering a culture of quality and continuous improvement.
Lead internal bug triage meetings where next steps of all open issues are identified and assigned.
Coordinate with other teams, including development, product management, and operations, to align V&V activities with overall project goals.

Stakeholder Management:
Communicate program status, progress, and issues to stakeholders, including senior management.
Manage go/no-go meetings where technical merits of all open issues will be reviewed to make a release decision.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams to gather and analyze requirements for testing.
Drive closure to key issues by working with development teams and other TPMs.

Continuous Improvement:
Analyze defect trends and patterns and recommend process improvements.
Drive continuous improvement of V&V processes and methodologies, leveraging industry best practices and emerging technologies to optimize efficiency and effectiveness.

You'll have...

Bachelor's or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.

 

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years of experience in program management, with a focus on software development, verification and validation or quality assurance.

Direct experience with automotive and electric vehicles experience preferred. Will consider candidates with experience in similar domains such as aerospace.

Proven track record of successfully managing complex projects in a fast-paced environment.

 

Skills:

Strong understanding of V&V methodologies, tools, and best practices.

Knowledge of Electric Vehicles and basics on EV architecture. Experience validating software on HILs or other test platforms is a big plus.

Knowledge of software development lifecycle (SDLC) and quality assurance practices.