Senior / Staff Program Manager, Verification and Validation Operations

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%

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

Qualifications 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