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Automotive Program Manager Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Aeva, Inc.

Senior Customer Program Manager

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$182K - $245K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The Senior Customer Program Manager is responsible for facilitating all program deliverables and ... Working knowledge of automotive and/or industrial product development cycles, supply chain ...

Aeva, Inc.

Senior Customer Program Manager

Mountain View, CA · On-site +1

$182K - $245K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

The Senior Customer Program Manager is responsible for facilitating all program deliverables and ... Working knowledge of automotive and/or industrial product development cycles, supply chain ...

Best Buddies Int. Inc

Program Manager

Irvine, CA · On-site

$43K/yr

Access to an automobile with applicable insurance or other reliable transportation Job Duties ... Jobs program. * Manage state citizen matches and support/cultivate corporate chapters. * Host ...

Luminit

Program & Certification Manager

Torrance, CA · On-site

$100K - $130K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... automotive program portfolio as programs evolve. Key Responsibilities Program Execution ... Manage milestone-based deliverable cadence and align deliverables with contractual and billing ...

Denken Solutions, Inc.

Program Manager

Foster City, CA · Hybrid

$70.60/hr

Qualifications: * 4+ years of experience in program management, operations or project coordination, automotive, consumer product, or design background preferred. * Successful track record of managing ...

Amphenol TCS

Program Manager

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$100K - $189K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... and automotive. Position: Program Manager Location: Santa Clara, CA Amphenol High Speed Products Group is the market leader for high speed, high bandwidth electrical connectors for the Telecom ...

Ford Motor Company

Technical Program Manager

Palo Alto, CA

$213K - $279K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Life

  • PTO

Master's degree or foreign equivalent in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Automotive ... Communicate program status, progress, and issues to stakeholders, including senior management.

Amphenol TCS

Program Manager

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$100K - $189K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

... and automotive. Position: Program Manager Location: Santa Clara, CA Amphenol High Speed Products Group is the market leader for high speed, high bandwidth electrical connectors for the Telecom ...

Sanmina

Program Manager

Fremont, CA · On-site

$75K - $95K/yr

  • Medical

  • Life

  • PTO

... and storage, automotive and clean technology sectors. Sanmina Corporation has facilities ... Program Manager will be responsible for all aspects of a program at the site, serving as the site ...

Rivian

Staff Design Project/Program Manager

Torrance, CA · On-site

$154K - $192K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Understanding of automotive engineering release processes. * Proficiency in program management processes and vehicle development timeline tools (e.g., Smartsheet, JIRA, Confluence, Vizzlo)

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All JobsAutomotive Program JobsAutomotive Program Manager JobsAutomotive Program Manager Jobs in California

Automotive Program Manager information

See California salary details

$38K

$106.1K

$154.9K

How much do automotive program manager jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 18, 2026, the average yearly pay for automotive program manager in California is $106,053.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $78,500.00 and $130,800.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does an automotive program manager do?

An Automotive Program Manager oversees the planning, execution, and delivery of automotive projects, such as vehicle development or component integration. They coordinate cross-functional teams, manage timelines and budgets, and ensure that project goals align with company objectives and customer requirements. Their role involves communicating with stakeholders, mitigating risks, and ensuring that quality standards are met throughout the project lifecycle.

What are some typical challenges faced by automotive program managers when coordinating cross-functional teams?

Automotive Program Managers often encounter challenges such as aligning the goals and timelines of diverse teams, including engineering, manufacturing, procurement, and quality assurance. Coordinating these groups requires strong communication and negotiation skills to resolve conflicts and keep projects on schedule. Additionally, managing changes in project scope—often due to evolving customer requirements or regulatory updates—demands adaptability and effective risk management. Building strong relationships and maintaining transparency with all stakeholders is key to overcoming these hurdles.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an automotive program manager, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Automotive Program Manager, you need expertise in project management, automotive engineering principles, and a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field. Familiarity with project management software (like MS Project), automotive design tools (such as CAD), and relevant certifications (such as PMP) is often required. Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills are essential for managing cross-functional teams and meeting project deadlines. These skills ensure projects are delivered on time, within budget, and meet quality standards in a highly competitive industry.

What is the difference between Automotive Program Manager vs Automotive Engineer?

AspectAutomotive Program ManagerAutomotive Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's in Engineering, Business or related field; PMP or project management certifications often preferredBachelor's or Master's in Mechanical, Automotive, or Electrical Engineering; Professional Engineer (PE) license optional
Work EnvironmentProject teams, cross-functional departments, management meetingsDesign labs, testing facilities, R&D departments
Employer & Industry UsageAutomotive manufacturers, suppliers, and OEMsAutomotive manufacturers, R&D centers, engineering firms
Common Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding project management roles in automotive industryUnderstanding engineering roles in automotive development

Automotive Program Managers focus on overseeing vehicle development projects, coordinating teams, and ensuring timely delivery. Automotive Engineers are involved in designing, testing, and improving vehicle components. Both roles are essential in the automotive industry but differ in responsibilities and focus areas.

What are popular job titles related to Automotive Program Manager jobs in California?

For Automotive Program Manager jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Automotive Program Manager jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Automotive Program Manager jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Automotive Program Manager jobs?

Cities in California with the most Automotive Program Manager job openings:

Automotive Program Manager jobs near you
Infographic showing various Automotive Program Manager job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $106,053 per year, or $51 per hour.

Customer Program Manager - Automotive

Nvidia Corporation

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 10 days ago

Nvidia rating

9.6

Company rating: 9.6 out of 10

Based on 17 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7th of 245 rated software companies

Job description

At NVIDIA, our employees are passionate about parallel and visual computing which is becoming the backbone or recent Artificial Intelligence revolution. Our technology is at the heart of the state-of-the-art innovation in A.I, video games, cloud and enterprise computing and embedded fields. NVIDIA's solutions power the digital cockpits, infotainment systems and autonomous driving platforms of some of the world's most creative and established car makers. And we've only scratched the surface of what we can accomplish when we apply our technology to it. We need passionate, hardworking, and creative people to help us seek some of these rare opportunities!
We are searching an experienced Customer Program Manager for the US market to lead the autonomous driving, robo-taxi, and A.I. in the car programs with Tier-1 and car OEMs. As a key member of the Customer Program Management Team for NVIDIA's Automotive business unit, this role requires an expert in Program Management with solid engineering background who will be responsible for the managing of program execution as well as customer relations.
What you'll be doing:
  • Lead customer-facing automotive programs involving AI, data science, ADAS, autonomous driving, in-cabin AI, perception, simulation, or software-defined vehicle platforms.
  • Partner with customers and internal teams to define and execute data campaign initiatives, including data collection goals, sensor coverage, scenario targets, edge-case discovery, labeling needs, dataset readiness, and feedback loops into model development.
  • Define program schedules, achievements and work based on the customer roadmap and requirements
  • Translate customer requirements into specific tasks for all functional areas and actively collect, track and drive all issues to closure
  • Communicate the issue status to the customer and internal teams located on different geographical zones
  • Identify and accurately represent the priority of issues and raise them appropriately
  • Work closely with the engineering, quality, logistics and the Sales team to resolve technical and logistic issues
  • Regularly communicate the program status and key issues to customer and Nvidia management

What we need to see:
  • Have 12+ years of experience in project/program management in the Automotive or Embedded Industry for electrical/electronic and software products
  • A strong technical background and experience working with customers in an OEM environment
  • Experience in handling global projects with multinational program members
  • BS/MS or equivalent experience in Engineering or Computer Science, MBA with prior technical background
  • Understanding of machine learning and data science workflows, including data ingestion, labeling, feature analysis, model training, evaluation, validation, and deployment.
  • Experience supporting or leading data campaign initiatives for automotive, robotics, autonomy, perception, mapping, simulation, or other AI-heavy domains.
  • Exposure to ML Ops, data operations, cloud AI infrastructure, GPU-accelerated training, simulation pipelines, synthetic data, or large-scale data management.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:
  • Track record in managing complex hardware and software product development preferably in automotive industry
  • Prior experience in ADAS, Autonomous Driving, Mapping or Data Collection projects
  • Leadership in coordination of different functional teams towards the same target
  • Good communication, presentation, negotiation, and organization skills.
  • Dedicated and able to work with minimum supervision

NVIDIA is widely considered to be one of the technology world's most desirable employers. We have some of the most forward-thinking and hardworking people in the world working for us. If you're creative and autonomous, we want to hear from you!
Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 200,000 USD - 322,000 USD.
You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.
Applications for this job will be accepted at least until July 13, 2026.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.
NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.

What Nvidia employees say

Pay

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Hours and flexibility

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About Nvidia

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

NVIDIA has been transforming computer graphics, PC gaming, and accelerated computing for more than 25 years. It's a unique legacy of innovation that's fueled by great technology--and amazing people. Today, we're tapping into the unlimited potential of AI to define the next era of computing. An era in which our GPU acts as the brains of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can understand the world. Doing what's never been done before takes vision, innovation, and the world's best talent.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Santa Clara, CA, US

Year founded

1993

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