Entry Level Technical Program Manager Jobs in Milpitas, CA

Who we are
Aurora's mission is to deliver the benefits of self-driving technology safely, quickly, and broadly.
The Aurora Driver will create a new era in mobility and logistics, one that will bring a safer, more efficient, and more accessible future to everyone.
At Aurora, you will tackle massively complex problems alongside other passionate, intelligent individuals, growing as an expert while expanding your knowledge. For the latest news from Aurora, visit aurora.tech or follow us on LinkedIn.
What we are looking for
Aurora hires talented people with diverse backgrounds who are ready to help build a transportation ecosystem that will make our roads safer, get crucial goods where they need to go, and make mobility more efficient and accessible for all.
We are seeking a Lidar Technical Program Manager (TPM) to join our Hardware Engineering organization. This role is the ultimate launchpad for an engineering mind building a technical foundation across the Systems Engineering V-Model. Positioned at the critical intersection of Program Management and Systems Engineering, you will gain hands-on experience driving the end-to-end product lifecycle across various levels within our Lidar organization.
As a TPM, you will master the foundational pillars of schedule, scope, and budget while serving as the central coordinator for engineering execution. You will translate complex engineering plans into actionable, visual project tracking, ensuring our technical designs seamlessly align with top-level program schedules.
In this role you will

• Drive Engineering Schedule & Scope Realization
  
  • Translate Engineering to Execution: Support the creation and maintenance of detailed subsystem schedules that feed master program timelines, while actively monitoring for scope creep or early schedule slips.
  • Bridge the V-Model: Coordinate with cross-functional hardware and software teams to ensure system-level requirements are properly decomposed, mapped, and verified throughout the development lifecycle.
  • Create Actionable Clarity: Deconstruct high-level engineering milestones into clear, trackable, and actionable tasks/issues in our project management tools to keep day-to-day engineering execution aligned.
  • Optimize Workflows: Lead continuous improvement initiatives between program management, engineering, and manufacturing to eliminate bottlenecks and scale our Lidar hardware faster.
• Master Visual Status & Artifact Tracking
  
  • Own the Visual Narrative: Design and maintain intuitive dashboards, progress charts, and status metrics that make complex engineering data and project health clear at a glance.
  • Drive Gate Readiness: Centralize and track the lifecycle, maturity, and approval of critical systems engineering artifacts-including dFMEAs, Hardware-Software Interface (HSI) documents, and design packages-ensuring they are meticulously prepared for formal program gate reviews.

Required qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, Aerospace Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Engineering Foundation: 2-3 years of experience with core engineering principles, the Systems Engineering V-Model, and how a Bill of Materials (BOM) is structured.
• Systematic Organization: Exceptional organizational skills with a proven ability to build structure out of ambiguity, prioritize tasks, and systematically track deliverables.
• Cross-Functional Communication: Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to confidently collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams and interface with engineering leaders to resolve discrepancies.
• Detail-Oriented Mindset: An analytical approach to tracking technical data, ensuring that engineering plans, changes, and release statuses are meticulously documented.

Desirable qualifications

• Task & Project Management (Jira): Experience using Jira (or equivalent ticketing systems) to manage engineering sprints, track program milestones, and deconstruct complex goals into actionable deliverables.
• Requirements Management (Jama): Familiarity with Jama (or equivalent tools like DOORS) to coordinate requirements decomposition, baseline tracking, and cross-functional traceability.
• Product Lifecycle Management (Arena): 2-3 years of exposure to PLM platforms such as Arena (or equivalent) to manage BOM architecture, track build readiness, and support the Engineering Change Order (ECO) workflow.
• CAD & Data Management (3DEXPERIENCE): Experience navigating complex product assemblies and mapping product architecture in 3DEXPERIENCE / 3DX (or equivalent CAD platforms).
• Industry Exposure: 2-3 years in a fast-paced hardware development environment (e.g., automotive, robotics, aerospace, or sensor technologies).

The base salary range for this position is$124,000 - $175,000 per year. Aurora's pay ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, the successful candidate's starting base pay will be determined based on factors including job-related skills, experience, qualifications, relevant education or training, and market conditions. These ranges may be modified in the future. The successful candidate will also be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and benefits.
Working at Aurora
At Aurora, we bring together extraordinarily talented and experienced people united by the strength of our values. We operate with integrity, set outrageous goals, and build a culture where we win together - all without any jerks.
We believe in-person work increases collaboration, empathy and our ability to lead effectively. As a result, we operate in a hybrid work environment where Aurorans are in office at least 3 days per week.
Our Careers page provides insight into what it is like to work at Aurora, and you can find all the latest updates in our Newsroom.
Our commitment to safety
At the core of everything we do is our commitment to safety. Building best-in-class self-driving technology will take time, and we believe that each employee at Aurora has a role in contributing to safety, every step of the way. Aurora expects commitment to our safety policies from every employee, and seeks candidates who take an active responsibility, can contribute to building an atmosphere of trust, and invest in the organization's long-term success by prioritizing working safely, no matter what.
Our commitment to inclusion
Aurora considers candidates without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy status, parent or caregiver status, ancestry, political affiliation, veteran and/or military status, physical or mental disability, or any other status protected by federal or state law. Aurora considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law. We are also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at careersiteaccommodations@aurora.tech.
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