Technical Program Manager

Overview As a Technical Program Manager in Ford’s Product Development, you will lead validation and verification efforts for automotive software and embedded systems. You’ll build and manage program plans, schedules, and budgets while coordinating cross-functional teams to meet milestones. You’ll drive issue triage, release decisions, and process improvements to ensure high-quality, timely deliveries. This role blends technical leadership with program management in a globally focused mobility mission. Compensation / Benefitsmedical, dental, and prescription drug coverageparenteral leave and family care programsvehicle discount programtuition assistancepaid time off and holidaysemployee resource groups ResponsibilitiesLead and manage multiple validation and verification activities to ensure on-time deliveryDevelop and maintain detailed program plans, schedules, and budgetsAlign testing activities with project timelines, milestones, and resource allocationManage dependencies for the engineering team including test platforms and equipment procurementProvide guidance to the V&V team and foster a culture of qualityLead internal bug triage meetings and assign next stepsCoordinate with cross-functional teams to align V&V with project goalsCommunicate program status and issues to stakeholders, including senior managementLead go/no-go meetings to review open issues for release decisionsCollaborate to gather and analyze testing requirementsDrive issue closure with development teams and other TPMsAnalyze defect trends and recommend process improvementsDrive continuous improvement of V&V processes using best practicesDomestic travel up to 5% Key requirementsMaster’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Automotive Engineering or related field3 years of experience with project management software to define and track deliverables3 years of experience managing automotive project integrations across multiple teams3 years of experience in defect management across large cross-functional teams3 years hands-on experience in automotive embedded systems and software development process2 years experience with Jama for requirements tracking2 years experience with Tableau for data visualization and metrics2 years experience with Jira or IBM Rational Team Concert for component delivery and task assignment2 years leading software readiness reviews for automotive software releasescross-functional collaborationclear stakeholder communicationproblem-solving and analytical thinkingautomotive embedded systemssoftware development processdefect management