Staff Technical Program Manager, Autonomy

Rivian Rivian · Auto · Palo Alto, CA · Autonomous Driving

Staff Technical Program Manager for Autonomy at Rivian, focused on driving cross-functional projects involving sense and compute HW, Perception & Pose (ML-reliant), Planning & Controls, Infrastructure & Simulation (ML training/validation), Systems Definition, Integration & Triage, to build an Autonomy product. Requires experience managing AI/ML components and data pipelines, hands-on experience with ML-based products, and evaluation with metrics-driven analysis.

What you'd actually do

  1. Lead programs consisting of cutting edge technology projects, particularly ones that intersect with hardware, software, and regulatory constraints.
  2. Exercise strong ownership over programs they lead, including diving into the technical details to drive smooth execution and briefing the VP of Autonomy & AI on progress and risks.
  3. Drive pragmatic decisions and tradeoffs to maximize probability of hitting critical timelines, considering factors unique to ML projects such as model iteration speed, data annotation pipelines, and compute resource allocation.
  4. Manage ambiguity by presenting options with a clear point of view for leadership, particularly concerning feature readiness, evaluation metrics, and performance trade-offs.
  5. Mentor other TPMs on the team and help them grow their craft as TPMs, sharing expertise in managing ML-centric technical programs.

Skills

Required

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, or equivalent experience, with a strong foundation in areas relevant to AI/ML.
  • Experience in Technical Program Management on deep tech products or equivalent, specifically managing programs involving AI/ML components and data pipelines.
  • Hands on experience with ML-based products including evaluation with metrics driven analysis.
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate to external partner organizations to drive shared outcomes for Rivian, especially when collaborating on data sharing, model deployment, or platform integration related to AI/ML.

Nice to have

  • Experience with Autonomy systems, Robotaxis, and/or Robotics, particularly involving the integration and management of complex AI/ML models.
  • ML development in resource-constrained environments, demonstrating an understanding of the practical challenges of deploying ML on automotive-grade hardware.
  • You enjoy prototyping random side projects in your spare time, ideally related to AI/ML or robotics.

What the JD emphasized

  • managing programs involving AI/ML components and data pipelines
  • Hands on experience with ML-based products including evaluation with metrics driven analysis
  • Strong interpersonal skills and ability to effectively communicate to external partner organizations to drive shared outcomes for Rivian, especially when collaborating on data sharing, model deployment, or platform integration related to AI/ML

Other signals

  • managing programs involving AI/ML components and data pipelines
  • Hands on experience with ML-based products including evaluation with metrics driven analysis
  • driving pragmatic decisions and tradeoffs to maximize probability of hitting critical timelines, considering factors unique to ML projects such as model iteration speed, data annotation pipelines, and compute resource allocation