Staff Technical Project Manager, ADAS

We are CARIAD, an automotive software development team with the Volkswagen Group. Our mission is to make the automotive experience safer, more sustainable, more comfortable, more digital, and more fun. To achieve that we are building the leading tech stack for the automotive industry and creating a unified software platform for over 10 million new vehicles per year. We’re looking for talented, digital minds like you to help us create code that moves the world. Together with you, we’ll build outstanding digital experiences and products for all Volkswagen Group brands that will transform mobility. Join us as we shape the future of the car and everyone around it.

​Role Summary:

The Staff Technical Project Manager for Automated Driving leads the planning activities for CARIAD’s US-based automated driving workstream, with a primary focus on ML-driven L2++ / L3 capability development, integration, and validation.

This role supports the local engineering teams developing core automated driving capability and ensures tight coordination across model development, data workflows, evaluation, system integration, and in-vehicle deployment.

In addition to program management, this role also acts as the agile delivery lead for the team: driving execution cadence, facilitating prioritization and planning, removing blockers, and helping the team operate effectively in a fast-moving and ambiguous environment.

Furthermore, this role helps enable the effective use of GenAI and agentic AI for development by coordinating tooling access, infrastructure readiness, and local adoption formats in partnership with engineering, IT, and other support functions.

The Staff Technical Project Manager serves as a key coordination bridge across US and international engineering teams, ensuring milestones, dependencies, interfaces, and decisions are clearly owned and executed. Alongside technical execution, this role maintains visibility across program risks, resource needs, and budget topics, and ensures leadership has clear, actionable reporting.

Role Responsibilities:

Program structure, milestones & dependency management

• Own program structure, milestones, dependency management, and risk tracking for the US automated driving development program.
• Coordinate cross-site dependencies with partner engineering teams; ensure interface contracts, deliverables, and integration handoffs are explicit and tracked.
• Help translate evolving engineering work into a clear and executable delivery plan, balancing near-term milestones with longer-term capability build-up.

Technical execution across ML and vehicle integration

• Drive execution across model development, data workflows, evaluation, system integration, and in-vehicle deployment.
• Ensure integration readiness through clear entry/exit criteria, validation plans, and tracked closure of integration issues.
• Align system-level interfaces, build integration plans, and coordinate multi-team delivery for vehicle releases.

Agile delivery leadership

• Establish and run the team’s execution cadence, including planning, backlog refinement, dependency tracking, and regular progress reviews.
• Act as Agile Delivery Lead / Scrum Master by facilitating ceremonies, improving team operating rhythm, identifying blockers early, and driving timely resolution.
• Support prioritization decisions and maintain a healthy, actionable backlog aligned to program milestones.

Reporting, risk management & resource tracking

• Maintain structured reporting and clear escalation paths for engineering and leadership stakeholders.
• Track program actuals versus plan across headcount, compute, tooling, and supplier support; surface deviations early and support planning decisions.
• Own RAID (risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies) discipline and drive mitigation plans to closure.

GenAI/Agentic AI enablement & productivity initiatives

• Enable effective use of GenAI and agentic AI development tools by coordinating access, tooling, infrastructure, and process readiness with internal partners.
• Drive local AI productivity initiatives such as workflow pilots, hackathons, and best-practice sharing to improve engineering efficiency and effectiveness.

​General Skills:

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across organizations, geographies, and time zones.
• Strong ability to structure ambiguous problem spaces into milestones, owners, dependencies, and decision points.
• Proven cross-functional delivery across engineering, platform, integration, and partner teams.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving environment with evolving technical scope.
• Creates clarity & momentum by aligning people, processes, and systems; anticipates and removes impediments.

​Required Specialized Skills:

• Strong understanding of ADAS/automated driving development, including system integration and the interfaces between model development, validation, and vehicle integration.
• Experience managing technically complex programs involving machine learning, embedded systems, autonomy, or robotics.
• Experience operating in an Agile environment, including backlog management, sprint planning, dependency management, and team facilitation.
• Working knowledge of tools for program execution and reporting (e.g., Jira, Confluence, dashboards) and disciplined risk/issue management.

​Desired Skills:

• Experience enabling adoption of modern engineering productivity tooling, including AI-assisted development workflows (GenAI/agentic AI) across technical teams.
• Experience coordinating compute/tooling needs for ML development (training/inference infrastructure, data pipelines, evaluation tooling).
• Familiarity with automotive safety and quality concepts relevant to ADAS/AD development (e.g., ISO 26262, ASPICE).

​Workplace Flexibility:

• Calls, virtual meetings, and workshops overlapping with German and US business hours as needed
• Occasional domestic and international travel

​Years of Relevant Experience:

• 12+ years of experience in applied machine learning, deep learning, robotics, or automated driving
• 5+ years of experience in one or more of the following: multimodal foundation models, computer vision, reinforcement learning, imitation learning, or AD/ADAS systems
• Strong candidates with equivalent industry experience will be considered

​Required Education:

• ​Master’s degree in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field

​Desired Education: 

• ​PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related field

Compensation

Salary range is dependent on factors such as geographical differentials, credentials or certifications, industry-based experience, qualification and training. In the city of Mountain View CA, the salary range for this position is $161,710.00 - $234,325.00.

CARIAD, Inc. provides performance based merits and annual bonus along with a competitive benefits package. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, 401k with employer match and defined contribution plan, short and long term disability, basic life and AD&D insurance, employee assistance program, tuition reimbursement and student loan repayment plans, maternity and non-primary caregiver leave, adoption assistance, employee referral program and vacation and paid holidays. We also offer a unique vehicle lease program that covers registration and insurance fees. 

CARIAD is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We welcome and encourage applicants from all backgrounds, and do not discriminate based on race, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, color, gender identity/expression, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected by applicable laws. 

Employment with Cariad Inc. is contingent upon the successful completion of this screening process. We emphasize the importance of compliance with export control and sanctions laws as a fundamental aspect of our operations. Our company is dedicated to adhering to these regulations to ensure the lawful and ethical conduct of our business activities. Employment with our company is contingent on either verifying U.S. citizenship or U.S. lawful permanent resident status or obtaining any necessary license or confirming the availability of an applicable exemption or license exception. You, the applicant, will be required to answer certain questions for export control purposes, and that information will be reviewed by compliance personnel to ensure compliance with federal law. Cariad Inc. may choose not to apply for a license or use an applicable license exception (if available) for such individuals whose access to export-controlled technology or software source code may require authorization and may decline to proceed with an applicant on that basis alone.

By submitting your application, you acknowledge and agree to participate in the export control and sanctions compliance screening process. Your cooperation in this matter is essential to our shared success and the integrity of our operations. Thank you for your understanding and commitment to upholding these important standards.