Staff Software Technical Program Manager

About the role

In this capacity, you will own the full lifecycle of our robotics autonomy program from initial concept to validated production deployment. You will coordinate intake sessions with safety and operations teams to define precise build requirements for autonomous delivery capabilities. The role requires you to guide work through structured maturity stages, ensuring alignment between technical execution and strategic objectives until successful deployment. You will translate high-level strategic goals into concrete schedules and actionable plans that the engineering teams can execute. The position demands navigating significant ambiguity and aligning cross-functional stakeholders to ensure the timely shipping of autonomy features. You will utilize standard communication tools to articulate status updates and risks to leadership while actively facilitating the resolution of cross-team dependencies. Travel to designated operational zones in and around San Francisco, California, for deployment validation and on-site observation is a standard and expected duty of this role.

Key facts

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Location: USA

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Engagement: Full-time employment.

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Compensation: The base salary for this role is established within the range of 160,000 USD to 220,000 USD on an annual basis. Additional compensation components such as equity grants and a comprehensive benefits package may be applicable. Final offers are determined by evaluating skills, experience, qualifications, and work location. Market conditions may cause these ranges to evolve.

What you'll do

Your daily responsibilities will focus on driving autonomy features from initial inception through to validated production on public roads. This includes conducting detailed intake sessions with key operational and safety partners to clarify requirements and success metrics for autonomy capabilities. You will architect and manage the intricate build workflows that integrate critical software modules, including perception, planning, and localization systems. A core duty is steering structured review cycles with simulation and remote assistance teams to rigorously validate logic and performance before physical deployment. You will oversee the methodical shipping of features to public roads, ensuring they pass through staged validation protocols and ongoing monitoring procedures. You will partner closely with product management and quality assurance to align on evolving roadmap priorities and effectively unblock development when dependencies arise. You will be responsible for compiling comprehensive program status updates and presenting clear insights into progress, risks, and dependencies to executive leadership on a regular basis. You will utilize industry-standard project management tools to meticulously track cross-functional risks and dependencies, ensuring accountability and timely execution across all teams. Driving features from the earliest concept phase through validated road testing and subsequent iterative improvement is a central and continuous part of this position.

Requirements

To be successful in this role, you must demonstrate a proven track record of eight years or more in engineering or program management positions with increasing responsibility. You should possess a deep familiarity with the software development life cycle and associated best practices and methodologies. The ability to develop, manage, and de-risk complex, cross-functional programs is essential, particularly when facing high uncertainty or rapidly evolving technical specifications. You must be highly proficient in using standard program management tools, including Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet or MS Project, and Google Workspace applications for communication and documentation. A Bachelor of Science, Master of Science, or Doctor of Philosophy in a STEM discipline is a mandatory requirement for this position. You must be capable of interpreting technical discussions and translating them into actionable plans for diverse teams. The role requires a high level of comfort with data and metrics to measure the success of autonomy features. Strong written and verbal communication skills are necessary to coordinate with distributed teams and leadership effectively.

Nice to have

Prior experience in the specific domains of simulation, closed-course testing, and public road validation for autonomous systems is considered a strong asset for this position. Experience working within robotics or logistics environments where physical deployment is required is also viewed favorably.

Practical notes

All information presented here is a summary of the available source information.

About the company

DoorDash is a technology company that connects consumers with local businesses. Founded in 2013, DoorDash is the largest food delivery company in the United States by market share.